After a radical evaluation of future departmental progress and campus enrollment methods, Murray State Athletics is proud to announce that will probably be increasing its sports activities choices forward of the 2027-28 season after receiving approval from the University Board of Regents on Friday, June 12.
The 5 new, non-scholarship sport packages the Racers will add are: Women’s Stunt, Women’s Beach Volleyball, Women’s Rowing, Women’s Bowling, and Men’s Tennis. In whole, the brand new additions can carry as much as 171 new college students to campus and develop the visibility of the Murray State model by new rising sport choices.
“Launching these five new sport programs is about much more than athletics—it is a strategic investment in the long-term growth and vitality of our university,” Murray State University President Dr. Ron Patterson stated. “These programs will expand access to higher education, attract new students to our campus and create opportunities for young people to develop as leaders, scholars and competitors.”
“As we continue leading the pack in everything that we do, we must think boldly about how athletics can support the broader mission of our university, community and region through this new bifurcated model,” Director of Athletics Nico Yantko stated. “The addition of five new programs is a strategic move that will expand opportunities for student-athletes while creating a significant enrollment pipeline for Murray State. In today’s collegiate landscape, successful athletics departments are those that align competitive excellence with institutional growth, and this initiative accomplishes both.”
Below is a breakdown of every proposed new sport for the Racers:
WOMEN’S STUNT
Stunt is thought to be one of the fastest-growing sports activities within the NCAA, crossing the benchmark of 40 faculties assembly minimal contest and participant necessities in its first yr as an rising sport in all three divisions. It joined the Emerging Sports for Women program in 2023. Stunt transforms conventional cheerleading abilities right into a head-to-head, four-quarter format emphasizing athleticism and precision. Teams compete in companion stunts, pyramids, and jumps and tumbling, with factors awarded based mostly on execution.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Known as sand volleyball previous to being acknowledged as a championship sport in 2015, seaside volleyball has quickly grown since its time as an rising sport. The sport grew quickly in reputation as a result of world rise of seaside volleyball by the Olympics and elevated youth participation throughout the United States. NCAA seaside volleyball competitors is performed in duals, with 10 student-athletes cut up into 5 pairs and as much as three coaches.
WOMEN’S ROWING
Murray State carried rowing as a varsity program starting in 1998 till 2008 when it was discontinued. The NCAA formally acknowledged ladies’s rowing as an NCAA championship sport in 1996, marking a significant milestone within the continued progress of the game. Since turning into an NCAA sport, ladies’s rowing has grown into one of the premier collegiate endurance and crew sports activities, with championship competitors divided into Division I, II, and III ranges.
WOMEN’S BOWLING
Women’s bowling turned one of the NCAA’s rising ladies’s sports activities within the late Nineties earlier than incomes official NCAA championship standing in 2003. The sport has grown quickly on the collegiate degree on account of rising youth participation, sturdy regional help in bowling-rich areas of the United States, and expanded alternatives for student-athletes. Uniquely, the NCAA hosts just one mixed National Collegiate Championship quite than separate divisional tournaments. There are presently slightly below 100 packages all through the nation.
MEN’S TENNIS
Murray State final carried males’s tennis as an NCAA varsity sport through the 2015–16 educational yr. The program had an extended and profitable historical past courting again to 1954, successful 19 Ohio Valley Conference championships throughout its existence. The program was led by Racer legends Bennie Purcell and Mel Purcell for 5 a long time.
Murray State Athletics has raised $44.25 million {dollars} in help of new services, initiatives and championship sources, a complete that has been made potential by 16, seven-figure presents.
The $44.25 million is dedicated in direction of the division’s daring, complete $100 million fundraising marketing campaign, Leading The Pack, which was created to additional place itself for the longer term by investing in student-athlete success and wellness, income share and aggressive sources and world-class services.
Learn extra about how one can help the marketing campaign by clicking HERE.
Follow the Racers on X (@MSURacers), Instagram (@RacersAthletics) and Facebook to remain up-to-date on all that’s occurring with Murray State At
The 5 new, non-scholarship sport packages the Racers will add are: Women’s Stunt, Women’s Beach Volleyball, Women’s Rowing, Women’s Bowling, and Men’s Tennis. In whole, the brand new additions can carry as much as 171 new college students to campus and develop the visibility of the Murray State model by new rising sport choices.
“Launching these five new sport programs is about much more than athletics—it is a strategic investment in the long-term growth and vitality of our university,” Murray State University President Dr. Ron Patterson stated. “These programs will expand access to higher education, attract new students to our campus and create opportunities for young people to develop as leaders, scholars and competitors.”
“As we continue leading the pack in everything that we do, we must think boldly about how athletics can support the broader mission of our university, community and region through this new bifurcated model,” Director of Athletics Nico Yantko stated. “The addition of five new programs is a strategic move that will expand opportunities for student-athletes while creating a significant enrollment pipeline for Murray State. In today’s collegiate landscape, successful athletics departments are those that align competitive excellence with institutional growth, and this initiative accomplishes both.”
Below is a breakdown of every proposed new sport for the Racers:
WOMEN’S STUNT
Stunt is thought to be one of the fastest-growing sports activities within the NCAA, crossing the benchmark of 40 faculties assembly minimal contest and participant necessities in its first yr as an rising sport in all three divisions. It joined the Emerging Sports for Women program in 2023. Stunt transforms conventional cheerleading abilities right into a head-to-head, four-quarter format emphasizing athleticism and precision. Teams compete in companion stunts, pyramids, and jumps and tumbling, with factors awarded based mostly on execution.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Known as sand volleyball previous to being acknowledged as a championship sport in 2015, seaside volleyball has quickly grown since its time as an rising sport. The sport grew quickly in reputation as a result of world rise of seaside volleyball by the Olympics and elevated youth participation throughout the United States. NCAA seaside volleyball competitors is performed in duals, with 10 student-athletes cut up into 5 pairs and as much as three coaches.
WOMEN’S ROWING
Murray State carried rowing as a varsity program starting in 1998 till 2008 when it was discontinued. The NCAA formally acknowledged ladies’s rowing as an NCAA championship sport in 1996, marking a significant milestone within the continued progress of the game. Since turning into an NCAA sport, ladies’s rowing has grown into one of the premier collegiate endurance and crew sports activities, with championship competitors divided into Division I, II, and III ranges.
WOMEN’S BOWLING
Women’s bowling turned one of the NCAA’s rising ladies’s sports activities within the late Nineties earlier than incomes official NCAA championship standing in 2003. The sport has grown quickly on the collegiate degree on account of rising youth participation, sturdy regional help in bowling-rich areas of the United States, and expanded alternatives for student-athletes. Uniquely, the NCAA hosts just one mixed National Collegiate Championship quite than separate divisional tournaments. There are presently slightly below 100 packages all through the nation.
MEN’S TENNIS
Murray State final carried males’s tennis as an NCAA varsity sport through the 2015–16 educational yr. The program had an extended and profitable historical past courting again to 1954, successful 19 Ohio Valley Conference championships throughout its existence. The program was led by Racer legends Bennie Purcell and Mel Purcell for 5 a long time.
Murray State Athletics has raised $44.25 million {dollars} in help of new services, initiatives and championship sources, a complete that has been made potential by 16, seven-figure presents.
The $44.25 million is dedicated in direction of the division’s daring, complete $100 million fundraising marketing campaign, Leading The Pack, which was created to additional place itself for the longer term by investing in student-athlete success and wellness, income share and aggressive sources and world-class services.
Learn extra about how one can help the marketing campaign by clicking HERE.
Follow the Racers on X (@MSURacers), Instagram (@RacersAthletics) and Facebook to remain up-to-date on all that’s occurring with Murray State At