Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), located in Murfreesboro, TN, is home to the Blue Raiders. The Blue Raiders compete as a Division I school in the NCAA and at the Bowl Division level in football as part of Conference USA (C-USA). MTSU sponsors teams in eight men’s sports and nine women’s sports. The Blue Raiders previously competed in the Ohio Valley Conference until 2000 and the Sun Belt Conference until 2013. The football team holds 12 conference titles. The "Blue Raider" nickname was coined in 1934 by former MTSU football player Charles Sarver in a Daily News Journal contest. Before 1934, MTSU had no official nickname. The school’s mascot, "Lightning", is a winged horse based on Pegasus from Greek mythology. Middle Tennessee State University Athletics