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Middle Tennessee State University is getting ready to turn its Murfreesboro campus into a new destination for live music.
MTSU Athletics and NVRDUL Events announced the launch of Live in the Boro, a new public-private partnership designed to bring major touring artists and live entertainment to MTSU throughout the academic year.
The series will make its debut during MTSU Homecoming Week, with multi-Platinum country star Bailey Zimmerman headlining the inaugural concert at the historic Murphy Center on Thursday, November 5 at 7 p.m.Doors open at 6 p.m.
The lineup will also feature hip-hop heavyweight Waka Flocka Flame, rising country act Miller Holler and genre-blurring DJ and producer Dee Jay Silver.
“We are pleased to take this next step in our goal of making Murphy Center and Floyd Stadium entertainment destinations that will benefit not only MTSU, but Murfreesboro and Rutherford County,” said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee.
Planned renovations to Murphy Center and Floyd Stadium, made possible through state and private funding, are expected to make the venues even more attractive for concerts and special events.
NVRDUL Events, a Nashville-based independent concert promotion and live entertainment company, plans to bring multiple concerts and events to Murphy Center and Floyd Stadium throughout the academic year.
“This is an exciting opportunity to bring premier live entertainment to our campus while creating a new source of support for MTSU Athletics,” said Chris Massaro, MTSU director of athletics. “We’re proud to partner with NVRDUL Events to launch this series and thrilled to kick things off with one of country music’s biggest stars in Bailey Zimmerman during Homecoming Weekend.”
Massaro added that the series will generate new commercial activity around MTSU’s athletic venues while bringing additional energy to the campus and the surrounding community.
BAILEY ZIMMERMAN LEADS THE WAY
Since breaking onto the Country music scene in 2022, Bailey Zimmerman has quickly become one of the genre’s biggest young stars, earning billions of streams, multiple No. 1 singles and sold-out shows across the country.
“Known for an exhilarating live show packed with massive hits like the eight-time Platinum smash ‘Rock and a Hard Place,’ he’s primed to bring high-octane energy to Murphy Center and ignite a new era of live music at MTSU,” said Carri Hyde, founder and CEO of NVRDUL Events.
Hyde said the company is focused on creating experiences that connect artists, communities and institutions.
“When MTSU approached us about creating something unique that could both entertain and support Blue Raider Athletics, we knew it was a special opportunity,” she said. “Launching Live in the Boro with an artist of Bailey Zimmerman’s stature is an incredible way to begin what we believe will become a signature event series for Middle Tennessee.”
MURPHY CENTER’S NEXT CHAPTER
A centerpiece of the MTSU campus for more than five decades, Murphy Center has hosted concerts, sporting events and other major events throughout its history.
Major renovations to the 53-year-old facility are scheduled to begin in 2027, with the goal of transforming Murphy Center into a premier concert venue.
McPhee said the renovated facility will give fans “a unique opportunity to experience some of music’s biggest stars in an intimate arena setting.”
“With the arrival of Live in the Boro, the storied arena will expand on its rich legacy as a go-to concert venue, pairing superstar talent with an intimate arena experience,” Massaro said.
Additional Live in the Boro concerts and events are expected to be announced in the coming months, with Hyde calling the Zimmerman show just the beginning of the long-term partnership between MTSU Athletics and NVRDUL Events.
TICKETS
Presale tickets for the Bailey Zimmerman concert begin Wednesday, September 9 at noon for current 2026-27 Blue Raider Athletic Association members and season-ticket holders, including 2026 football and 2025-26 men’s and women’s basketball, baseball and softball season-ticket holders.
Current MTSU students can purchase tickets beginning Thursday, September 10 at noon, followed by the general public on Friday, September 11 at 10 a.m. GET TICKETS HERE!
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