NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Since 1999, the stadium has been the home of the Tennessee Titans, but those days could be numbered. At first, the Titans intended to just renovate Nissan Stadium, but by February 2022, that all changed.
"We learned during this process that a renovation would be much more expensive than we originally thought," said Nashville Mayor John Cooper.
The team made it clear they'd rather just build something new right next door to Nissan Stadium and then demolish the old venue as part of a larger redevelopment effort of Nashville's East Bank of the riverfront.
In October 2022, we got a glimpse at what a new stadium might look like. Renderings showed a modern exterior with wrap-around terraces and large electronic screens. Inside, a dome with a translucent roof with 60,000 seats. Interestingly enough, that's 9,000 seats less than the current stadium and considered modest compared to the rest of the NFL.
"Nashville’s new stadium will be a game changer for the city and the community," said Burke Nihill, CEO of the Tennessee Titans during an October news conference. "And before you ask the follow-up question, yes, that’s a building big enough to support a Super Bowl and other huge events."
The night the renderings dropped, NewsChannel 5 aired reactions that ranged from tantalizing excitement to titanic despair.
"Nissan’s a great stadium, but this looks awesome with the dome; it looks very new and modern," said John Bachus, a Titans fan.
"The stadium doesn’t seem like it’s going to fall down. I was there a few weeks ago; I don’t know, it seems like a prioritization thing," said Jeff Kendig, a Nashville resident.
But the hottest debate has to do with funding. The $2.1 billion dome would be paid for by three sources.
- $840 million: paid for by the Tennessee Titans, the NFL, and new personal seat licenses.
- $760 million: from Metro Sports Authority Bonds, repaid through a new 1% hotel/motel tax and other taxes collected in and around the stadium.
- $500 million: from the State of Tennessee, contingent on the city building an enclosed stadium that could lure global events.
"In all honesty, I think they deserve it. If you got it, spend it," said Nate Hall, a Titans fan.
But for those keeping score at home, that's about $1.3 billion in public funds.
"It just doesn’t make any sense because the owners are already making so many millions of dollars that they want to invest and build a stadium, then they’re going to make their money back," said Alexander Plushanski, a sports fan visiting Nashville.
Nashville's tourism chief says the city will get their money back and then some if Nashville can land a Super Bowl.
"Yeah, you’re generating sales tax, you’re creating jobs and you’re helping pay for schools and roads and police, because when you don’t have an income tax, you’re relying on sales tax," said Butch Spyridon, CEO of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau.
But an economist NewsChannel 5 consulted says a lot of that revenue from the big game won't directly benefit Nashville.
"A lot of that goes to the companies that are not headquartered in Nashville," said John Siegfried, American Economic Association's Treasurer Emeritus. "So if the Marriott is full when there's a Super Bowl game, they have raised prices — a lot of that extra money goes back to Baltimore where Marriott is headquartered."
You might assume the biggest fans of a new stadium deal would be the longtime season ticket holders. But even that situation is complicated.
"Mr. Nihill, will existing season ticket holders have to buy a new PSL with this building?" NewsChannel 5 asked in a news conference.
"We are working on a plan to respect and honor our existing season ticket members," said Nihill.
A PSL, or personal seat license, guarantees you season tickets for the lifetime of the stadium. The problem is — current season ticket members at Nissan Stadium will have to get a new one for the new stadium. The team is offering a credit system based on what you paid originally, but that hurts the founding PSL members who bought it in 1999 for a much cheaper rate.
"I feel like they should be grandfathered in," said longtime Titans season ticket member Brandon Rolland.
To sweeten the overall deal, the Titans have unveiled a community benefits platform, partnering with 16 community groups on multiple initiatives.
"We’ll enter into agreements with each partner that details the obligations that each of us have and the things we’re expecting, and we’ll hold each other to it," said Adolpho Birch III, Senior Vice President for Business Affairs for the Titans.
The platform includes contributing $5 million towards a plan that would upgrade athletic fields and programs at all 15 MNPS high schools.
"To have a lump sum come in like that and you be able to pick and choose what you want to spend it on, that’s big," said Coach Arcentae Broome of John Overton High School.
Ultimately, the fate of Nissan Stadium and the dome that could replace it is all up to Metro Council. Just how many days and games Nissan Stadium has left will be up to them.
The earliest a new stadium could be ready for play is Fall 2026.
