Middle Tennessee State University is building a place where students and local companies can practice fighting off cyberattacks before they face a real one. MTSU's Jones College of Business began construction Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, on a $5.6 million cyber range, according to MTSU News. The university says it is the first facility of its kind in Tennessee higher education.
What Is the MTSU Cyber Range?
A cyber range is a simulation environment for training against cyberattacks. MTSU's range was created in partnership with IBM and runs on AWS and Cloud Range technology. MTSU says students, businesses and government agencies will be able to train there against live-fire scenarios based on what attackers are doing now, including ransomware, phishing and intrusions into critical infrastructure.
Where Is It and When Does It Open?
- Location: first floor of the Miller Education Center on Bell Street in Murfreesboro
- Size: 2,446 square feet of renovated space
- Inside: a theater (a classroom and lab for simulations), an observation room, faculty and staff offices, and breakout rooms
- Opening: expected to be ready for use in January 2027
Who Is Paying for It?
The state of Tennessee provided $5 million. The rest comes from industry partners Middle Tennessee Electric, Delta Dental and National HealthCare Corp. (NHC). MTSU is one of 10 universities with a strategic partnership with IBM; the others include Marshall University, UNLV and the University of Ottawa.
The "Wall Breaking"
MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and Jones College Dean Joyce Heames put on hard hats and took sledgehammers to a wall on Friday, Sept. 25, to mark the start of the project. McPhee said the range addresses a workforce need. Heames said it is about preparing people for tomorrow's cybersecurity challenges, not just teaching today's, and that companies will be able to train employees without putting their own systems at risk.
Tim Greer, chair of the Department of Information Systems and Analytics, will direct the range. He said Middle Tennessee employers want cybersecurity experience even for entry-level jobs, and that local businesses, government agencies and K-12 schools will be able to use the range to train teams and test response plans. Stacy Hapgood, IBM Consulting's senior state executive in Tennessee, said his goal is for Tennessee to become one of the leading cyber education states in the country.
Why It Matters for Murfreesboro
MTSU already offers undergraduate and graduate programs in cybersecurity management and runs a Center for Cybersecurity Management. The range adds hands-on training that local employers can use too. For more on the university, see OnlyInMurfreesboro's MTSU guide and the MTSU listing. Job seekers can find more in the Murfreesboro jobs guide, and MTSU's newly expanded esports arena is covered in this story.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MTSU Cyber Range?
It is a $5.6 million cybersecurity training facility being built by MTSU's Jones College of Business with IBM. Students, businesses and government agencies will use it to practice responding to simulated cyberattacks such as ransomware and phishing.
Where is the MTSU Cyber Range?
It is on the first floor of the Miller Education Center on Bell Street in Murfreesboro.
When will the MTSU Cyber Range open?
MTSU expects it to be ready for use in January 2027. Construction began Sept. 28, 2026.
Can local businesses use the MTSU Cyber Range?
Yes. MTSU says local businesses, government agencies, K-12 schools and its industry partners will be able to use the range to train teams and test their response plans.
Source: MTSU News. More on MTSU's program at cyber.mtsu.edu.
*Photo: MTSU photo by J. Intintoli. MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and Jones College of Business Dean Joyce Heames prepare to break through the wall at the Miller Education Center.*