Murray State Racers
Encyclopedia
Murray State University
features 15 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Racers, with the exception of the baseball team which is known as the Thoroughbreds. They participate in the NCAA's
Division I, in the Ohio Valley Conference
. Football competes the Football Championship Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-AA. The University's current athletic director is Allen Ward.
Murray State is one of the original members of the Ohio Valley Conference, along with current OVC members Eastern Kentucky University
and Morehead State University
. These three schools, along with the University of Louisville
, Western Kentucky University
, and the University of Evansville
joined together to form the Ohio Valley Conference in 1948.
Originally, Murray State athletic teams were known as the Thoroughbreds. Over time, sports writers and editors found the name Thoroughbreds to be too cumbersome for headlines, so they often shortened it to names such as "T-Breds", "Breds", "Race Horses", and "Racers". "Racers" began to grow in popularity through the late 1950s, and it was adopted as the official nickname in 1961. At the time the new nickname was adopted, the baseball team had just purchased new uniforms and equipment bags with the Thoroughbreds logo on it, so the team requested and received a one year extension before adopting the new nickname. Alumni and fans admired the team for keeping the original nickname, so the baseball team remains known as the Thoroughbreds to this day.
Murray State is particularly renowned for its men's basketball program, which has made 14 appearances in the NCAA Tournament and has been recognized as one of the top 30 basketball programs in modern history by ESPN.
. The tournament appearances included two wins in 1988 the Racers defeated North Carolina State in the first round but lost to Kansas
in the second round. In 2010, 22 years to the date of the 1988 win, the Racers beat the Vanderbilt Commodores
and lost to the Butler Bulldogs
in the second round. In addition to Murray's win in 1988, two years later the No. 16 seed Racers took No. 1 seed Michigan State into overtime before falling 75-71. The loss in 1990 was the closest a 16 seeded team had ever come to knocking off a No. 1 seeded team in the tournament. In 1997, the No. 15 seed Racers nearly shocked the No. 2 seed Duke Blue Devils
in a 71-68 loss. In the 2006 tournament, junior guard Trey Pearson missed a critical 3-point shot in the final seconds of the first round game against No. 3 seeded defending champion North Carolina
. UNC was fouled on the rebound and went to the line to sink the game clinching shots to defeat the No. 14 seeded Racers 69-65.
The Racers won their first-round game in the 2010 NCAA tournament
in dramatic fashion, defeating fourth-seeded Vanderbilt
66-65 on a buzzer beating jump shot by senior Danero Thomas. This was the first time that any Ohio Vally Conference team had advanced to the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament since Middle Tennessee State advanced in 1989.
The Murray State basketball program first competed in the 1925-1926 season under head coach Carlisle Cutchin
. Murray State finished 9-5 in their inaugural season, with the first game being a 14-31 loss to Will Mayfield College
. From 1925-1941 Cutchin went on to lead the basketball team to a 296-96 record and three appearances in the NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, where the Thoroughbreds finished third in 1938 and second in 1941.
Former Alabama
head basketball coach Mark Gottfried
coached the Racers to three Ohio Valley Conference Championships, all three years he coached there, the only OVC coach to accomplish such a mark.
The Murray State basketball program has been recognized as one of the top 30 basketball programs in modern history by ESPN. The Racers are the highest true mid-major team in ESPN's rankings.
The most well-known players in Racer history are Joe Fulks
and Popeye Jones
. Fulks starred for two seasons at Murray State (1941–42 and 1942–43), twice earning All-Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors, before leaving school to join the Marines during World War II. Fulks scored 621 points in 47 games during his Murray State career, a 13.2 average in an era when teams averaged less than 50 points a game. His fame grew to greater heights as a professional, becoming one of the NBA's early stars as a scoring champ with the Philadelphia Warriors. He was named to the NBA 25th Anniversary Team
in 1971 and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame
in 1978.
While at Murray State, Jones scored 2,057 points which still ranks fourth all time for the Racers. He is also Murray State's all-time leader in rebounds with 1,374, and led the nation in that category in the 1990-91 season. Jones is the only player in MSU history to record more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Jones helped lead the Racers to OVC championships in 1991 and 1992. He went on to have a successful career in the NBA after being drafted in the second round by the Houston Rockets
in the 1992 NBA Draft.
Murray State's historic basketball rivalry is with nearby Western Kentucky
. The two teams became arch rivals during their time together in the Ohio Valley Conference. Although the schools no longer share their conference affiliation, the rivalry game remains an annual event on each team's schedule. The two teams have met in basketball 148 times. The Racers' primary OVC rivalry is now with Austin Peay State University
.
The Murray State basketball program has become a steppingstone to major-college coaching success in recent years. Three of the last four Murray State coaches have gone on to head coaching positions at major conference schools.
Ohio Valley Conference Regular Season Championships
1951, 1964, 1968, 1969, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2006, 2010, 2011
Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championships
1951, 1964, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010
program first competed on the gridiron in 1924. The first game was a 0-0 tie against Union University
. The Racers have had 45 winning seasons. Murray State has produced 33 All-American selections with 14 of them earning First Team All-American honors. Murray State's largest margin of victory over another Division I program came in 1932 when the Racers defeated the Louisville Cardinals
by a score of 105-0. The Racers modern-day scoring record was set on October 9, 2010, with a 72-59 homecoming
victory over the Missouri State Bears
.
Murray State's football rivalries have historically been with the Eastern Kentucky Colonels
and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
. The rivalry with the Hilltoppers began in 1931, and it later became an annual trophy game known as the Battle for the Red Belt.
The Murray State football program has become a steppingstone to major-college coaching success. Five former Murray State coaches have gone on to head coaching positions at BCS schools.
The Racers have appeared in only one bowl game, when they were invited to the 1949 Tangerine Bowl. This was only the third installment of the Tangerine bowl, which is now known as the Capital One Bowl
. The Racers played to a 21-21 tie against Sul Ross State University
. The Racers were coached by Fred Faurot, who was the younger brother of legendary Missouri Tigers
coach Don Faurot
.
Ohio Valley Conference Championships
1948, 1950, 1951, 1979, 1986, 1995, 1996, 2002
Bowl Game Appearances
1949 Tangerine Bowl
NCAA Team National Championships
1978, 1985, 1987
NCAA Individual National Champions
Pat Spurgin
- 1984 (Air Rifle) / 1985 (Smallbore)
Marianne Wallace - 1986 (Air Rifle)
Deena Wigger - 1988 (Air Rifle)
Benjamin Belden - 1995 (Air Rifle)
Marra Hastings - 1997 (Air Rifle)
Morgan Hicks - 2004 (Air Rifle)
Ohio Valley Conference Team Championships
1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2010, 2011
US Olympic Team Members
Pat Spurgin
- 1984 (Gold Medal winner)
William Beard - 1984
May Ann Schweitzer - 1984
Roger Withrow - 1984
Deena Wigger - 1988
Morgan Hicks - 2004
Murray State formed a partnership with the city of Murray in which the softball program would have use of a field at the city park in exchange for significant upgrades to the facility that would remain the property of the city parks. The Racer softball team played its first intercollegiate game on February 26, 2010 against SIU Edwardsville at the Ole Miss Classic in Oxford, Mississippi
.
. Murray State was the first school in the State of Kentucky with a rowing program, established two years ahead of the University of Louisville
.
In Fall 1996, 172 students attended the first series of tryouts for the new rowing team, held at Roy Stewart Stadium. By Spring 1997 the team had been narrowed to a final group of 31 students. The first competition for the new rowing team was a duel race with Northwestern State University
at the Natchitoches River.
In 1998 the women's program was elevated to NCAA status, while the men's team remained at the club level. The move to NCAA status for the women's team was done out of Title IX considerations; however, it brought increased funding, scholarships, and recognition to the Murray State rowing program. The program began hosting the annual Racer Regatta on Kentucky Lake beginning in 1999. Bill McLean was hired as head coach in 2003 after serving as the head coach at the University of Rochester
for eight seasons. In the following years, McClean made great strides in turning the women's program into an award-winning NCAA rowing program. McClean hired the program's first full time assistant coach in 2007. Robert Montague joined the program as a full time assistant coach after serving three years as the head coach of the rowing club at the College of William and Mary
.
In May 2008 Murray State announced that the rowing program would no longer be sponsored at the NCAA level. Athletic Director Allen Ward indicated that the move was necessary to increase female participation while managing costs. As a result, rowing was cut and replaced with women's softball and future plans to add equestrian as a NCAA sponsored sport. Ward noted, "It was important that we address the annual budget in a manner that does not jeopardize the opportunity for competitive success across the board. Our evaluation concluded that the sport of rowing does not ideally fit programmatically at the university, so we are choosing to replace it with sports that are more identifiable with the Murray State service region." Following the loss of university funding and sponsorship at the NCAA level in 2008, the men's and women's programs have continued on in competition as a club program.
Murray State has already enjoyed a long tradition of equestrian teams at the club level. The current equestrian club team is operated through the College of Agriculture and has more than 50 participants. The equestrian club team competes in Zone 5, Region I of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association
(IHSA). When Murray State begins competition at the NCAA Divion I level, the Racers will join the University of Tennessee at Martin
as the only schools in the Ohio Valley Conference to sponsor equestrian teams at the NCAA level.
of the Sun Belt Conference
. The Racers also have a well known in-conference rivalry with Austin Peay State University
.
Football Rivalry
The football rivalry with Western Kentucky began with a Hilltopper victory on October 24, 1931. In 1939, both institutions strengthened the rivalry by scheduling the match up as the final game of their regular seasons. This tradition continued, with only four interruptions, for the next 46 years. In 1948 both schools joined together to form the Ohio Valley Conference, where Murray won the first championship in football.
Prior to the 1955 football game, a group of Western Kentucky students traveled to Murray and stole a banner commemorating Murray State's participation in the 1949 Tangerine Bowl. In response, a group of Murray State students traveled to Bowling Green with buckets of paint and plans to paint the Western Kentucky water tower that overlooked the football stadium. The plan was stopped when the Murray State students were forced off the water tower by a group Western Kentucky students with an ROTC training rifle. A "W" was shaved into the hair of three of the Murray State students, and their photo appeared in the local newspaper along with a photo of the Western Kentucky students displaying their stolen Murray State Tangerine Bowl banner. Murray State won the 1955 game 28-12, and the Tangerine Bowl banner was returned to Murray State. Following the Racer victory, a similar banner was stolen from Western Kentucky's W Club room. Over the next decade, the water tower and statue of Henry Hardin Cherry remained targets of Murray State students any time the schools met in both football and basketball. In another incident, the phrase "Murray OVC Champs" was painted on an overpass near the Western Kentucky campus.
The football rivalry was cemented as an annual trophy game in 1978 known as the Battle for the Red Belt. The Red Belt originated in 1978 when WKU athletic trainer Bill Edwards attended a district trainers' meeting in Atlanta with Murray State trainer Tom Simmons. Simmons forgot to bring a belt, and borrowed a red one from Edwards. After the meeting, Edwards asked for the return of his belt, but Simmons responded that WKU would have to battle Murray State in football to get it back. Simmons had the belt mounted on a large plaque with brass plates to record the annual game scores of the annual rivalry game. The annual meetings between the two teams ended in 2000, but the Battle for the Red Belt is still played on in intermittent basis. The last game was played in 2008 when a record crowd of 22,297 in Bowling Green watched the Hilltoppers beat the Racers 50-9 and maintain possession of the Red Belt. The Racers and Hilltoppers have met 67 times in football, with Western Kentucky leading the series 36-24-7.
Basketball Rivalry
Murray State and Western Kentucky have met 148 times in basketball since 1932. The basketball rivalry is the oldest in the state of Kentucky. Murray State won the first meeting in 1932 by a score of 26-24 in a game played on the stage at Lovett Auditorium. Western Kentucky leads the overall series 95-53, but Murray State has won 10 of the last 19 games since Western Kentucky left the Ohio Valley Conference in 1982.
The Murray State-Western Kentucky basketball rivalry has been every bit as bitter as the football rivalry. During the 1954-55 season, the teams met four times in a series of contests that also included severe fouls on the court, ejected players, punches thrown by fans in the stands, and even a fainting cheerleader. During the next season, Racers coach Rex Alexander publicly accused the Hilltopper coaching staff of poor sportsmanship and accused Western Kentucky of enjoying an unfair home-court advantage because of "loose officiating". Following a February 1956 victory by the Racers, the winning score of 74-70 was found painted on the sidewalk in front of Henry Hardin Cherry Hall
and paint was thrown on the statue of Henry Hardin Cherry on WKU's campus.
in nearby Clarksville, Tennessee
. The fans and students from the two towns, located only 60 miles apart, have developed a love-hate relationship with one another that has contributed to the growing intensity of the rivalry. In 2009, ESPN the Magazine
featured the Murray State-Austin Peay rivalry as the best rivalry in the OVC and one of the best in the nation. Murray State holds the overall lead in the series 71-40, with Austin Peay winning only nine matches in Murray, Kentucky since the series began in 1941.
Murray State University
Murray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with approximately 10,400 students. The school is Kentucky’s only public university to be listed in the U.S.News & World Report regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years...
features 15 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's teams are called the Racers, with the exception of the baseball team which is known as the Thoroughbreds. They participate in the NCAA's
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I, in the Ohio Valley Conference
Ohio Valley Conference
The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
. Football competes the Football Championship Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-AA. The University's current athletic director is Allen Ward.
Murray State is one of the original members of the Ohio Valley Conference, along with current OVC members Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
and Morehead State University
Morehead State University
Morehead State University is a public, co-educational university located in Morehead, Kentucky, United States in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Rowan County, midway between Lexington, Kentucky, and Huntington, West Virginia. The 2012 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S...
. These three schools, along with the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
, Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
, and the University of Evansville
University of Evansville
The University of Evansville is a small, private university with approximately 3,050 students located in Evansville, Indiana. Founded in 1854 as Moores Hill College, it is located near the interchange of the Lloyd Expressway and U.S. Route 41. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church...
joined together to form the Ohio Valley Conference in 1948.
Originally, Murray State athletic teams were known as the Thoroughbreds. Over time, sports writers and editors found the name Thoroughbreds to be too cumbersome for headlines, so they often shortened it to names such as "T-Breds", "Breds", "Race Horses", and "Racers". "Racers" began to grow in popularity through the late 1950s, and it was adopted as the official nickname in 1961. At the time the new nickname was adopted, the baseball team had just purchased new uniforms and equipment bags with the Thoroughbreds logo on it, so the team requested and received a one year extension before adopting the new nickname. Alumni and fans admired the team for keeping the original nickname, so the baseball team remains known as the Thoroughbreds to this day.
Murray State is particularly renowned for its men's basketball program, which has made 14 appearances in the NCAA Tournament and has been recognized as one of the top 30 basketball programs in modern history by ESPN.
Men's basketball
Murray State is known for its men's basketball program, which has made 14 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, most recently in 20102010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...
. The tournament appearances included two wins in 1988 the Racers defeated North Carolina State in the first round but lost to Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks
The sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...
in the second round. In 2010, 22 years to the date of the 1988 win, the Racers beat the Vanderbilt Commodores
Vanderbilt Commodores
The Vanderbilt Commodores are the NCAA athletic teams of Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. The university fields 16 varsity teams , 14 of which compete in the Southeastern Conference...
and lost to the Butler Bulldogs
Butler Bulldogs
All but one of Butler University's 19 intercollegiate teams compete in the Horizon League, along with Cleveland State, Detroit, Green Bay, Loyola, Milwaukee, UIC, Valparaiso, Wright State and Youngstown State...
in the second round. In addition to Murray's win in 1988, two years later the No. 16 seed Racers took No. 1 seed Michigan State into overtime before falling 75-71. The loss in 1990 was the closest a 16 seeded team had ever come to knocking off a No. 1 seeded team in the tournament. In 1997, the No. 15 seed Racers nearly shocked the No. 2 seed Duke Blue Devils
Duke Blue Devils
Duke University's 26 varsity sports teams, known as the Blue Devils, compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The name comes from the French "les Diables Bleus" or "the Blue Devils," which was the nickname given during World War I to the Chasseurs Alpins, the French Alpine light infantry...
in a 71-68 loss. In the 2006 tournament, junior guard Trey Pearson missed a critical 3-point shot in the final seconds of the first round game against No. 3 seeded defending champion North Carolina
North Carolina Tar Heels
The North Carolina Tar Heels are the athletic teams for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the Tar Heel State...
. UNC was fouled on the rebound and went to the line to sink the game clinching shots to defeat the No. 14 seeded Racers 69-65.
The Racers won their first-round game in the 2010 NCAA tournament
2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...
in dramatic fashion, defeating fourth-seeded Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt Commodores
The Vanderbilt Commodores are the NCAA athletic teams of Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. The university fields 16 varsity teams , 14 of which compete in the Southeastern Conference...
66-65 on a buzzer beating jump shot by senior Danero Thomas. This was the first time that any Ohio Vally Conference team had advanced to the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament since Middle Tennessee State advanced in 1989.
The Murray State basketball program first competed in the 1925-1926 season under head coach Carlisle Cutchin
Carlisle Cutchin
Carlisle Cutchin was an American football, baseball, and basketball coach at Murray State University ....
. Murray State finished 9-5 in their inaugural season, with the first game being a 14-31 loss to Will Mayfield College
Will Mayfield College
Will Mayfield College was a school located in Marble Hill, Missouri. From 1878 to 1934, the college offered four years of preparatory school and two years of junior college work....
. From 1925-1941 Cutchin went on to lead the basketball team to a 296-96 record and three appearances in the NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, where the Thoroughbreds finished third in 1938 and second in 1941.
Former Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball
The Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball program has a history of being among the best of the Southeastern Conference . It trails only Kentucky in basketball wins, SEC tournament titles, and SEC regular season titles in the 12-member conference. The team is coached by head coach Anthony Grant,...
head basketball coach Mark Gottfried
Mark Gottfried
Mark Frederick Gottfried is an American men's college basketball coach and former player. He was named head coach of NC State on April 5, 2011....
coached the Racers to three Ohio Valley Conference Championships, all three years he coached there, the only OVC coach to accomplish such a mark.
The Murray State basketball program has been recognized as one of the top 30 basketball programs in modern history by ESPN. The Racers are the highest true mid-major team in ESPN's rankings.
The most well-known players in Racer history are Joe Fulks
Joe Fulks
Joseph Franklin "Jumping Joe" Fulks was an American professional basketball player, sometimes called "the first of the high-scoring forwards". He was one of the first players, albeit posthumously, enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978...
and Popeye Jones
Popeye Jones
Ronald Jerome "Popeye" Jones is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. He is now an assistant coach for the New Jersey Nets....
. Fulks starred for two seasons at Murray State (1941–42 and 1942–43), twice earning All-Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors, before leaving school to join the Marines during World War II. Fulks scored 621 points in 47 games during his Murray State career, a 13.2 average in an era when teams averaged less than 50 points a game. His fame grew to greater heights as a professional, becoming one of the NBA's early stars as a scoring champ with the Philadelphia Warriors. He was named to the NBA 25th Anniversary Team
NBA 25th Anniversary Team
The NBA 25th Anniversary Team was announced in 11 December 1971 to celebrate the 25-year existence of BAA/NBA. This team was meant to be an All-NBA Team for that period. Up that time, All-NBA Teams only consisted of 2 teams , so this Team also only consists of 2 teams/10 players...
in 1971 and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
in 1978.
While at Murray State, Jones scored 2,057 points which still ranks fourth all time for the Racers. He is also Murray State's all-time leader in rebounds with 1,374, and led the nation in that category in the 1990-91 season. Jones is the only player in MSU history to record more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Jones helped lead the Racers to OVC championships in 1991 and 1992. He went on to have a successful career in the NBA after being drafted in the second round by the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
in the 1992 NBA Draft.
Murray State's historic basketball rivalry is with nearby Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers is the name for all of the men's intercollegiate athletic teams that play for Western Kentucky University. Women's teams are known as Lady Toppers...
. The two teams became arch rivals during their time together in the Ohio Valley Conference. Although the schools no longer share their conference affiliation, the rivalry game remains an annual event on each team's schedule. The two teams have met in basketball 148 times. The Racers' primary OVC rivalry is now with Austin Peay State University
Austin Peay State University
Austin Peay State University is a four-year public university located in Clarksville, Tennessee, and operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools .-History:...
.
The Murray State basketball program has become a steppingstone to major-college coaching success in recent years. Three of the last four Murray State coaches have gone on to head coaching positions at major conference schools.
- Mark GottfriedMark GottfriedMark Frederick Gottfried is an American men's college basketball coach and former player. He was named head coach of NC State on April 5, 2011....
served as head coach of the Racers from 1995-1998. Gottfriend became the first head coach to win three OVC titles in only three seasons. In his last season, the Racers finished 25th in the final AP Poll—the last time to date an OVC team has appeared in a final major basketball poll. Gottfried went on to coach the University of AlabamaUniversity of AlabamaThe University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
, and he is currently the head coach of the NC State WolfpackNC State WolfpackThe athletic teams of the North Carolina State University, known as the Wolfpack, compete in 24 intercollegiate varsity sports. NC State is a founding member of the Atlantic Coast Conference and has won eight national championships: two NCAA championships, two AIAW championships, and four titles...
of the Atlantic Coast ConferenceAtlantic Coast ConferenceThe Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
. - Mick Cronin served as head coach of the Racers from 2003-2006. Cronin coached the Racers to two OVC championship and two NCAA Tournament appearances in his three seasons as head coach at Murray State. He is now head coach of the Cincinnati BearcatsCincinnati BearcatsThe Cincinnati Bearcats are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Cincinnati. Since July 1, 2005, the school's athletic teams have been members of the Big East Conference....
of the Big East ConferenceBig East ConferenceThe Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
. - Billy Kennedy served as head coach of the Racers from 2006-2011. Kennedy set a Murray State record for most wins in a season, with 31 victories in the 2009-2010 season. Kennedy took the Racers into the second round of the NCAA tournament for only the second time in school history. He now serves as the head coach of the Texas A&M AggiesTexas A&M AggiesTexas A&M Aggies refers to the students, graduates, and sports teams of Texas A&M University. The nickname "Aggie" is common at land-grant or "Ag" schools in many states. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...
of the Big 12 ConferenceBig 12 ConferenceThe Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
.
Ohio Valley Conference Regular Season Championships
1951, 1964, 1968, 1969, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2006, 2010, 2011
Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championships
1951, 1964, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010
Football
The Murray State footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
program first competed on the gridiron in 1924. The first game was a 0-0 tie against Union University
Union University
Union University is a private, evangelical Christian, liberal arts university located in Jackson, Tennessee, with additional campuses in Germantown, Tennessee, and Hendersonville, Tennessee...
. The Racers have had 45 winning seasons. Murray State has produced 33 All-American selections with 14 of them earning First Team All-American honors. Murray State's largest margin of victory over another Division I program came in 1932 when the Racers defeated the Louisville Cardinals
Louisville Cardinals
The Louisville Cardinals are the athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. A member of the Big East Conference since 2005, they are known nationally as traditional powers in men's basketball, women's volleyball, and dance team...
by a score of 105-0. The Racers modern-day scoring record was set on October 9, 2010, with a 72-59 homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
victory over the Missouri State Bears
Missouri State Bears
The Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears are the athletic teams representing Missouri State University. Missouri State athletics date back to 1908. Missouri State is in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, and most teams compete in the Missouri Valley Conference...
.
Murray State's football rivalries have historically been with the Eastern Kentucky Colonels
Eastern Kentucky Colonels
EKU fields teams in 15 varsity sports . The school is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference in Division I of the NCAA , having been a part of the conference since its inception in 1948...
and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers is the name for all of the men's intercollegiate athletic teams that play for Western Kentucky University. Women's teams are known as Lady Toppers...
. The rivalry with the Hilltoppers began in 1931, and it later became an annual trophy game known as the Battle for the Red Belt.
The Murray State football program has become a steppingstone to major-college coaching success. Five former Murray State coaches have gone on to head coaching positions at BCS schools.
- Mike GottfriedMike Gottfried-External links:*...
served as head coach of the Racers from 1978-1980. He was recognized as OVC Coach of the Year in 1979. Gottfried went on to coach the Cincinnati BearcatsCincinnati BearcatsThe Cincinnati Bearcats are the NCAA athletic teams representing the University of Cincinnati. Since July 1, 2005, the school's athletic teams have been members of the Big East Conference....
, Kansas JayhawksKansas JayhawksThe sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...
, and Pittsburgh Panthers. - Ron ZookRon ZookRon Zook is a former American football coach and former player. He served as the head football coach at the University of Florida from 2002 to 2004 and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 2005 to 2011. Zook is a native of Ohio and an alumnus of Miami University, where he...
served as a secondary coach at Murray State under Gottfried from 1978-1980. Zook went on to become the head coach of the Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
from 2002–2004, and he is the current IllinoisIllinois Fighting Illini footballThe Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
head coach. - Frank BeamerFrank BeamerFrank Beamer is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University , a position he has held since 1987. From 1981 to 1986, Beamer served as the head coach at Murray State University...
served as head coach of the Racers from 1981-1986. After leaving Murray State, Beamer went on to build the Virginia TechVirginia Tech Hokies footballThe Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
program into a national power through the 1990s and early 2000s. - Ralph FriedgenRalph FriedgenRalph Harry Friedgen is an American football coach. He was the head coach at the University of Maryland from 2001 to 2010. Friedgen was previously an offensive coordinator at Maryland, Georgia Tech, and in the National Football League with the San Diego Chargers...
was an assistant coach at Murray State under Frank Beamer in 1981. Friedgen has been the head coach of MarylandMaryland Terrapins footballThe Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
since 2001. - Houston NuttHouston NuttHouston Dale Nutt, Jr. is an American football coach and former player. Most recently he was the head football coach at the University of Mississippi from 2008 to 2011. Previously, he served as the head coach at Murray State University , Boise State University , and the University of Arkansas...
was head coach of the Racers from 1993-1996. He was recognized as the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year in 1996 and the OVC Coach of the Year in 1995 and 1996 while coaching the Racers. Nutt went on to coach the Arkansas RazorbacksArkansas RazorbacksThe Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the names of college sports teams at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The term Arkansas Razorbacks properly applies to any of the sports teams at the university. The Razorbacks take their name from the feral pig of the same name...
to three SEC division titles, and he has served as the head coach of Ole Miss since 2008. In his first two years at Ole Miss, Nutt coached the Rebels to back-to-back Cotton Bowl Classic victories.
The Racers have appeared in only one bowl game, when they were invited to the 1949 Tangerine Bowl. This was only the third installment of the Tangerine bowl, which is now known as the Capital One Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
. The Racers played to a 21-21 tie against Sul Ross State University
Sul Ross State University
Sul Ross State University , a public university in Alpine, Texas, is named for former Texas governor, Civil War general Lawrence Sullivan Ross. It was founded in 1917 as Sul Ross Normal College and was made a university in 1969....
. The Racers were coached by Fred Faurot, who was the younger brother of legendary Missouri Tigers
Missouri Tigers football
The Missouri Tigers football team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team has competed in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996...
coach Don Faurot
Don Faurot
Donald Burrows Faurot was an American football and basketball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Northeast Missouri State Teachers College, now Truman State University, from 1926 to 1934 and at the University of Missouri from 1935 to 1942 and again from 1946 to 1956...
.
Ohio Valley Conference Championships
1948, 1950, 1951, 1979, 1986, 1995, 1996, 2002
Bowl Game Appearances
1949 Tangerine Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
Rifle
The Murray State Rifle program has enjoyed a long history of success since it was established in the 1956-57 season. The program has produced team national championships in 1978 (NRA), 1985 (NCAA), and 1987 (NCAA), ten OVC team championships, seven individual NCAA champions, and six USA Olympic Team members. The current head coach is Alan Lollar. The Racers compete at the Pat Spurgin Rifle Range at Roy Stewart Stadium. The rife range is one of the finest shooting venues in the sport, and it has hosted the NCAA championships seven times.NCAA Team National Championships
1978, 1985, 1987
NCAA Individual National Champions
Pat Spurgin
Pat Spurgin
Pat Spurgin is an American sports shooter, now living in Fairbanks, Alaska. She competed and won a gold medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics...
- 1984 (Air Rifle) / 1985 (Smallbore)
Marianne Wallace - 1986 (Air Rifle)
Deena Wigger - 1988 (Air Rifle)
Benjamin Belden - 1995 (Air Rifle)
Marra Hastings - 1997 (Air Rifle)
Morgan Hicks - 2004 (Air Rifle)
Ohio Valley Conference Team Championships
1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2010, 2011
US Olympic Team Members
Pat Spurgin
Pat Spurgin
Pat Spurgin is an American sports shooter, now living in Fairbanks, Alaska. She competed and won a gold medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics...
- 1984 (Gold Medal winner)
William Beard - 1984
May Ann Schweitzer - 1984
Roger Withrow - 1984
Deena Wigger - 1988
Morgan Hicks - 2004
Softball
In May 2008, Murray State announced that it would add women's softball to its lineup of sponsored NCAA Division I teams. Softball would replace rowing, which would be immediately discontinued as a university sponsored sport. At the time of the announcement, the active roster for the rowing team had less than 10 members. Adding softball would aid the University's Title IX compliance goals by adding additional opportunities for female athletes. Additionally, the sport of softball was seen as more identifiable than rowing in the University's service region. Prior to the announcement, Murray State was the only school in the Ohio Valley Conference that had not sponsored softball at the NCAA level.Murray State formed a partnership with the city of Murray in which the softball program would have use of a field at the city park in exchange for significant upgrades to the facility that would remain the property of the city parks. The Racer softball team played its first intercollegiate game on February 26, 2010 against SIU Edwardsville at the Ole Miss Classic in Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford is a city in, and the county seat of, Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1835, it was named after the British university city of Oxford in hopes of having the state university located there, which it did successfully attract....
.
Rowing
Murray State President Kern Alexander floated the idea of establishing a rowing team soon after he assumed his role as president of the university. In Spring 1996 the plan to establish the rowing team was officially announced. The thought of a primarily ivy league sport at Murray State was met with skepticism among some groups. In fact the Murray State student newspaper printed a column mocking the plan, calling it "Alexander's Navy." The plan called for Murray State to practice as well as host home regattas on Kentucky LakeKentucky Lake
Kentucky Lake is a major navigable reservoir along the Tennessee River in Kentucky and Tennessee. Created in 1944 by the Tennessee Valley Authority's impounding of the Tennessee River by Kentucky Dam, the lake is the largest artificial lake by surface area in the United States east of the...
. Murray State was the first school in the State of Kentucky with a rowing program, established two years ahead of the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
.
In Fall 1996, 172 students attended the first series of tryouts for the new rowing team, held at Roy Stewart Stadium. By Spring 1997 the team had been narrowed to a final group of 31 students. The first competition for the new rowing team was a duel race with Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University, known as NSU, is a four-year public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the University of Louisiana System.NSU was founded in 1884 as...
at the Natchitoches River.
In 1998 the women's program was elevated to NCAA status, while the men's team remained at the club level. The move to NCAA status for the women's team was done out of Title IX considerations; however, it brought increased funding, scholarships, and recognition to the Murray State rowing program. The program began hosting the annual Racer Regatta on Kentucky Lake beginning in 1999. Bill McLean was hired as head coach in 2003 after serving as the head coach at the University of Rochester
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
for eight seasons. In the following years, McClean made great strides in turning the women's program into an award-winning NCAA rowing program. McClean hired the program's first full time assistant coach in 2007. Robert Montague joined the program as a full time assistant coach after serving three years as the head coach of the rowing club at the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
.
In May 2008 Murray State announced that the rowing program would no longer be sponsored at the NCAA level. Athletic Director Allen Ward indicated that the move was necessary to increase female participation while managing costs. As a result, rowing was cut and replaced with women's softball and future plans to add equestrian as a NCAA sponsored sport. Ward noted, "It was important that we address the annual budget in a manner that does not jeopardize the opportunity for competitive success across the board. Our evaluation concluded that the sport of rowing does not ideally fit programmatically at the university, so we are choosing to replace it with sports that are more identifiable with the Murray State service region." Following the loss of university funding and sponsorship at the NCAA level in 2008, the men's and women's programs have continued on in competition as a club program.
Equestrian
In May 2008, Murray State University President Dr. Randy Dunn charged Director of Athletics Allen Ward with the responsibility of moving the sport of equestrian from club status to NCAA varsity status. Equestrian offers high female participation rates, which will help the University meet its Title IX obligations.Murray State has already enjoyed a long tradition of equestrian teams at the club level. The current equestrian club team is operated through the College of Agriculture and has more than 50 participants. The equestrian club team competes in Zone 5, Region I of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association
Intercollegiate Horse Show Association
-Overview:The Intercollegiate Horse Show Association or IHSA is an equestrian organization established in 1967 by Bob Cacchione when he was a sophomore at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey...
(IHSA). When Murray State begins competition at the NCAA Divion I level, the Racers will join the University of Tennessee at Martin
University of Tennessee at Martin
The University of Tennessee at Martin is a campus in the University of Tennessee system. Other campuses include the flagship campus in Knoxville, the Chattanooga campus, the Center for the Health Sciences in Memphis, and the Space Institute in Tullahoma...
as the only schools in the Ohio Valley Conference to sponsor equestrian teams at the NCAA level.
Rivalries
Murray State's biggest rival is Western Kentucky UniversityWestern Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
of the Sun Belt Conference
Sun Belt Conference
The Sun Belt Conference is a college athletic conference that has been affiliated with the NCAA's Division I since 1976. Its football teams participate in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , the higher of two levels of Division I football competition . The Sun Belt has member institutions...
. The Racers also have a well known in-conference rivalry with Austin Peay State University
Austin Peay State University
Austin Peay State University is a four-year public university located in Clarksville, Tennessee, and operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools .-History:...
.
Western Kentucky
In 1922, the Murray State Normal School was chartered as a state-supported teacher training institution, because the Western Kentucky State Normal School and Eastern Kentucky State Normal School could no longer produce a sufficient number of teachers to support the growing demand in the state. Located only 120 miles away from one another, and both in the western portion of the state, Murray State and Western Kentucky quickly became known as sister institutions as well as fierce competitors. In 1941, prior to a SIAA championship game between the Racers and Hilltoppers, Murray State President James H. Richmond remarked, "We are always happy when we can defeat our chief rival and greatest friend."Football Rivalry
The football rivalry with Western Kentucky began with a Hilltopper victory on October 24, 1931. In 1939, both institutions strengthened the rivalry by scheduling the match up as the final game of their regular seasons. This tradition continued, with only four interruptions, for the next 46 years. In 1948 both schools joined together to form the Ohio Valley Conference, where Murray won the first championship in football.
Prior to the 1955 football game, a group of Western Kentucky students traveled to Murray and stole a banner commemorating Murray State's participation in the 1949 Tangerine Bowl. In response, a group of Murray State students traveled to Bowling Green with buckets of paint and plans to paint the Western Kentucky water tower that overlooked the football stadium. The plan was stopped when the Murray State students were forced off the water tower by a group Western Kentucky students with an ROTC training rifle. A "W" was shaved into the hair of three of the Murray State students, and their photo appeared in the local newspaper along with a photo of the Western Kentucky students displaying their stolen Murray State Tangerine Bowl banner. Murray State won the 1955 game 28-12, and the Tangerine Bowl banner was returned to Murray State. Following the Racer victory, a similar banner was stolen from Western Kentucky's W Club room. Over the next decade, the water tower and statue of Henry Hardin Cherry remained targets of Murray State students any time the schools met in both football and basketball. In another incident, the phrase "Murray OVC Champs" was painted on an overpass near the Western Kentucky campus.
The football rivalry was cemented as an annual trophy game in 1978 known as the Battle for the Red Belt. The Red Belt originated in 1978 when WKU athletic trainer Bill Edwards attended a district trainers' meeting in Atlanta with Murray State trainer Tom Simmons. Simmons forgot to bring a belt, and borrowed a red one from Edwards. After the meeting, Edwards asked for the return of his belt, but Simmons responded that WKU would have to battle Murray State in football to get it back. Simmons had the belt mounted on a large plaque with brass plates to record the annual game scores of the annual rivalry game. The annual meetings between the two teams ended in 2000, but the Battle for the Red Belt is still played on in intermittent basis. The last game was played in 2008 when a record crowd of 22,297 in Bowling Green watched the Hilltoppers beat the Racers 50-9 and maintain possession of the Red Belt. The Racers and Hilltoppers have met 67 times in football, with Western Kentucky leading the series 36-24-7.
Basketball Rivalry
Murray State and Western Kentucky have met 148 times in basketball since 1932. The basketball rivalry is the oldest in the state of Kentucky. Murray State won the first meeting in 1932 by a score of 26-24 in a game played on the stage at Lovett Auditorium. Western Kentucky leads the overall series 95-53, but Murray State has won 10 of the last 19 games since Western Kentucky left the Ohio Valley Conference in 1982.
The Murray State-Western Kentucky basketball rivalry has been every bit as bitter as the football rivalry. During the 1954-55 season, the teams met four times in a series of contests that also included severe fouls on the court, ejected players, punches thrown by fans in the stands, and even a fainting cheerleader. During the next season, Racers coach Rex Alexander publicly accused the Hilltopper coaching staff of poor sportsmanship and accused Western Kentucky of enjoying an unfair home-court advantage because of "loose officiating". Following a February 1956 victory by the Racers, the winning score of 74-70 was found painted on the sidewalk in front of Henry Hardin Cherry Hall
Henry Hardin Cherry Hall
Henry Hardin Cherry Hall is a building located on the campus of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Built with funds appropriated under the New Deal, the building was completed in 1937. It is named for Henry Hardin Cherry, who founded the Bowling Green Normal School, the...
and paint was thrown on the statue of Henry Hardin Cherry on WKU's campus.
Austin Peay State
Murray State's primary basketball rivalry inside the Ohio Valley Conference is with Austin Peay State UniversityAustin Peay State University
Austin Peay State University is a four-year public university located in Clarksville, Tennessee, and operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools .-History:...
in nearby Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville, Tennessee
Clarksville is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States, and the fifth largest city in the state. The population was 132,929 in 2010 United States Census...
. The fans and students from the two towns, located only 60 miles apart, have developed a love-hate relationship with one another that has contributed to the growing intensity of the rivalry. In 2009, ESPN the Magazine
ESPN The Magazine
ESPN The Magazine is a bi-weekly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut in the United States. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998....
featured the Murray State-Austin Peay rivalry as the best rivalry in the OVC and one of the best in the nation. Murray State holds the overall lead in the series 71-40, with Austin Peay winning only nine matches in Murray, Kentucky since the series began in 1941.