We already know that the SEC has a strong hoops relationship with Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for the SEC Basketball Tournament. In fact, the Southeastern Conference announced an extended partnership with Bridgestone Arena in 2018 that would keep the SEC men’s or women’s basketball tournament in Nashville through the year 2035.
And it makes sense why. Not only is Nashville a sprawling and growing city in the middle of the state with its own distinct culture and vibe, but the middle of Tennessee is a fairly centralized point for the entire conference even including the future additions of Texas and Oklahoma in 2024.
Dallas is far west and Tampa is far east, leaving the middle grounds of Nashville a sharp landing spot for attracting fans from all over the conference. Having an event in Nashville also takes full advantage of having two in-state fanbases with Vanderbilt and Tennessee.
“Nashville, just based on my description and our reality, is one of the homes for the Southeastern Conference with our basketball tournament being held here annually now, Vanderbilt University being located in Nashville and its impact on this community,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said to open up SEC Media Days in Nashville on Monday. “The capital of the volunteer state is located here in Nashville, and it’s a state that hosts two of our member universities.”
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So, what about football, though?
The first two SEC football championship games in 1992 and 1993, both featuring Alabama and Florida, were played at Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. Since then, though, the game has been exclusively held in the city of Atlanta, GA, splitting between the Georgia Dome and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Unfortunately for residents of the Volunteer State, it doesn’t look as though Nashville will be hosting any SEC Championship football games in the near future. Regular season games, such as Tennessee’s 2023 season opener against Virginia, will still be played in Nissan Stadium, but the idea of the championship game being moved looks to be far off.
“We are going to focus our football game on what is really the envy of the college football championship world, and that’s what we do in Atlanta,” Sankey said. “So that’s where our focus is for that particular championship.”
Sankey didn’t necessarily slam the door closed, though. The Tennessee Titans received finalized approval for a new stadium this past April that could potentially open up the possibility down the road.
“We obviously have what is and will be a longstanding relationship with Bridgestone Arena in basketball,” Sankey said. “One of my favorite books is titled The Art of Possibility, and what Nashville is doing is opens up the art of possibility here, around football opportunities, basketball opportunities on a national scale. Those are very much on my mind.”
The SEC Commissioner closed his answer with one final fascinating nugget, stating that he has “communicated that locally on repeated occasions.”
The 2023 SEC Media Days event is currently ongoing in Nashville, TN.
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel, along with Jacob Warren, Omari Thomas, and Joe Milton III, will have their opportunity on stage on Thursday. Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for complete coverage of Tennessee’s SEC Media Days event.
