Super Bowl LII is almost upon us with the big game being played in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The city was able to grab the NFL’s premier event mainly thanks to the brand new state of the art U.S. Bank Stadium. After this year, the Super Bowl is headed to Atlanta in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2019, Miami with their newly renovated stadium in 2020, and finally the new LA Rams stadium in 2021. Obviously, getting the Super Bowl is a huge get for any city, so I thought we’d take a look at what it would take for the greatest city in the world, Nashville, TN to host a Super Bowl.
Let’s start with what Nashville has going for itself first. The city knows how to throw a party. Anything from CMA Fest to the NHL All-Star Game to the Stanley Cup Finals show how well prepared Nashville is when it comes to hosting these huge events. Just last summer, CMA Fest and the Stanley Cup Finals overlapped and the city was able to pull off both events without a hitch. I have no doubt that Nashville would be able to pull off the entire spectacle that surrounds the Super Bowl.
Accessibility is another major plus Nashville has going for itself. With the new Music City Center, Bridgestone Arena, Nissan Stadium, and Broadway and 2nd Avenue all within walking distance of each other, fans and visitors could easily spend an entire day downtown taking in different fan events without ever having to leave the area. This is big in the eyes of the NFL, since they want everything in the same central location.
Now on to the things that Nashville would need to improve for the NFL to consider the Music City as a host site. Number one without a doubt would be parking. There already aren’t enough parking spots in Nashville on a normal week day. Could you imagine the nightmare of adding an extra 100,000 people for a week? The train would help alleviate some of that stress, but probably not enough for the NFL. City planners would have to get really creative to overcome this problem.
Lack of public transportation might be another problem Nashville would be facing. As I mentioned above, the train would be an option, but more would definitely be needed. Uber and Lyft could help with a solution to this issue, but a greater bus system or something similar would go a long way in helping ease the minds of NFL executives.
Another obstacle might be Nissan Stadium itself. It’s an older stadium, and while the Titans have done some renovations, more is probably needed, especially on the field. Every January, after a full season of the Titans, TSU, and the Music City Bowl, the field is normally looking a little rough. The Titans would need to have the field in top condition or make the switch to field turf in order to host the Super Bowl. Nissan Stadium is also on the smaller side when it comes to NFL stadiums. Additional temporary seating would be required, but that should be an easy fix.
So could the Music City play host to a Super Bowl in the future? With the recent explosion of Nashville I think there’s a greater chance now than there was 10 years ago, but there’s still a lot to be done. Nashville definitely knows how to host big events and has a great location for everything, but there are some areas that need addressing. If the city can figure out the parking and public transportation problems and put some money into Nissan Stadium to help make it “new” again, I see no reason for the NFL not to consider Nashville sometime in the not to distant future.
Herbie Brooks is the Lead Hockey Analyst for SoBros Network. He knows three things: beating Commies, winning Gold Medals, and having great hair. Follow him on Twitter: @SoBroHerbie_B
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