[072] Plan ahead for parking, access to MTSU’s inaugural C-USA football game

MURFREESBORO — MTSU’s first home game of the 2013 season on Thursday, Aug. 29, will require traffic and parking changes to accommodate on- and off-campus Blue Raider fans.

The MTSU Office of Parking and Transportation Services is encouraging students on campus to leave their cars parked and walk or ride the Raider Xpress shuttle to classes and the game. Faculty and staff can do the same or try to arrive early, since fans are expected to be on campus early as well.

MTSU’s Blue Raiders will be playing the Western Carolina Catamounts beginning at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Floyd Stadium. The matchup against the Cullowhee, N.C.-based team also is the inaugural Conference USA game for MTSU.

During Thursday’s expected traffic crunch, motorists should use entrances and exits on the less-congested south and east sides of campus along East Main Street and Rutherford Boulevard, said Ron Malone, MTSU’s assistant vice president for events and transportation services.

“Using the south and east sides of campus will allow students, faculty and staff to enter and exit more easily while afternoon and evening classes are still underway,” Malone said. “If motorists can use East Main or Rutherford, they can avoid the most congested west and north sides of campus.”

The campus community also should note these parking lot and road closings for Aug. 29, Malone said:

·       Half of the Greenland Drive Lot will be blocked off all day Thursday for the game, and the other half will close at noon for game-day parking. Those who normally park in this lot should seek out alternative parking on Thursday, preferably in the Rutherford Boulevard Lot and other perimeter lots.

·       The Division Street Lot will be closed all day for use by coaches preparing for the game.

·       The Kirksey Old Main Lot adjacent to the Midgett Building (north of KOM) and the Reese Smith Baseball Lot will close at 2 p.m. Thursday for reserved parking. 


·       Both east and west entrances of Faulkinberry Drive will close at 2 p.m. on game day. Traffic will be allowed to exit at the east end of Faulkinberry onto Champion Way.

·       The Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building lot will close at 2 p.m. and will be reserved for media parking.

·       The Lightning, Way, Founders Lane and Woodfin Lots also will close at 2 p.m. and will be reserved for game-day participants.

·       The Davis Science Building Lot will be reserved for faculty, staff and administration permits only from 2 to 6 p.m. on game day. Faculty and staff with afternoon class responsibilities may access this lot from Friendship via Alumni Drive.

All campus parking for people with disabilities will remain unchanged and will be enforced as usual. No one with a valid disability placard or license plate will be turned away from any available disabled-parking space, and no vehicle without the appropriate placard or plate will be allowed to use disabled-parking spaces.

MTSU’s Raider Xpress shuttle buses will run their routes until the end of the third quarter of the game. Shuttle service will end then to allow the MTSU Police Department to prepare for the game traffic that will be leaving campus.