MURFREESBORO - As the summer is coming to a close and it's back to school time, one thing is certain: football is almost back. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders take on their cross-state rival Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles in the 2024-25 season home opener at MTSU’s Floyd Stadium on August 31 at 6 p.m.

It will be the first game for new head coach Derek Mason, hired in December of 2023.

Chip Walters, the “Voice of the Blue Raiders”, recalls the rivalry between the two schools from his time as a student:

The teams unofficially play for ownership of a totem pole. When the tradition began, MTSU students named it Harvey while Tech students call it Shinny Ninny. While the winning school is supposed to hold claim over the totem pole until the next matchup, Walters talks about tne time MTSU students came up with a creative ploy to steal it back:

The Blue Raiders hold a 36-31-7 all-time series lead over the Golden Eagles. You'll be able to hear the games with Chip Walters and Joe Dubin on WGNS and WGNSRadio.com.