20 Midstate sports teams, venues and events to see – The Tennessean
Whether you’re a newcomer to Music City or a lifelong resident of the Midstate, the area offers sports fans many opportunities to cheer on their favorite college and professional teams.
Here’s a list of 20 sports venues, teams and events you should see around the region.
THE TITANS
Nashville is home to one of the 32 NFL franchises. The Tennessee Titans arrived in 1998, playing their first season in Nashville at Vanderbilt. They moved to Nissan Stadium (then known as Adelphia Coliseum) in 1999. Although the Titans are coming off a rough 2-14 season, there is a lot of optimism surrounding the team after it selected Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota in the first round of the NFL Draft. The Titans play two preseason home games: Aug. 23 (against St. Louis) and Sept. 3 (against Minnesota). The regular season begins with the team playing back-to-back road games, Sept. 13 and 20. The first home game is Sept. 27 against Indianapolis. For ticket information, go to titansonline.com.
TITANS TRAINING CAMP
If you want to meet the Titans and get autographs, there’s no better place than visiting training camp at Saint Thomas Sports Park. The Titans welcome the public to their practice sessions through Aug. 16. For specific dates and times, go to titansonline.com.
THE PREDATORS
When Nashville landed a NHL franchise in 1997, a lot of professional hockey purists questioned how the team would succeed. After a bumpy start, the team has flourished. There’s not a better sports entertainment event in Music City than an NHL game at Bridgestone Arena. The Predators play an 82-game schedule, 41 of them at home. The franchise has two of the league’s best players in goalie Pekka Rinne and defenseman Shea Weber. They also have two of the league’s best young players in defenseman Seth Jones and center Filip Forsberg. The Predators open the season at home on Oct. 8 against the Carolina Hurricanes. For ticket information, go to predators.nhl.com.
NHL ALL-STAR WEEKEND
The world’s best players will play in Nashville Jan. 30-31, when the Predators host NHL All-Star Weekend at Bridgestone Arena. While tickets to the Jan. 30 Skills Competition and the Jan. 31 All-Star Game will be difficult to obtain, there will be many other hockey-related events around the city, including a hockey fan festival at Music City Arena.
COUNTRY MUSIC MARATHON
Held in April each year since 2000, the Country Music Marathon is one of the biggest single-day sporting events in Nashville. More than 30,000 runners compete in the marathon or half-marathon. It routinely has one of the largest fields for a half-marathon in the country. The next event is scheduled for April 30. For more information, go to runrocknroll.com/Nashville.
SEC BASKETBALL
Bridgestone Arena will again host the Southeastern Conference men’s basketball tournament. The 2016 tournament is scheduled March 9-13. The tournament was held previously at Bridgestone in 2010, ’13 and ’15. The tournament will be in Music City in 2016-17, 2019-21 and 2023-25. The SEC women’s tournament will be played at Bridgestone in 2018, 2022 and 2026. For ticket information about the 2016 tournament, go to secticketoffice.com.
MUNICIPAL AUDITORIIUM
There was a time when Nashville Municipal Auditorium was one of the top music and sports venues in the South. When Bridgestone Arena opened in 1996, a lot of the sports events left Municipal. A few events remain, including the Ohio Valley Conference men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in March. The Nashville Venom, a member of the Professional Indoor Football League, will begin its third season in March.
NASHVILLE SOUNDS
The Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland A’s plays a 144-game schedule, including 72 home games in Music City. Members of the Pacific Coast League, the Sounds played their inaugural season at the 10,000-seat First Tennessee Park in 2015. Before that, the Sounds played at Greer Stadium for 37 seasons. For ticket information, go to nashvillesounds.com.
VANDERBILT STADIUM
Nashville is home to Vanderbilt University, one of the founding schools in the Southeastern Conference. The Commodores’ football team plays a 12-game regular season schedule, including home games at Vanderbilt Stadium. Head coach Derek Mason is in his second season at Vanderbilt. The Commodores play home games against Western Kentucky (Sept. 3), Georgia (Sept. 12), Austin Peay (Sept. 19), Missouri (Oct. 24), Kentucky (Nov. 14) and Texas A&M (Nov. 21).
FLOYD STADIUM
Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium is the home of the Middle Tennessee State University football team. Opened as Horace Jones Field in 1933, the stadium seats 30,788. Coach Rick Stockstill’s Blue Raiders play in Conference USA. The Blue Raiders play home games against Jackson State (Sept. 5), Charlotte (Sept. 19), Vanderbilt (Oct. 3), Florida International (Oct. 17), Marshall (Nov. 7) and North Texas (Nov. 21). For ticket information, go to goblueraiders.com.
GOVERNORS STADIUM
The Austin Peay University football team plays at Governors Stadium. Opened in 1946, the stadium seats 10,000 and was refurbished before the 2014 season. Coach Kirby Cannon’s team plays in the Ohio Valley Conference and has home games against Mercer (Sept. 5), Eastern Illinois (Oct. 3), UT Martin (Oct. 17), Jacksonville State (Oct. 24) and Southeast Missouri (Nov. 7). For ticket information, go to letsgopeay.com.
HAWKINS FIELD
The Vanderbilt baseball team is one of the most successful NCAA Division I baseball teams in the country. Coach Tim Corbin’s Commodores, who play home games at 3,700-seat Hawkins Field, won the College World Series in 2014 and were runners-up in 2015. Several dozen Commodores have been selected in the annual Major League Draft over the past dozen years, including No. 1 overall picks David Price (2007) and Dansby Swanson (2015). The Commodores play a 60-plus game schedule each season, beginning in February.
MEMORIAL GYMNASIUM
The Vanderbilt men’s and women’s basketball teams have played in Memorial Gymnasium since 1952. With a seating capacity of 14,326, the venue is one of the few basketball courts in the nation where the benches are on opposite ends of the court.
MURPHY CENTER
The Charles M. Murphy Center is the home to Middle Tennessee State University’s multipurpose athletic facility and includes Monte Hale Arena, home of the NCAA Division I Blue Raiders’ men’s and women’s basketball programs. Opened in 1972, it seats 11,520 for basketball games.
ALLEN ARENA
The indoor arena at Lipscomb University, Allen Arena is home to the NCAA Division I Bisons’ men’s and women’s basketball programs and the women’s volleyball program. Opened in 2001, the arena seats 5,028 for basketball games.
CURB EVENT CENTER
The multipurpose arena at Belmont University, the Curb Event Center is the home to the NCAA Division I Bruins’ athletic programs. The Bruins’ men’s basketball program has been one of the most consistently successful programs in the country, winning 20 or more games in 10 of the past 12 seasons. Opened in 2003, the Curb Event Center seats 5,085 for basketball.
GENTRY CENTER
The Gentry Center is the home of Tennessee State University’s indoor athletic teams, including the NCAA Division I Tigers’ men’s and women’s basketball programs. Opened in 1980, the basketball arena seats 10,500.
FAIRGROUNDS SPEEDWAY
On the grounds of the Tennessee State Fairgrounds, the independent racetrack is the second-oldest continually operating track in the country. Opened in 1904, the half-mile paved oval track hosts monthly races. The track’s premier event, The All-American 400, is scheduled for Oct. 3-4. For ticket information, go to fairgroundsspeedwaynashville.com.
IROQUOIS STEEPLECHASE
More than 25,000 people annually attend the steeplechase competition on the second Saturday of May at Percy Warner Park. The 2016 races, scheduled for May 8, will celebrate the event’s 75th anniversary. For more information, go to iroquoissteeplechase.org.
AND DON’T FORGET
• Ernest L. Stockton Field/Woody Hunt Stadium: Home of Cumberland University baseball.
• Dugan Field: Home of Lipscomb University baseball.
• Rose Park: A Metro park, which is used by Belmont University for baseball, softball and track.
Reach Dave Ammenheuser at 615-259-8352 and on Twitter @NashSportsEd.