Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders women's basketball
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(capacity: 11,520)
| Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders women's basketball | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| University | Middle Tennessee State University | ||
| Head coach | Matt Insell (1st season) | ||
| Location | Murfreesboro, Tennessee | ||
| Arena | Murphy Center (capacity: 11,520) | ||
| Conference | C-USA | ||
| Nickname | Blue Raiders | ||
| Colors | Royal blue and white[1] | ||
| Student section | The Blue Zoo | ||
| All-time record | 1,054–464 (.694) | ||
| NCAA Division I tournament second round | |||
| 1983, 1986, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2024 | |||
| NCAA Division I tournament appearances | |||
| 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2021, 2023, 2024 | |||
| Conference tournament champions | |||
| 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1998, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2021, 2023, 2024 | |||
| Conference regular-season champions | |||
| 1979, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2023, 2024, 2025 | |||
| Conference division champions | |||
| 2021 | |||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders women's basketball team represents Middle Tennessee State University in women's basketball. The school competes in the Conference USA in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Blue Raiders play home basketball games at Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.[2]
Year-by-year results
As of the end of the 2024-25 season, the Blue Raiders have an all-time record of 1,054–464 in 51 seasons. They are coached by Rick Insell, in his 21st year at MT. They played in the Ohio Valley Conference from 1978 to 2000, the Sun Belt Conference from 2000 to 2013, and Conference USA since 2013.[3]
On January 23rd, 2026, Rick Insell eclipsed 500 wins as the head coach of the Lady Raiders. He becomes the 6th active head coach in the nation with 500+ wins, and becomes the first head coach in basketball history to have both 500 coaching wins at the NCAA D1 level and high school level. [4]
| Season | Coach | Record | Conference record | Postseason result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975–76 | Pat Jones | 15–9 | n/a | n/a |
| 1976–77 | Pat Jones | 20–5 | n/a | n/a |
| 1977–78 | Pat Sarver | 15–13 | n/a | n/a |
| 1978–79 | Larry Joe Inman | 14–13 | 6–4 | n/a |
| 1979–80 | Larry Joe Inman | 23–10 | 10–1 | n/a |
| 1980–81 | Larry Joe Inman | 16–13 | 6–3 | n/a |
| 1981–82 | Larry Joe Inman | 20–5 | 9–3 | n/a |
| 1982–83 | Larry Joe Inman | 26–5 | 10–0 | NCAA Second Round |
| 1983–84 | Larry Joe Inman | 19–10 | 12–2 | NCAA First Round |
| 1984–85 | Larry Joe Inman | 23–7 | 13–1 | NCAA First Round |
| 1985–86 | Larry Joe Inman | 20–10 | 13–1 | NCAA Second Round |
| 1986–87 | Jim Davis | 19–8 | 12–2 | n/a |
| 1987–88 | Lewis Bivens | 22–8 | 12–2 | NCAA First Round |
| 1988–89 | Lewis Bivens | 21–6 | 10–2 | n/a |
| 1989–90 | Lewis Bivens | 11–17 | 7–5 | n/a |
| 1990–91 | Lewis Bivens | 14–14 | 8–4 | n/a |
| 1991–92 | Lewis Bivens | 19–9 | 10–4 | n/a |
| 1992–93 | Lewis Bivens | 21–7 | 13–3 | n/a |
| 1993–94 | Lewis Bivens | 21–7 | 11–5 | n/a |
| 1994–95 | Lewis Bivens | 19–9 | 12–4 | n/a |
| 1995–96 | Lewis Bivens | 24–6 | 13–3 | NCAA First Round |
| 1996–97 | Lewis Bivens | 10–20 | 7–11 | n/a |
| 1997–98 | Stephany Smith | 18–12 | 11–7 | NCAA First Round |
| 1998–99 | Stephany Smith | 18–10 | 14–4 | WNIT First Round |
| 1999–00 | Stephany Smith | 18–11 | 11–5 | n/a |
| 2000–01 | Stephany Smith | 17–13 | 9–7 | WNIT First Round |
| 2001–02 | Stephany Smith | 16–13 | 7–7 | n/a |
| 2002–03 | Stephany Smith | 18–12 | 9–5 | n/a |
| 2003–04 | Stephany Smith | 24–8 | 10–4 | NCAA Second Round |
| 2004–05 | Stephany Smith | 24–9 | 11–3 | NCAA Second Round |
| 2005–06 | Rick Insell | 20–11 | 10–4 | NCAA First Round |
| 2006–07 | Rick Insell | 30–4 | 18–0 | NCAA Second Round |
| 2007–08 | Rick Insell | 22–12 | 14–4 | WNIT second round |
| 2008–09 | Rick Insell | 28–6 | 17–1 | NCAA First Round |
| 2009–10 | Rick Insell | 25–6 | 17–1 | NCAA First Round |
| 2010–11 | Rick Insell | 23–8 | 14–2 | NCAA First Round |
| 2011–12 | Rick Insell | 26–7 | 16–0 | NCAA First Round |
| 2012–13 | Rick Insell | 25–8 | 17–3 | NCAA First Round |
| 2013–14 | Rick Insell | 29–5 | 15–1 | NCAA First Round |
| 2014–15 | Rick Insell | 24–10 | 14–4 | WNIT Quarterfinals |
| 2015–16 | Rick Insell | 24–9 | 15–3 | NCAA First Round |
| 2016–17 | Rick Insell | 23–11 | 15–3 | WNIT third round |
| 2017–18 | Rick Insell | 18–12 | 10–6 | WNIT first round |
| 2018–19 | Rick Insell | 23–11 | 11–5 | WNIT second round |
| 2019–20 | Rick Insell | 21–9 | 13–5 | n/a |
| 2020–21 | Rick Insell | 17–8 | 12–4 | NCAA First Round |
| 2021–22 | Rick Insell | 27–8 | 14–4 | WNIT semifinals |
| 2022–23 | Rick Insell | 28–5 | 18–2 | NCAA First Round |
| 2023–24 | Rick Insell | 30–5 | 16–0 | NCAA Second Round |
| 2024–25 | Rick Insell | 26–9 | 16–2 | WBIT First Round |
| 2025–26 | Rick Insell | 17–15 | 11–7 | WNIT Super Sixteen |
Postseason results
NCAA Division I
The Blue Raiders have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 21 times. Their overall record is 6-21.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | #9 | Opening Round First Round | #8 Jackson State #1 Louisiana Tech | W 64–61 L 59–91 |
| 1984 | #6 | First Round | #3 Georgia | L 52–70 |
| 1985 | #5 | First Round | #4 Western Kentucky | L 83–90 |
| 1986 | #10 | First Round Second Round | #7 South Carolina #2 LSU | W 78–77 L 65–78 |
| 1988 | #10 | First Round | #7 Kansas | L 75–81 |
| 1996 | #13 | First Round | #4 Kansas | L 57–72 |
| 1998 | #15 | First Round | #2 Duke | L 67–92 |
| 2004 | #13 | First Round Second Round | #4 North Carolina #5 Notre Dame | W 67–62 L 46–59 |
| 2005 | #12 | First Round Second Round | #5 NC State #4 Texas Tech | W 60–58 L 69–80 |
| 2006 | #12 | First Round | #5 Utah | L 71–76 |
| 2007 | #5 | First Round Second Round | #12 Gonzaga #13 Marist | W 85–46 L 59–73 |
| 2009 | #8 | First Round | #9 Michigan State | L 59–60 |
| 2010 | #10 | First Round | #7 Mississippi State | L 64–68 |
| 2011 | #11 | First Round | #6 Georgia | L 41–56 |
| 2012 | #10 | First Round | #7 Vanderbilt | L 46–60 |
| 2013 | #12 | First Round | #5 Louisville | L 49–74 |
| 2014 | #8 | First Round | #9 Oregon State | L 36–55 |
| 2016 | #12 | First Round | #5 Florida State | L 55–72 |
| 2021 | #14 | First Round | #3 Tennessee | L 62–87 |
| 2023 | #11 | First Round | #6 Colorado | L 60–82 |
| 2024 | #11 | First Round Second Round | #6 Louisville #3 LSU | W 71–69 L 58–83 |
WNIT Results
The Blue Raiders have appeared in the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) 9 times. Their overall record is 12-8.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | First Round | Memphis | L 71-81 |
| 2001 | First Round | Indiana | L 63-66 |
| 2008 | First Round Second Round | Western Carolina Kentucky | W 104-69 L 66-68 OT |
| 2015 | First Round Second Round Third Round Quarterfinals | Ball State Arkansas State Ole Miss Temple | W 69-58 W 70-60 W 82-70 L 57-69 |
| 2017 | First Round Second Round Third Round | Morehead State Wake Forest Georgia Tech | W 67-58 W 73-66 L 57-70 |
| 2018 | First Round | Ball State | L 60-69 |
| 2019 | First Round Second Round | IUPUI Ohio | W 59-47 L 57-59 |
| 2022 | First Round Second Round Third Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Wofford Wake Forest Vanderbilt Toledo Seton Hall | W 86-56 W 67-55 W 55-53 W 73-71 OT L 73-74 |
| 2026 | Second Round Super Sixteen | St. Bonaventure Cleveland State | W 69-50 TBD |
WBIT Results
The Blue Raiders have appeared in the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) 1 time. Their record is 0-1.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | N/A | First Round | #3 Belmont | L 51-64 |
