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Buckle up, because there’s a chance the WNBA could be coming straight to the Music City, forming Tennessee’s fourth major league sports team. Last month, Bill Haslam, chairman of the NHL’s Nashville Predators, and his wife, Crissy, placed a bid for a WNBA team based in Nashville. In this context, submitting a bid means that a city is showing interest in acquiring a new sport’s franchise. The chances of a successful expansion bid aren’t guaranteed, considering the fact that at least 10 teams have placed a bid. For the potential WNBA team, Bill and Crissy formed a team of a retired WNBA star (Candace Parker), an NFL Hall of Fame quarterback (Peyton Manning) and two country singers (Faith Hill and Tim McGraw). This dream team will essentially provide additional financial backing and the strategic guidance necessary for creating a franchise as big as a WNBA team. Its name? The Tennessee Summit.
Why bring the WNBA to Nashville?
The Haslams and their group submitted a bid to become the 16th team in the WNBA with the intent of bringing light to women’s sports in Tennessee and honoring the late Pat Summit, the former women’s head basketball coach for the University of Tennessee.
“We believe a WNBA team, based in Nashville, could serve as a beacon for girls and women, young and old, across Tennessee, while also creating more opportunities for sports fans as our community continues to grow.” Haslam said in a press release.
Tennessee has a rich women’s basketball history, particularly under the management of Pat Summit. During her tenure, the Tennessee Lady Vols won eight NCAA titles—two of which were back to back, making Tennessee the first ever team to accomplish that feat in NCAA women’s basketball. Current WNBA players believe this history alone makes Tennessee the perfect candidate for a WNBA franchise.
What would a WNBA team cost?
Bill Haslam as the leader for this expansion may make the whole ordeal less costly. Haslam is set to become the majority owner of the Nashville Predators this upcoming summer, and the pending WNBA team would occupy the Bridgestone Arena as their home base. As we read in Frederick’s article for the Vanderbilt Business Review, building new stadiums comes with hefty costs. The restructuring alone of the Nissan Stadium will pose a burden on taxpayers of $1.2 billion dollars. Yes, billion. So, thinking about stadium costs alone, the cost of bringing a WNBA to Nashville will be significantly lower than the typical expenses associated with establishing a professional team, since the team would play in the already existing Bridgestone Area. This also means taxpayers won’t bear the brunt of this expansion team as they usually do with stadium-related expenses.
The specific financial details of the bid are undisclosed to the public, however the cost of recent league expansions could be telling of possible numbers. Raj Sports paid $125 million for the 2026 WNBA expansion in Portland, Oregon. Kilmer Sports Ventures is paying $115 million for the Toronto-based WNBA team, also set to start playing in 2026. Based on these recent WNBA expansion bids, we might estimate the cost of a team in Nashville to sit anywhere between $100 million and $130 million. However, any outlying costs that aren’t factored into this estimate may result in a higher expansion cost.
What does all of this mean for Vandy students?
Nashville’s securing of the bid to expand the WNBA would have greater implications than just good entertainment. A new professional sports team could enhance the city’s appeal to tourists and investors, spurring economic activity and driving growth to Nashville. Bill Haslam actually told the Tennessean that women’s basketball has high potential to be another positive attraction for visitors to Nashville. Take a look at the Preds and the Titans, whose fan bases have drastically boosted tourism revenue in the city. For instance, a 2017 Preds playoff run was said to have generated nearly $50 million in revenue for the city. Predators CEO Sean Henry noted that a lot of the revenue was brought in by donations at the arena, as well as private and corporate gifts. It is also likely that much of this revenue came from people visiting Nashville. Nearly two-thirds of attendees at Bridgestone come from outside Davidson County, meaning revenue generated from sport’s games could be linked to high tourism activity. In fact, Stanley Cup Final games in the city generate at least $8 million per game in economic impact.
Accurately predicting the economic impact of a WNBA team on Nashville is challenging, as it depends on factors such as the team, location, and other variables. But all in all, new job creation, increased consumer spending, and tax revenue that result from the new team could all play a role in future economic growth for the city.
As for Vandy students, we can expect a couple of outcomes. Firstly, we might see those interested in a sports-related business career seize internship or post-grad opportunities for the Tennessee Summit. With the need for a new administrative team and initial development logistics, interns for the new WNBA team would likely be of high demand. Vandy students may also have a chance to connect with a wider network of sports industry professionals who work with the Summit, opening doors to valuable insights and future opportunities.
A new professional sports team could also promote new investment in the area by raising property values, including more commercialization activity such as retail development and new restaurants and entertainment venues. In turn, this could create even more job opportunities for Vandy students, with the potential for greater exposure to major companies drawn to the area.
Concluding Thoughts
All of these outcomes are contingent on whether or not Nashville receives the bid for a WNBA expansion team. We are up against about a dozen other cities, including Philadelphia, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Houston, and more. There is only one slot open. It is unclear when the winning team will be announced, but definitely by March of 2028. While the fate of women’s basketball in Nashville is unknown, its potential to bring life to women’s sports and drive economic growth is undeniable.
