MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Collectively, they were extremely loud for 40 minutes of college basketball regulation time — or nearly two hours counting all the timeouts, clock stoppage, pregame and halftime segments.
Nearly 6,000 Rutherford County Schools’ youngsters yelled, screamed, cheered, danced in their seats and more Monday, Nov. 4, during the annual Education Day game field trip to Middle Tennessee State University’s Murphy Center, where the MT Blue Raiders defeated the Oglethorpe University Petrels 97-51.
Education Day games are a way for MTSU, the Blue Raiders and Lady Raiders to partner with Rutherford County Schools and Murfreesboro City Schools, bringing the youngsters to campus for a college basketball game and small sample of college life.
Tate Gay, 11, of Murfreesboro, a fifth grader at Kittrell Elementary School, said how much fun he was having — “and I’d rather be here than school.” Good thing his math teacher (and Mom), Crystal Gay, didn’t hear that.
“Watching them play, jump and score is exciting,” said Tate Gay, who plays soccer, football and basketball. It was his first time to attend a Blue Raiders’ game.
Kittrell kids rooted for the Raiders and were on their feet virtually the entire game.
“They’re so excited to be here and participate in something like this,” Crystal Gay said, adding that nearly all of the youngsters “have their MTSU Blue Crew jerseys on.”
Students danced to the “Macarena” and “Chicken Dance” songs, watched in awe as Blue Raider cheerleaders performed back flips from one end of the court to the other and made it thunderously loud with their feet when the song “We Will Rock You” was played.
With the crowd singing along, the Homer Pittard Campus School Choir performed the national anthem. The crowd included season ticket holders and MTSU exchange students from Japan.
Things may become even louder when the Lady Raiders host the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 4, in the Murfreesboro City Schools’ Education Day game.
