Image Credit: Chait Goli / Pexels / CC & Bill Haslam / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
Tennessee is once again lobbying to expand major league sports franchises in the state, this time by bidding to bring a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team to Nashville.
Proposed as the Tennessee Summit, in honor of the late University of Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt, the team would play at the Bridgestone Arena, home to the Nashville’s NHL team, the Predators.
Former Governor Bill Haslam, who is set to become the majority owner of the Predators in July, and his wife Crissy submitted the bid in collaboration with basketball star Candace Parker, and it includes plans to build a brand-new practice facility.
The exact price tag for such an endeavor is unknown but would be estimated at over $100 million based on other similar recent league expansions, as the cities of Toronto and Portland, Oregon paid $115 and $125 million respectively.
Michelle Kennedy, the Bridgestone Arena President and COO, noted that the bid is “not contingent on taxpayer dollars or city resources,” per News Channel 5. Haslam also reportedly confirmed the plan will not use “any public financial support”.
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell has expressed his support for the plan, and other well-known celebrities like former quarterback Peyton Manning and entertainers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw have joined the group as ownership partners, according to the Associated Press.
US Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty also sent a letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert wholeheartedly endorsing the expansion.
The letter speaks to Nashville’s appeal as a “cultural Mecca” and global tourist destination, the excellence of the of the “award-winning” Bridgestone Arena, investor commitment to building a “state of the art” practice facility, and how having a women’s sports franchise would stand as, “a beacon of opportunity for women and girls in the state and across the South.”
The Senators also thank “Bill and Chrissy Haslam, Candace Parker, Peyton Manning, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and others who have brought this forward,” and conclude by urging the Commissioner to award the bid to Tennessee, promising, “any additional information or support you may need as you consider this proposal.”
To view the full letter, click here.
The WNBA will reportedly be considering approximately a dozen bids over the coming months, but should Nashville win, the proposed timeline would have Summitt playing in Tennessee by 2028 as the league works to add a 16th team, according to the WNBA commissioner.
Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
