2012 was a great year in sports. The year also brought difficult times for some teams. The Riverdale Lady Warriors captured their third state basketball championship while the Blackman boys made it for the first time. Both have an excellent shot in 2013. The Eagleville baseball team had another outstanding year, making it to the Blue Cross Spring Fling Single-A Championship game and Riverdale baseball marched to the state's final four. In football, another first timer, Siegel, got to the state's final four before falling to Maryville in one of the most exciting semifinal games in years.

It was another great year for Blue Raider athletics. The MTSU men's basketball team won the division regular season title, before falling in the conference tournament. Despite not making it to the NCAA Tournament, Middle Tennessee won several games in the NIT, the biggest on the road in Knoxville, as they defeated Tennessee. The Lady Raiders went unbeaten in the regular season in conference play before falling in the Sun Belt Tournament Championship game to Little Rock. They also went to the NCAA Tournament again, losing to Vanderbilt in the first round. What a difference 2012 made for the MTSU football team. After a 2-and-10 2011 campaign, the Big Blue finished 2012 8-and-4, only to be snubbed for a bowl. This disappointment came just days after the university announced it would leave the Sun Belt Conference for Conference USA. Also, back in July, MTSU baseball coach Steve Peterson announced his retirement after 25-years at the program's helm.

Other 2012 headlines around the state in sports...in Knoxville, the announcement of Pat Summitt's retirement as the Lady Vols head coach due to early stage dementia and the firing of Derek Dooley as the football coach stole the headlines for Vols fans. Baseball captured the attention of local fans, with the Goodlettsville Little League team making it to the College World Series finals and taking the U-S title. Murfreesboro's own David Price, a pitcher for the Tampa Bay Rays, won the American League Cy Young Award. R-A Dickey from Nashville was the National League winner.