Nashville Leaders Organize To Bring Major League Soccer To Music City

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

A group of business and community leaders announced on Tuesday the launch of a Nashville MLS Organizing Committee focused on bringing a Major League Soccer team to the city.

Earlier this year, Major League Soccer stated plans to add four new teams in what may be the league’s final round of expansion. The Nashville MLS Organizing Committee will draw on its members’ collective expertise to help position Nashville as a frontrunner in the competition for one of these franchises.

Over the coming months, members of the committee will make the case that the Nashville market is ready for professional soccer’s top league.

“Music City’s diverse and growing population, vibrant economy and passionate sports culture make it an ideal fit for the MLS,” said Bill Hagerty, who organized the committee with Will Alexander. “Major League Soccer and Nashville are both American success stories. The country’s fastest growing sports league and the nation’s ‘it city’ are a winning combination.”

“This is Nashville’s moment,” said Mr. Alexander. “Top level professional soccer would thrive in our city; now is the time to make a push for an MLS team.”

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry urged the committee forward, saying Major League Soccer is a perfect fit for Nashville.

“What an exciting opportunity to build on our successes and plan for Nashville’s future as a soccer destination for the Southeast,” said Mayor Barry. “I’m glad to see so many of Nashville’s civic and business leaders are committed to working together towards our shared goals of Major League Soccer having a home in Music City.”

The MLS Organizing Committee includes leaders from across Middle Tennessee who want to see the MLS in Nashville and are eager to assist this effort. The region’s dynamic business community is particularly well represented on the committee, with the membership including the chief executives of companies that collectively generated more than $100 billion in revenue last year.

The Nashville MLS Organizing Committee members include:

Gov. Phil Bredesen (Chairman, Silicon Ranch Corporation)
Larry Brown (CEO, Boys Scouts of Middle Tennessee)
Agenia Clark (CEO, Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee)
Sen. Bill Frist (Partner, Cressey & Co.)
Gary Garfield (Chairman & CEO, Bridgestone Americas)
Sean Henry (President & CEO, Nashville Predators)
John Huie (Co-Head, CAA Nashville)
Milton Johnson (Chairman & CEO, HCA)
Ken Levitan (President, Vector Management)
Rob McCabe (Chairman, Pinnacle Financial Partners)
Mayor Shane McFarland (Mayor, City of Murfreesboro)
José Muñoz (Chairman, Nissan North America)
Colin Reed (Chairman & CEO, Ryman Hospitality Properties)
Ralph Schulz (President & CEO, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce)
Butch Spyridon (President, Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp)
Barry Stowe (Chairman & CEO, Jackson National Life Insurance Co.)
Steve Underwood (President & CEO, Tennessee Titans)
David Williams (Vice Chancellor and Athletics Director, Vanderbilt University)
Uzi Yemin (Chairman & CEO, Delek US Holdings)
Todd Vasos (CEO, Dollar General)
Bill Hagerty (Managing Partner, Hagerty Peterson & Co. / Organizer)
Will Alexander (Senior Director, Hall Capital / Organizer)

Additional announcements will be made as this initiative builds momentum and Music City moves closer to achieving its goal of having its own MLS team.