SPORTS AND ATHLETIC FACILITIES

[smeagolsfree]

That’s the kind of fencing they need over every bridge going over every interstate. That will keep the rock throwing fools at bay.

[Sean blackdog]

Today this late night. 

[markhollin]

The Nashville Predators' Lee Company Dek Outdoor Hockey Rink is now open in Bellevue next to the YMCA. The 150' x 70' rink can be used for roller hockey, street hockey, etc. 

https://nightlight615.com/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2021.07.26 NASH&utm_term=NASHtoday Subscribers - MASTER

[henburg]

8 hours ago, titanhog said:

Sorry if already posted.

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2021/07/25/nissan-stadium-renovation-still-possible-but-details-slim/8033023002/

Meanwhile, rebuilding is underway on downtown’s 2nd Avenue, where a Christmas Day bomb attack destroyed at least four buildings and heavily damaged many others.

The stadium overhaul will be planned in tandem with those efforts to ensure a comprehensive final look.

A series of public meetings is underway, including Titans officials, to take input for architectural designs to rehabilitate more than 300 acres of land. New parks along with neighborhood and riverfront attractions and other upgrades are planned.

I never saw this, appreciate the share! I found the bolded portion of the article particularly interesting, as it seems that the new development surrounding the stadium will be taking cues from 2nd Ave and its upcoming rebuild. If so, I love the sound of that. 

[markhollin]

How the Nashville Grand Prix came together from a business perspective in this article at NBJ.

It is 100% privately funded.  Music City Grand Prix is investing $10 million in the race, which includes temporary grandstands, road repairs and other costs. 

Officials expect more than 100,000 fans over the three-day festival, including 60,000 on race Sunday, with the estimated economic impact ranging from $25 million to $35 million.

The contract is for three years guaranteed, with a two-year extension option built in.

The TV broadcast will be in at least 160 countries around the globe. 

More at NBJ here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2021/07/23/cover-story-big-machine-music-city-grand-prix.html

[titanhog]

15 minutes ago, markhollin said:

How the Nashville Grand Prix came together from a business perspective in this article at NBJ.

It is 100% privately funded.  Music City Grand Prix is investing $10 million in the race, which includes temporary grandstands, road repairs and other costs. 

Officials expect more than 100,000 fans over the three-day festival, including 60,000 on race Sunday, with the estimated economic impact ranging from $25 million to $35 million.

The contract is for three years guaranteed, with a two-year extension option built in.

The TV broadcast will be in at least 160 countries around the globe. 

More at NBJ here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2021/07/23/cover-story-big-machine-music-city-grand-prix.html

Those are some massive numbers.  And…talk about a good advertisement for downtown Nashville.  Should get a good amount of international tourism interest from this.

[Mr_Bond]

The official pace car for the Nashville Grand Prix 

[titanhog]

Great article about how Borchetta and company landed the Grand Prix race in Nashville.

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2021/07/23/cover-story-big-machine-music-city-grand-prix.html?fbclid=IwAR337hUzDFAL7modiqvcNl3sSaxw3FfqOgpBuzKO39oRq8UgWXeRoHyNLGw

[markhollin]

The under construction Montgomery County Civic Center Arena in downtown Clarksville will now be known as the F&M Bank Arena via a new multi-year naming rights agreement. It will hold 6,000 for concerts, 5,500 for basketball, and 5,000 for hockey. 

More here:

https://www.nhl.com/predators/news/sse-fm-bank-announce-event-center-will-be-named-fm-bank-arena/c-325864150

[nashvylle]

Could Vanderbilt ever be kicked out of SEC? Or would they ever voluntarily leave? I really want them to stay in SEC for Nashville's sake. All these power teams coming to Nashville would be great, even if we weren't the best. 

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/29/why-texas-and-oklahoma-want-to-move-to-the-sec-follow-the-money.html?recirc=taboolainternal

 

[PruneTracy]

22 minutes ago, nashvylle said:

Could Vanderbilt ever be kicked out of SEC? Or would they ever voluntarily leave? I really want them to stay in SEC for Nashville's sake. All these power teams coming to Nashville would be great, even if we weren't the best. 

A better solution for both the university and city would be the Magnolia League, i.e., a conference modeled on the Ivy League featuring Vanderbilt, Duke, Wake Forest, Rice, et al. It would allow Vanderbilt to deemphasize athletics while remaining competitive in the conference and facilitating collaboration with other prestigious universities. I'm also not entirely sure Nashville would take a massive tourism hit from visiting fans, either, especially since they would probably maintain their rivalries with Tennessee, Ole Miss, and others. It would also showcase the city to prospective residents from the other conference schools.

[nashvylle]

2 minutes ago, PruneTracy said:

A better solution for both the university and city would be the Magnolia League, i.e., a conference modeled on the Ivy League featuring Vanderbilt, Duke, Wake Forest, Rice, et al. It would allow Vanderbilt to deemphasize athletics while remaining competitive in the conference and facilitating collaboration with other prestigious universities. I'm also not entirely sure Nashville would take a massive tourism hit from visiting fans, either, especially since they would probably maintain their rivalries with Tennessee, Ole Miss, and others. It would also showcase the city to prospective residents from the other conference schools.

How is that a better solution for the city, or Vanderbilt? That would equate to about $55MM less revenue per year after Texas/OU join, and probably 30K less fans per game, all of whom are spending tons of money and adding sales tax to city's revenue stream. Recruiting would go down too, and I expect a title of the Magnolia League maybe once a decade wouldn't make up for it

Edited July 30, 2021 by nashvylle

[MLBrumby]

The fast changes in college athletics will force schools like Vandy to make some very tough decisions eventually.  Weaker schools like VU will be made even weaker in a stronger SEC.  Nobody knows what the final form of the conferences will be.  The money that member schools get has just shot up with a new ESPN media contract (and even then it's going to be renegotiated with UTx and OU); but conversely, the cost of being in the conference is rising fast too. Vandy has not shown any desire to invest significantly in its athletics department, not to mention the academic requirements they don't seem willing to relax for a better athletics program. So where will they turn now?  

Some are now saying it's possible there will be just two megaconferences of about 25-30 schools. PAC 12 is not what it used to be, and some schools may want to join the BIG 10.  The others will be left out in the cold (likely to form other smaller conferences with the remnants).  Vandy may decide it's not worth the investment after all.  There's a chance they may be ousted, but according to Jackie Sherrill (former TAMU coach) the SEC would be wise to keep them for two reasons:  Vandy is a "W" for most of the other schools.... and the SEC has very few AAU schools in its membership.  Over time however, if Vandy doesn't step up to be competitive they could easily be approached by the likes of Texas and Florida (two of the largest schools with A&M that have a history of pushing their weight around in their respective conferences to force changes) with an ultimatum to make room for some bigger brands (Notre Dame, Ohio State, Clemson, FSU) as they will want EVERY WEEKEND to have a big meaningful game. Those are huge schools which are members of the Association of American Universities. Some schools will undoubtedly be upset that a couple of the powerful teams (let's say an SEC East that has Bama and Auburn) get to play Vandy every season, but the big schools in an SEC West wouldn't have nearly as easy competition.  We'll see.  Only time will tell if keeping Vandy in the conference is worth the so-called 'academic prestige' they add to the conference. 

[nashvylle]

7 minutes ago, MLBrumby said:

The fast changes in college athletics will force schools like Vandy to make some very tough decisions eventually.  Weaker schools like VU will be made even weaker in a stronger SEC.  Nobody knows what the final form of the conferences will be.  The money that member schools get has just shot up with a new ESPN media contract (and even then it's going to be renegotiated with UTx and OU); but conversely, the cost of being in the conference is rising fast too. Vandy has not shown any desire to invest significantly in its athletics department, not to mention the academic requirements they don't seem willing to relax for a better athletics program. So where will they turn now?  

Some are now saying it's possible there will be just two megaconferences of about 25-30 schools. PAC 12 is not what it used to be, and some schools may want to join the BIG 10.  The others will be left out in the cold (likely to form other smaller conferences with the remnants).  Vandy may decide it's not worth the investment after all.  There's a chance they may be ousted, but according to Jackie Sherrill (former TAMU coach) the SEC would be wise to keep them for two reasons:  Vandy is a "W" for most of the other schools.... and the SEC has very few AAU schools in its membership.  Over time however, if Vandy doesn't step up to be competitive they could easily be approached by the likes of Texas and Florida (two of the largest schools with A&M that have a history of pushing their weight around in their respective conferences to force changes) with an ultimatum to make room for some bigger brands (Notre Dame, Ohio State, Clemson, FSU) as they will want EVERY WEEKEND to have a big meaningful game. Those are huge schools which are members of the Association of American Universities. Some schools will undoubtedly be upset that a couple of the powerful teams (let's say an SEC East that has Bama and Auburn) get to play Vandy every season, but the big schools in an SEC West wouldn't have nearly as easy competition.  We'll see.  Only time will tell if keeping Vandy in the conference is worth the so-called 'academic prestige' they add to the conference. 

But isn't there a SEC charter that protects original charter members? 

And let's give Candace Lee a chance... I think we will see some real renovations to the facilities soon. 

[MLBrumby]

Oh sure… and a separation (if it were ever to occur) would come at an enormous cost to the conference. Vandy makes a lot of money just by being a conference school and putting crap on the field. From a P&L perspective membership in the conference has been a ‘winning’ (pun) proposition. 

[PruneTracy]

1 hour ago, nashvylle said:

How is that a better solution for the city, or Vanderbilt? That would equate to about $55MM less revenue per year after Texas/OU join, and probably 30K less fans per game, all of whom are spending tons of money and adding sales tax to city's revenue stream. Recruiting would go down too, and I expect a title of the Magnolia League maybe once a decade wouldn't make up for it

Depends on your objective. If the goal is simply to take the payout and try to keep up with the post-NIL athletic budgets of football-centric state schools, then staying in the SEC makes sense. If the goal is to put the student back in student-athlete, to paraphrase a former chancellor, then it would be better to align with other universities that share that vision.

[nashvylle]

50 minutes ago, PruneTracy said:

Depends on your objective. If the goal is simply to take the payout and try to keep up with the post-NIL athletic budgets of football-centric state schools, then staying in the SEC makes sense. If the goal is to put the student back in student-athlete, to paraphrase a former chancellor, then it would be better to align with other universities that share that vision.

Vanderbilt clearly emphasizes the student in student athlete, and are criticized for doing it too much. You don’t have to go to a Magnolia league to maintain doing it, either. 

[MLBrumby]

Regarding the expansion of the SEC, I think other cities will want to bid for the SEC championship, such as Dallas, NOLA, Houston, and I believe Nashville should go for it too.  There's simply too much money involved not to be craved by the Jerry Joneses, Glazers, and McNairs of the conference to ignore. Even Tampa. I realize Atlanta has enjoyed an image as a neutral site, but that can't last with such a wide geographic area. The question of course will be what happens to the "home" bowl games in those cities, but the fact that the Chick Fil A "Peach Bowl" has done just fine while the SEC game happens just week earlier shoots that down.  Plus, it's been nice to have the debate off the table for the past 20 years so that Birmingham wouldn't start making overtures.  Lots of people think going to Birmingham would be grossly unfair to every team that's not Bama.  So I don't think the SEC has entertained talks of moving the championship out of Atlanta, but Dallas, Houston and Tampa (heck, even NOLA) are no less neutral than Atlanta.  That said, the conference will NOT go to a site that does not have a roof.  I don't think it will go to a market less than 3 million, but that's just a hunch I have.  So how much longer can it go on every year in Atlanta?  Maybe on a rotational basis, it might have a chance to roam. When cities talk money, the SEC will listen. 

[downtownresident]

24 minutes ago, MLBrumby said:

Regarding the expansion of the SEC, I think other cities will want to bid for the SEC championship, such as Dallas, NOLA, Houston, and I believe Nashville should go for it too.  There's simply too much money involved not to be craved by the Jerry Joneses, Glazers, and McNairs of the conference to ignore. Even Tampa. I realize Atlanta has enjoyed an image as a neutral site, but that can't last with such a wide geographic area. The question of course will be what happens to the "home" bowl games in those cities, but the fact that the Chick Fil A "Peach Bowl" has done just fine while the SEC game happens just week earlier shoots that down.  Plus, it's been nice to have the debate off the table for the past 20 years so that Birmingham wouldn't start making overtures.  Lots of people think going to Birmingham would be grossly unfair to every team that's not Bama.  So I don't think the SEC has entertained talks of moving the championship out of Atlanta, but Dallas, Houston and Tampa (heck, even NOLA) are no less neutral than Atlanta.  That said, the conference will NOT go to a site that does not have a roof.  I don't think it will go to a market less than 3 million, but that's just a hunch I have.  So how much longer can it go on every year in Atlanta?  Maybe on a rotational basis, it might have a chance to roam. When cities talk money, the SEC will listen. 

We have the SEC basketball tournament until 2030 with an option until 2035. I hope we can continue to be the long term venue for that. I could see it rotating between venues across the SEC long term. 

Edited July 30, 2021 by downtownresident

[Sean blackdog]

Today this evening from Instagram. 

Edited July 31, 2021 by Sean blackdog

[titanhog]

7 hours ago, MLBrumby said:

Regarding the expansion of the SEC, I think other cities will want to bid for the SEC championship, such as Dallas, NOLA, Houston, and I believe Nashville should go for it too.  There's simply too much money involved not to be craved by the Jerry Joneses, Glazers, and McNairs of the conference to ignore. Even Tampa. I realize Atlanta has enjoyed an image as a neutral site, but that can't last with such a wide geographic area. The question of course will be what happens to the "home" bowl games in those cities, but the fact that the Chick Fil A "Peach Bowl" has done just fine while the SEC game happens just week earlier shoots that down.  Plus, it's been nice to have the debate off the table for the past 20 years so that Birmingham wouldn't start making overtures.  Lots of people think going to Birmingham would be grossly unfair to every team that's not Bama.  So I don't think the SEC has entertained talks of moving the championship out of Atlanta, but Dallas, Houston and Tampa (heck, even NOLA) are no less neutral than Atlanta.  That said, the conference will NOT go to a site that does not have a roof.  I don't think it will go to a market less than 3 million, but that's just a hunch I have.  So how much longer can it go on every year in Atlanta?  Maybe on a rotational basis, it might have a chance to roam. When cities talk money, the SEC will listen. 

Maybe let bids go out.  I could see it going back and forth between Atlanta and Dallas.  They’re both “neutral” sites, so to speak.

Edited July 31, 2021 by titanhog

[Sean blackdog]

Today this morning from Facebook Sky5. 
Grand Prix Grandstands. 

[markhollin]

Nashville SC Stadium construction  partners provide soccer equipment and playground  improvements for Napier Elementary School:

https://www.nashvillesc.com/news/nashville-sc-stadium-construction-partners-provide-soccer-equipment-and-playgrou?fbclid=IwAR0jlggwSm1_Roy5WcK4bqb29EQriJ9eDDivzyxk4H7muXqg8t1dnppF5KY

[nashvylle]

https://racer.com/2021/08/02/grosjean-showcases-virtual-lap-around-nashville-street-circuit/?fbclid=IwAR2etUY-ykoaZKZODFgyvr1-loYRIq4vhVcxZkdJxLiP7Fwh5GgI5akfJl0

[Mr_Bond]

That was fun, @nashvylle!  I've never thought of the KVB Bridge as being 'bumpy' but I guess I've never gone over it at 100+ mph.