MUTS may get $5.5 million from city

[MeanGreen61]

Posted by Space Raider on the Sun Bdelt board.

This is huge news. For years, MT has hosted the state girls and boys basketball tournaments and for the last few years the state FB championships, reaping huge financial benefits to the city and local businesses without the university ever seeing a dime back in support.

A huge concern when the university and city bid on the spring HS sports championships was facility improvements. Congrats to MT president McPhee and AD Massaro for getting the city and chamber to see that MT needed to see something in return.

DNJ article:

...If contract language can be worked out in time, Murfreesboro City Council will be asked Thursday to consider a $5.5 million gift to MTSU to help improve athletic facilities needed to hold the annual TSSAA Spring Fling.

The initiative for the proposed gift originated with Murfreesboro Mayor Tommy Bragg and MTSU President Sidney McPhee during negotiations that resulted in the TSSAA moving Spring Fling, its package of spring sports state championships, to Murfreesboro, said City Manager Roger Haley.

"Mayor Bragg and Dr. McPhee realized it made economic sense for both the city and the university," he said. "The city realized it did not have nor did we have the ability to build all the stand-alone facilities we would need for Spring Fling.

"The university has the facilities the city lacks, but improvements are needed. The university has been making plans to improve some of their existing facilities, but they also know it could be a number of years before they'll have the money to do them all," he said. "(The proposal) has developed from both the city and the university because this is the most economical way to address the situation."

The plan under discussion calls for approximately $3.5 million to be spent on the university's track and field complex for lighting, seating, restrooms and concession stands and a fieldhouse. The remaining $2 million would go toward rebuilding the baseball grandstand at Reese Smith Field. Additional money for the baseball improvements would come from other gifts to the university, Haley said.

The proposal signifies a true partnership between the city and university, said MTSU athletic director Chris Massaro.

"We're considering this an investment," he said. "What it means for us is we would have the ability to host Sun Belt Conference championships, and it puts us in the position to bid for NCAA regionals and super regionals. If we were to host the Sun Belt track championships, that would bring 13 men's teams and 13 women's teams. Each team brings about 22 athletes for each team, and that's not counting coaches and fans who accompany the teams. That's a sizable gathering for a three- or four-day event.

"And if we put ourselves in a position to bid on NCAA regionals and super regionals, there's an economic impact from the teams and fans coming in, but there's also an additional impact because all those games are picked up by ESPN," Massaro said.

If the gift is approved by the council, it would be funneled through the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce...

City, MT make Spring Fling plan