According to reports, Nashville will be named the newest home of an MLS expansion team today.
The announcement, to be held at the Country Music Hall of Fame, is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. today and will be live streamed.
MLS commissioner Don Garber will speak, along with John R. Ingram of Nashville Soccer Holdings LLC, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, and Nashville Mayor Megan Barry. ESPN commentator Taylor Twellman will be the emcee.
Nashville, one of 12 cities to submit formal bids in January for a total of four expansion slots, was one of four finalists to present before the MLS Expansion Committee on December 6.
Nashville has been vying for an MLS team, and along with Cincinnati, Detroit and Sacramento is one of the four finalists.
Music City’s bid is fronted by billionaire Ingram. He is backed by the Wilf Brothers, who also own the Minnesota Vikings. The city plans to build a 27,500-seat stadium that’ll cost roughly $250 million located at the Fairgrounds south of downtown. Ingram and MLS commissioner Don Garber will host the event on Wednesday afternoon at the Country Music Hall of Fame to announce the city’s entry.
Nashville’s soccer team will join the Titans (NFL) and the Predators (NHL) as the cities’ professional sports franchises. Although initially considered a long shot initially to receive an MLS expansion bid, a number of factors helped catapult the city to the top of the expansion list over the past few months, including the cities’ vibrant culture/atmosphere, as well as the financial backing.
