DUANE SHERRILLEditor

There will be no easing into the gridiron season for the MTSU Blue Raiders as they will kick off their 2023 campaign against the Alabama Crimson Tide with Head Coach Rick Stockstill telling local fans and alumni at Common John this past week that he already has the date circled on the calendar.

The kickoff will be in Tuscaloosa Sept. 2 at 6:30 p.m., airing on the SEC Network on ESPN. It will mark the first time the Murfreesboro squad has played ‘Bama since Sept. 12, 2015 while the Crimson Tide won 37-10.

“We’re excited about the upcoming season,” Coach Stockstill said. “We got a challenging schedule and open up with Alabama and then we go to Missouri.”

“Somebody is going to win,” Coach Stockstill said when asked his prediction for the ‘Bama game during his visit to Common John in Manchester along with the rest of the MTSU caravan this past week.

The group was here to promote the upcoming sports seasons and to thank Coffee County for its support of Blue Raider athletics.

“It’s a new look conference this year. We have four new teams coming in that we don’t know a lot about yet,” Stockstill said of Conference USA who will welcome Liberty, New Mexico State, Jacksonville State and Sam Houston to their ranks – all of whom are on Middle’s schedule this season. “I like our team right now. I think we have a chance to be a really good football team. We got a lot of good players. Jakobe Thomas is from around this area here and played some good ball for us last season. We got a really good defensive line. I like our team.”

Alabama will be only the first of two trips where the Blue Raiders will challenge the SEC as they are set to head to Columbia Missouri the next week to play the Tigers at 6 p.m., the game again airing on the SEC Network. The last time the two squads meet in 2016, Middle came out on top 51-45.

Murray State will be the next foe for MTSU and will be their home opener on Sept. 16. Middle is 38-30-3 against their long-time foes, their rivalry dating back to 1925. However, the tilt will be a renewing of their rivalry as they last met in 2000 with Middle winning 44-28.

Colorado State will be their next foe as they will host them on Sept. 23. The Blue Raiders won their tilt last season 34-19.

Sept. 28 will see 100 miles of hate renewed when Middle travels up to Bowling Green to play Western Kentucky hoping to avenge their 35-17 loss last season. The series is almost deadlocked with Western enjoying a 36-35-1 advantage.

The season will then see Middle host Jax State for Blackout Night Oct. 4 in a game on ESPN U and then see them host Louisiana Tech on Oct. 19 before going to Liberty on Oct. 17. Middle will then make their longest trip of the year to Las Cruces, N.M. to play New Mexico State before coming home for a Salute to Veterans and Armed Forces at 2:30 p.m., Nov. 11 in Murfreesboro against FIU.

Senior Day will be Nov. 18 when they host the Miners from UTEP before they end their regular season in Huntsville, Texas against Sam Houston.

Along with Coach Stockstill, MTSU softball coach Jeff Breeden paid a visit during the MTSU Day at Common John.

“It’s going to be good. We’re trying to repeat our conference championship,” Breeden said, noting he has a long history in Coffee County having lived here for 20 years.

The coach added that the new alignment of conferences will bring new foes on the diamond. “We got Liberty coming in and they will be our number-one competition. But the whole conference is good.”