I cannot think of a sports season I have wanted to skip more than the 2021 MLS season. It’s not because I have anything against soccer but rather, I’m super pumped for the new stadium at the Nashville Fairgrounds that will be the future home of Nashville SC set to open with in May 2022.
Before the stadium opens, there is so much soccer to played. For starters, Nashville kicks off their 2021 MLS campaign April 17th at Nissan Stadium, the temporary home for the boys in blue and gold, against FC Cincinnati. From there, there are numerous European leagues set to play in addition to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo that were moved to 2021 due to the Coronavirus pandemic. By the time fall rolls around, every Nashville SC fan will have witnessed enough soccer that their sights will be set to the first time the team is able to step onto the pitch.
The construction of the stadium is on schedule as of now and if the Nashville weather keeps a level head, we should reach the finish line on time. Recently, I took my dog, Paisley, to the dog park at the Fairgrounds and while taking a walk around the soccer fields, I got a good look at where the stadium construction stands. There appears to be a lot of action going on in the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood in Nashville. The concrete for the lower bowl of the stadium is set and they have moved on to building the upper level around what is to be Gate 2 between Bransford Ave. and Craighead St.
According to the Nashville SC website, in addition to the ongoing steel work and decking for the upper level work, workers will continue building the southwest staircase, tv camera platform, and installing water lines among a long list of other important items.
As there is still a year to go before the first home game in the new stadium, I cannot help but think of other events that could be brought to Nashville with the addition of a new 30,000-seat venue. I quickly go back in time to the 1990’s when every summer seemed to have numerous touring music festivals. It is easy to imagine the old H.O.R.D.E. Festival, Lilith Fair, Ozzfest and the Warped Tour set up at the Fairgrounds on a hot summer day with the home of Music City’s MLS team as the host. If I’m dreaming big then the goal for me would be to bring one of the WWE’s Big 4 pay per views to Nashville. The weather would not be ideal when Survivor Series and Royal Rumble take place and the stadium is too small for the Grand Daddy of them All, WrestleMania. The perfect event would be SummerSlam, as WWE has transitioned the Royal Rumble from traditional arenas to baseball stadiums retrofitted to accommodate twice as many fans as an arena could. Getting 30-35,000 rabid wrestling fans to attend one of the largest professional wrestling events in America would be easy in Nashville considering the history the city has with the sport.
Whether Vince McMahon brings his sports-entertainers to town or Sarah McLachlan revives Lilith Fair for a third time, there is a ton of excitement surrounding not only the Nashville SC team, but the stadium just as much and I for one wish I could snap my fingers like Thanos and find myself in the front of the line for the first home game at the new stadium. I guess until then we will just have to settle for cheering on the Blue and Gold as they try to bring the Phillip F. Anschutz Trophy home to Nashville.
Steven McCash is the Music Columnist for SoBros Network, and host of the ‘Drinking With…’ podcast. He is the pioneer of New Music Friday, highlighting each week’s new releases in the world of music, in addition to the occasional live show review. Follow on Twitter: @MC_Cash75
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