The Murray State Board of Regents voted to approve the selection of Murray State’s new provost and launch a study into a new expansion for the University’s athletics program.
During their special meeting Friday, Murray State’s Board of Regents voted unanimously to approve the contract of employment for Paul Twigg as the new provost and vice president of academic affairs. This vote follows seven months after the previous provost, Tim Todd, stepped down in September 2025. Twigg, who previously served as the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, is set to begin his position on June 1.
“Murray State University recently concluded the recruitment process for provost and vice president of academic affairs,” said Gary ZeRuth, board regent and associate professor of biology. “The firm of Greenwood Asher & Associates has since been on a national search that produced many exceptional candidates. Dr. Paul Twigg rose to the top of the applicant pool and I am pleased to see board approval to extend an offer to Dr. Twigg as the University’s new provost and vice president of academic affairs.”
During the meeting, the board also voted to approve name changes for the Hutson School of Agriculture and the School of Nursing and Health Professions. Effective July 1, the two departments will be called the Hutson College of Agriculture and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences. ZeRuth said this change for the college of nursing more accurately reflects what happens in the schools and boosts program image and student retention.
The Board of Regents also voted to approve the launch of the Racer Entertainment Village Feasibility Study. Racer Entertainment Village is a proposed entertainment complex for the Department of Athletics featuring a sports park, hotel and convention space. This study would test the feasibility of the project’s construction and is projected to cost upwards of $400,000 raised through donor funds.
“This concept would allow the Department of Athletics and the University to leverage the prime 641-121 intersection, the sports park, to drive new revenue and boost the regional economy by building on the 200-plus annual events already hosted on our campus,” said Board Chair Robert Fitch.
The plan was met with a mix of support and caution from board members. President Ron Patterson said it was important for the University to utilize the land leased to the University to bring in extra funding, especially as it works through a tight budget. Patterson also said Murray was one of a few universities in the country undertaking a project like this.
“We’re in a very small group, a handful of institutions and universities across the United States that is taking this step forward, just so you know that’s how huge it is,” Patterson said.
Staff Regent and Housing Director David Wilson asked the board to consider the value a project like this could bring to faculty, staff and students, as well as ensure this project does not negatively impact the University’s relationship with the city of Murray.
“A couple of things I would like to be considered as you move forward is one that we do not compete Town and Gown,” Wilson said. “We have a really good relationship with the town. I don’t want us to put something that’s going to compete with others.”
Also during the meeting, the Board of Regents voted to extend the employment contracts for head men’s basketball coach Ryan Miller and head women’s basketball coach Rechelle Turner. Board members complimented Turner’s term after she led the women’s basketball team through its 31-game win streak in the 2025-2026 campaign.
