MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — MTSU alum and owner and CEO of the e.Allen clothing boutique, Elizabeth Allen, is making the largest gift to-date towards the new tennis facility as announced by the Blue Raider Athletic Association on Friday.
The gift will give her permanent naming rights and the new facility will be called the Allen Tennis Building.
"Murfreesboro is home, and we are so thankful to be able to give back to our community in these ways," said Allen.
The Build Blue Campaign has now secured over $18 million in donor cash, donor pledges and additional funds towards the over $100 million in transformational changes coming to the athletics facilities landscape at MTSU. Over 325 individuals and families have contributed to the Build Blue campaign so far.
"We are extremely grateful for Elizabeth and this leadership gift towards the Build Blue Campaign," said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee. "The new Outdoor Tennis Complex will be one of the best college tennis facilities in the country, and we are proud to have the Allen name on the tennis building to recognize their incredible generosity."
Allen, who founded e.Allen 15 years ago, has three store fronts in Murfreesboro, Nashville and Franklin. e.Allen is an upscale designer boutique that specializes in women's clothing. Allen majored in biology at MTSU with a minor in chemistry but her passion for style is what guided her to opening her first store in Murfreesboro in 2008.
""Elizabeth and the Allen family continue to make a profound impact on Blue Raider athletics," said Director of Athletics Chris Massaro. "We are very humbled by Elizabeth's gift and the investment and commitment toward our tennis programs. This is another step forward in our athletic facility transformation and we are grateful for Elizabeth's generosity."
MTSU's goal for the Build Blue Campaign was increased to $20 million in September and construction on the $7.1-million tennis facility began in late October 2022. The new on-campus home for men's and women's tennis is scheduled to be completed by mid-November, and fundraising is still ongoing.
This new state-of-the-art facility will feature new locker rooms, spectator facilities for 250 Blue Raider fans, eight tennis courts and new coaches' offices, among many other amenities.
Built on the site of the current
Buck Bouldin Tennis Courts, this new tennis complex is the latest development to get underway from MTSU Athletics' "Build Blue" capital campaign, with the goal to provide all 17 MTSU Athletic programs with the resources and infrastructure to compete at a championship level.
Naming opportunities within the Allen Tennis Building, the Student Athlete Performance Center and Murphy Center are still available. Individuals wishing to join the Blue Raider Athletic Association and impact the student-athlete experience through the Build Blue campaign can contact the BRAA offices for additional information at (615) 898-2210 or
BRAA@mtsu.edu.