Nashville's MLS expansion bid could be building momentum ahead of a Jan. 31 expansion deadline.
According to a report by the Nashville Business Journal, the two groups that are aiming to bring professional soccer to Nashville, Tennessee – the Nashville MLS Organizing Committee led by business John R. Ingram and 2018 USL expansion club Nashville SC – are discussing the possibility of joining forces.
MLS has set an application deadline of Jan. 31 for prospective owners to submit expansion bids, as the league looks to grow from 24 to 28 clubs. The 25th and 26th teams are scheduled to be officially announced later this year ahead of a projected 2020 launch.
Nashville was identified by MLS in December as part of a group of 10 cities which have expressed interest in landing one of four future expansion clubs. The other markets include: Charlotte, Cincinnati, Detroit, Raleigh/Durham, Sacramento, St. Louis, San Antonio, San Diego and Tampa/St. Petersburg.
The Music City was named as one of 13 host cities for the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The city will host a US national team group stage match at Nissan Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.
