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Today’s newsletter is 942 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Nashville is a finalist to host an NCAA men's basketball Final Four in the next decade.

Why it matters: It would be the biggest basketball event in Nashville's history, attracting thousands of fans from across the country.

The big picture: The Final Four is the kind of marquee event city leaders dreamed about when pushing for a new indoor stadium for the Titans.

State of play: Nashville's odds are pretty good.

• Seven host cities were selected by the NCAA as finalists to host five Final Fours from 2032 through 2036.
• The other finalists are Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas and New Orleans.

By the numbers: Nashville has never hosted the men's Final Four, which features the four teams remaining in the March Madness bracket.

• Kansas City has the record, having hosted 10, while Indianapolis is second with nine.

What she's saying: "It's a big deal," Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. president and CEO Deana Ivey tells Axios. "We're very excited. I think it's very likely we get one of those years."

What's next: The selection process concludes next July with cities making presentations at a meeting in Naples, Fla. Final decisions come after that.

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The Tennessee Performing Arts Center will break ground on construction next year, James Robertson Parkway is set for a major overhaul and the Fallon Company released renderings of its hotel next to the new Nissan Stadium.

• It was an eventful East Bank Development Authority meeting yesterday.

Why it matters: The East Bank revitalization is slowly but surely making progress with ambitious projects, new roads and a hometown Super Bowl on the horizon.

• The new TPAC, stadium hotel and transportation network will replace vacant lots and a disjointed street grid over the next several years.

Driving the news: TPAC representatives released detailed design images and unveiled their construction timeline.

• They plan to begin pre-construction work in the coming weeks and break ground on their $600 million facility in February.

The latest: Fallon executives released a new rendering of the hotel, which will be located right next to the new Nissan Stadium.

• The hotel's construction timeline has been a source of consternation for Metro officials since it won't be completed in time for the Super Bowl in 2030.

Zoom out: The East Bank Development Authority board approved up to $65 million toward a major renovation of James Robertson Parkway. In order to build a new street grid, James Robertson has to be lowered so it's level with the planned East Bank Boulevard.

• That means the important east-west connector will be closed beginning in the second quarter of 2027.
• The funding comes from tourism dollars previously earmarked for the Music City Center.

What's next: Metro Council is set to vote on legislation next week to approve a partnership between the city and the Tennessee Department of Transportation to work together on the James Robertson project as well as an extension of Marine Drive.

• The extension will connect the River North campus to Dickerson Pike.
• Those projects are also going to be funded in part with former convention center dollars.

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🏛️ The state is moving forward with a $147 million renovation of the Tennessee Supreme Court building and the old State Library and Archives. (Tennessean)

A new report said State Sen. Brent Taylor, who is running to represent part of Memphis in Congress, had sent unsolicited nude photos as recently as 2021. Taylor dismissed the exchanges as "youthful indiscretions." (Nashville Scene)

🏆 Nashville SC's fairytale season continues: They secured the trophy for the best performance in Major League Soccer this season.

• There are still regular season games left to play, but Nashville's track record is now strong enough that it is impossible for any other team to catch up. (WPLN)
  

A member of the state board overseeing The Boring Company's planned downtown-to-airport tunnel offered a less-than-reassuring answer when asked whether concrete barriers will protect against flooding by the Cumberland River.

What he's saying: "They say that they will," former state Sen. Bill Ketron said, per the Tennessee Lookout. "But I don't think I want to be one of the first ones riding through it."

Between the lines: Ketron's remarks follow a new analysis that raised concerns about sinkholes and groundwater contamination along the tunnel's proposed route.

• Ketron serves on the new Subterranean Transportation Infrastructure Coordinator Authority.

Read more from the Tennessee Lookout

Taylor Swift became the youngest inductee into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on Monday.

The intrigue: The 36-year-old superstar credited the Music Row songwriting community with teaching her the skills that made her 20-year career possible.

• She has been able to "genre-hop" and work with artists across the musical spectrum, she said, because of "the fundamentals and the foundation that I learned here in Nashville."

The big picture: During her acceptance speech, Swift reminisced about learning her craft on Music Row alongside collaborators including Liz Rose and Nathan Chapman, whom she credited with helping shape her early career.

The bottom line: "There is no music community like this music community," Swift said. "I know. I checked all the communities."

Go deeper: Read Swift's full remarks

Our picks:

Nate's song of the day is "Demolition" by Fontaines D.C.

🍫 Adam has procured way too much candy for Halloween.

This newsletter was edited by Jen Burkett.