Nashville Approves New $2.1B Stadium for NFL’s Tennessee Titans
Nashville has approved a new $2.1 billion stadium for the National Football League’s Tennessee Titans. The city backed the proposal Wednesday morning in a 26-12 vote of the Metro Council.
“For more than 25 years, Nashville, Tennessee, has been the Titans’ home, and with the approval of the new stadium agreement, we are grateful to know the Titans will be a part of the great city and state for decades to come,” said Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk.
“We are thankful for the support of Mayor [John] Cooper, Metro Council, the Sports Authority, the State of Tennessee, and most importantly, the people of Nashville and Tennessee, as we all embark on this new chapter together.”
The Titans have been playing their home games at Nissan Stadium since it opened in 1999. The Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Titans have all been playing in stadiums built between 1995 and 2000. he TitTans are the first of those teams to move forward on a replacement.
Buffalo approved a new $1.14 billion stadium in March that will replace its Highmark Stadium, the home of the Bills since 1973. It is expected to be ready by 2026.
Nashville Sets Record for Public Funding
Of the $2.1 billion for the new stadium in Nashville, a record $1.26 billion is coming from public money. Tennessee is contributing $500 million in bonds, and the Metro Sports Authority is giving the project $760 million in bonds. The Sports Authority is a division of local government that operates, maintains, and repairs professional sports facilities in Nashville and elsewhere in Davidson County.
The deal leaves the Titans responsible for $840 million of the stadium funding, as well as any cost overruns.
“We’ve eliminated a billion-dollar liability created by an aging stadium lease, and created a platform for the city to thrive for decades. This was always about more than football,” said Mayor Cooper. “It enables a true smart growth plan for the decades ahead. It will expand our transit network, create affordable housing, build parks and civic space, activate the waterfront, and drive resilience and sustainability.”
In contrast to Nashville’s stadium financing deal, the new stadium in Buffalo comes with $850 million in public financing. Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas received $750 million in public funding, and SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles was built exclusively with private funds.
In 2022, Nashville hired Venue Solutions Group to conduct inspections and provide an estimate of the costs of renovating and maintaining Nissan Stadium for the remainder of the lease, expiring in 2039. That cost was estimated to be between $1.75 billion and $1.95 billion.
New Stadium Details
The new stadium is going to be built downtown and on the east bank of the Cumberland River, adjacent to where Nissan Stadium currently sits. That will then be demolished when construction is completed on the new stadium. In place of Nissan Stadium, there will be new development along the riverfront.
The new stadium will feature a translucent roof, making it a multi-use facility that can operate 12 months a year, and potentially host Super Bowls, NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Fours, and College Football Playoff games. It will seat 60,000 fans for football and contain a 12,000-square-foot space that will be used year-round for educational, non-profit, and community events.
The deal also comes with a new 30-year lease and a nonrelocation agreement. The city expects to break ground on the new stadium in early to mid-2024, with a planned opening date in 2027.