Haslams push for WNBA franchise in Nashville
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Former Gov. Bill Haslam. Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images
Nashville Predators co-owner and former Gov. Bill Haslam and his wife, Crissy Haslam, are leading a bid for the city to land a WNBA expansion franchise.
Driving the news: The Haslams are joined by country music stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as well as former University of Tennessee athletics legends Candace Parker and Peyton Manning. The Tennessean first reported the Haslam family's bid.
- The team will be called the Tennessee Summitt in homage to legendary Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt.
Why it matters: Nashville has invested billions of dollars to build stadiums and subsidize the operations of men's pro sports teams, but the city has yet to invest in women's pro sports. Haslam says this effort isn't asking for taxpayer money, as the new team is planning to play its games at Bridgestone Arena.
State of play: Haslam told the Tennessean he expected to find out if Nashville wins the bid in the next five or six months.
- The city has routinely been on the list of possible WNBA expansion possibilities, and a group of civic leaders has pushed for a women's pro sports franchise for the last several years.
- And a study by CAA Icon concluded three years ago Nashville is ready to support a women's pro sports team.
Between the lines: The bid is privately financed, according to the Tennessean.
- The WNBA keeps private the financials of its expansion bidding process, but recent new franchise bids eclipsed $100 million in entrance fees. Haslam said a practice facility will also be needed.
Zoom out: Driven by young stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, the WNBA has been crushing attendance and TV viewership records in recent years.
- The league had 12 teams for years, but after expansion teams in Golden State (begin play in 2025), Toronto (2026), and Portland (2026), the Summitt would be No. 16.
- WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said the league would like to add a 16th team by the 2028 season, per ESPN. Cleveland, St. Louis and Philadelphia are considered other possibilities.
What they're saying: "Tennessee is the DNA of everything women's basketball stands for," Parker, the former Lady Vols star who played under Summitt, told the Tennessean. "I'm excited to be part of the group working to bring a WNBA team to the state and honor Coach Summitt's legacy."
- "I am so happy to hear Nashville is on its way to the W," former city council member Nancy VanReece, a vocal supporter of recruiting women's pro sports, tells Axios. "One-billion-plus has been spent in Nashville on men's teams. The Haslams and other amazing owners are showing that now is an excellent time to invest in women."
The bottom line: Nashville attorney Margaret Behm, who helped lead the push for women's pro sports in Nashville, tells Axios she's optimistic about the Haslam family's bid.
- "It's a long time coming, but it's so great," Behm says. "This bid seems to check all the boxes in what the WNBA looks for. (The ownership group) wants to play in this fabulous arena that wins industry awards. They're proposing to build a practice facility, which will be a community asset. The ownership group is stellar. I feel like the bid is in excellent shape."