Our history
Since 1992, the Nashville Sports Council has helped spur exponential growth in
our city by recruiting premier sporting events to the Music City.
Nashville Sports Council established
1992
The Nashville Sports Council is established to help promote and drive sports tourism in the Music City.
U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Bridgestone Arena
1997
The U.S. Figure Skating Championships is the first live sporting event held at the (then) new Nashville Arena.
First Music City Bowl
1998
A new Nashville tradition is established. The first Music City Bowl is held at Vanderbilt Stadium with Virginia Tech beating Alabama 38-7.
First St. Jude Rock 'n' Roll Running Series
(formerly Country Music Marathon)
2001
The (then) Country Music Marathon adds another event to downtown Nashville, bringing together thousands of runners and volunteers from around the country.
SEC Men’s
Basketball Tournament
2001
The first SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Gaylord Entertainment Center (Bridgestone Arena)
NCAA Women’s Final Four
2014
The NCAA Women's Final Four takes place at Bridgestone Arena. UConn tops Notre Dame in the title game. Nearly 53,000 fans attended the Final Four.
NHL All-Star Game at Bridgestone Arena
2016
The NHL All-Star Game takes place at the home of the Nashville Predators, Bridgestone Arena.
Davis Cup
2018
Nashville hosts the Quarterfinal of the prestigious Davis Cup between Team USA and Team Belgium.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament
2018
The First and Second rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament are held at Bridgestone Arena.
NFL Draft
2019
The NFL Draft takes place on lower Broadway in downtown Nashville with over 600,000 fans in attendance.
NCAA Men's Golf Regional Tournament
2021
Top golfers from universities around the country converged in the Music City along the championship journey.
Inaugural Big Machine Music City Grand Prix
August 2022
The inaugural Big Machine Music City Grand Prix took place in August 2021. The race drew over 100,000 spectators and a record TV audience.
TransPerfect Music City Bowl
December 30, 2021
The 24th edition of Nashville's Holiday Tradition. Two teams from the SEC and Big Ten battle it out in one of college football's premier bowl games.
TOYOTA U.S. Figure Skating Championships
January 2022
The U.S. Olympic team will be decided in Nashville as the championships return to Nashville after 25 years.
SEC Women's Basketball Tournament
March 2022
The SEC women's basketball champion will be crowned inside Bridgestone Arena and punch their ticket to March Madness.