Whether you’re a sports fanatic — or just look good in Nashville SC gold — the 615 has no shortage of teams to support. Our city is home to some of the most loyal fans in the country — just look at the catfish tossing tradition at Preds games for proof.
If you’re already a devoted Nashville sports fan or you’re new to the area and interested in learning more about Music City’s teams, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about Nashville sports.
⚽ Nashville SC (MLS) | Est. 2017
Nashville SC proved Nashville to be a “soccer city” when the inaugural match played at Nissan Stadium on Feb. 29, 2020 became the highest attended soccer event in Tennessee. The club is the 24th to join Major League Soccer, and you’ll often hear fans refer to the team as the “Boys in Gold.”
Where they play: GEODIS Park
- Max. Capacity: 30,000
- Largest soccer-specific stadium in the US and Canada
Mascot: Tempo the Coyote
- Named after a coyote that wandered into a Music City Center bathroom
- Celebrates a January 13 birthday
Team colors: Electric gold and acoustic blue
Major accomplishments
- Feb. 2020 inaugural match was played in front of 59,069 fans
- Nashville SC’s first win at the new GEODIS Park stadium in May 2022 extended their home unbeaten streak to 21
- 2022 club record for wins in a season with 13 and reached the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for three consecutive seasons
🏈 Tennessee Titans (NFL) | Est. 1960
The Tennessee Titans, originally established as the Houston Oilers in 1960, moved to the state in 1997 and reverted to the name we love so dearly in 1999. Did you know? The club was founded by K.S. “Bud” Adams Jr., one of the founding fathers of the American Football League.
Where they play: Nissan Stadium
- Max. capacity: 69,143
- A new, enclosed $2.1 billion stadium, with an expected completion by the 2026 NFL season was proposed
Mascot: T-Rac
- Represents a raccoon, the Tennessee state animal
- Has been to the Pro Bowl nine times throughout his career
Team colors: Navy blue, Titans blue, red, white, and silver
Major accomplishments
- Clinching the AFC championship in their first year as the Titans
- Making it to Super Bowl XXXlV
- “The Music City Miracle”
- 2017 comeback playoff win against the Kansas City Chiefs
🏒 Nashville Predators (NHL) | Est. 1997
Nashville was selected with Atlanta, St. Paul, Minnesota, and Columbus, Ohio for NHL expansion in 1997. Nashville Predators was selected as the team name after a fan vote — which included Fury, Attack, and Tigers — and revealed at Wildhorse Saloon downtown. When the community talks about the Preds, you’ll often hear the team referred to as “Smashville.”
Where they play: Bridgestone Arena
- Max. capacity: 17,159 (larger for concerts and basketball)
- Hosted the 2016 NHL All Star Game and 2003 NHL Entry Draft
Mascot: GNASH
- Saber-toothed tiger remains uncovered at the First American building (now USB Tower) inspired the mascot
- Makes 600+ community appearances each year
Team colors: Gold, navy blue, and white
Major accomplishments
- David Poile’s 2018 induction into the US Hockey Hall of Fame, the winningest general manager in NHL history
- 2011 advancement to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, a first in the team’s history, following David Legwand’s empty net goal
- Mike Fisher’s 2016 triple-overtime game-winning goal, which ended the longest game in franchise history with over 17,000 fans in attendance
⚾ Nashville Sounds (MiLB) | Est. 1978
The Nashville Sounds, a Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, brought baseball back to Nashville after a 15-year hiatus. The city has led the league in attendance, including each of the team’s seven years spent in the Southern League. Major league greats like Willie Dean McGee and Don Mattingly have also once donned Sounds jerseys.
Where they play: First Horizon Park
- Max. capacity: 10,000
- Scoreboard is one of the largest in minor league baseball, according to the park, with the LED screen measuring 4,200 sqft
Mascot: Booster
- Began repping the Sounds in 2015 after Ozzie retired
- Was featured on a Nashville Public Library specialty card
Team colors: Navy blue, red, and white
Major accomplishments
- Named the MiLB’s 2022 “Organization of the Year,” the team’s first time securing the award in their 45-year history
- Led the league in total attendance (555,576) in the 2022 season and set a club record for season ticket revenue, crushing the previous year’s record by nearly $700,000
- Four former Sounds are in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and 14 players have won league awards for their performance with the team
🐂 Nashville Stampede (PBR) | Est. 2022
The Nashville Stampede debuted alongside seven other teams for PBR’s first-ever team series. The inaugural year was comprised of a 10-event, 112-game regular season — including a three-day homestead stop at Bridgestone Arena in August. Five riders from the seven-member team go head-to-head, and the team with the highest averaged score wins each game.
Where they compete: Bridgestone Arena
- Nominated for Pollstar Magazine’s “Arena of the Year” for 15 consecutive years
- Ranked No. 7 in the world for gross ticket sales in 2022 by Pollstar’s Year End Industry Report
Mascot: Billy Billy
- Name derived from a childhood memory from ownership Morris Communications
- Described by Outsider as enjoying “long walks in the pasture and holds a deep distrust in rattlesnakes”
Team colors: Navy blue, red, and white
Major accomplishments
- Stampede wins the first-ever PBR Team Series in 2022 after entering the championship last in league standings
- Earned the first direct berth at the semifinals and earned the championship title via a Cinderella run
- Head coach Justin McBride is a two-time PBR World Champion, and the team signed three-time PBR World Champion Silvano Alves before the 2022 homestead
🏀 Vanderbilt Commodores men’s basketball (NCAA) | Est. 1893
Vanderbilt became the first college to participate in a basketball game, which resulted in a 9-6 win over the Nashville YMCA. The inaugural season was played in the Old Gym, as well as other venues across the city. It wasn’t until Dec. 6, 1952 that the Vanderbilt Commodores played a game in dedication of Memorial Gymnasium.
Where they play: Memorial Gymnasium
- Max. capacity: 14,316
- Serves as a memorial to all Vanderbilt men and women who served in World War II
Mascot: Mr. Commodore
- 2003 NCAA Mascot National Champion
- Also known as Mr. C
Team colors: Black and gold
Major accomplishments
- Won their first championship in 1919-20 with a 14-4 record
- Secured first undefeated season at Memorial Gymnasium with a 13-0 record in 1956
- Won three SEC regular-season titles and two SEC Tournament championships + made it to the Elite Eight once and Sweet Sixteen six times
🏀 Vanderbilt Commodores women’s basketball (NCAA)| Est. 1977
The Vanderbilt Commodores have seen 13 alumni drafted for the WNBA and 10 players make it to the “All-Time WNBA Roster,” appearing in at least two regular season games with the team. Katie Lou Samuelson, a decorated college league alum and current player for WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, was welcomed to the team in 2023 as the new director of player development.
Where they play: Memorial Gymnasium
- Women’s and men’s teams combined have won more than 78% of games played at Memorial Gymnasium
- Increased seating and expanded three times in all
Mascot: Mr. Commodore
- Become a part of the mascot program
- Named after founder Cornelius Vanderbilt, nicknamed “the Commodore”
Team colors: Black and gold
Major accomplishments
- 1992-1993 team honored to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1994 for 30-3 record, National Coach of the Year recognition, and several All-Conference and All-Tournament honors
- Have won six SEC tournament titles
- Former Commodore Chantelle Anderson recognized as SEC women’s basketball Player of the Year in 2002 and was also part of the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame inaugural class
🏈 Tennessee State Tigers football (NCAA) | Est. 1912
TSU’s football team is part of the Ohio Valley Conference. Over 100 alumni have played in the NFL, including Ed “Too Tall” Jones (Dallas Cowboys), Loaird McCreary (Miami Dolphins and New York Giants), and Malcom Taylor (Houston Oilers, Los Angeles Raiders, and Atlanta Falcons). In fact, current head coach Eddie George played in the NFL for nine seasons, primarily with the Titans franchise.
Where they play: Nissan Stadium
- Played at TSU’s Hale Stadium until the switch in 1999, but returned three times in 2012 to celebrate 100 years
- Went undefeated 10 times and won 10 championships at Hale Stadium
Mascot: Aristocrat the Tiger
Team colors: Reflex blue and white
Major accomplishments
- Secured first NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in 2017 with a victory over the Georgia State Panthers
- Hosts the John Merritt Classic, which pays homage to John Ayers Merritt who coached the Tigers for 20 years
- 1998-99 OVC Championship win, only teams to win the honor in Tennessee State football history
🤸 Fisk Lady Gymdogs/Bulldogs (NAIA) | Est. 2021
The addition of the sport to Fisk University marks the first-ever HBCU gymnastics team. The Lady Gymdogs competed at their first NCAA event on Jan. 6, 2023 at the Las Vegas Super 16 invitational. The university is part of the NAIA, but hopes to eventually gain NCAA Division ll recognition.
Where they compete: Debuted locally once in the inaugural season, hosting the Tennessee Collegiate Classic at the Farm Bureau Expo Center in Lebanon
Mascot: Bulldogs
Team colors: Blue and gold
Major accomplishments
- Hired Ivy League coach Corrinne Tarver in March 2022 as first to ever coach the team, bringing 30+ years of experience to the program
- Team gained nationwide recognition and appeared on major networks after a viral TikTok video showcasing their first practice, which got over 880,000 views
- Finished fourth place with an overall score of 186.700 in the Las Vegas Super 16 invitational
🏀 Lipscomb Bisons men’s basketball (NCAA) | Est. 1932
The Lipscomb Bisons produced two all-time leading scorers in college basketball — John Pierce and Philip Hutcheson — during the program’s time in the NAIA, though the scoring record is for all levels of college basketball. The team has a unique rivalry with the nearby Belmont Bruins. The teams host an annual game coined the “Battle of the Boulevard,” named for Belmont Boulevard, the road in which both schools are located on.
Where they play: Allen Arena
- Max. capacity: 5,028
- Wild 65-ft shot with no time on the clock provided a one point victory for the Bisons’ first game in the arena
Mascot: LU Bison
- Introduced to Lipscomb in 1932
- Came about when the men’s team formed and a student noticed a jacket with a buffalo on it while purchasing the team’s uniforms
Team colors: Purple and gold
Major accomplishments
- First trip to the NCAA tournament in school history in 2018, which also resulted in a victory
- Won the NAIA National Championship in 1986
- Lipscomb leads the Battle of the Boulevard series in wins
🏀 Lipscomb Bisons women’s basketball (NCAA) | Est. 2001
The Lipscomb Bisons compete in the ASUN Conference. Head coach Lauren Sumski joined the team in 2019 and is the first female to lead the program under Division l.
Where they play: Allen Arena
- Opened on October 28, 2001 and named to honor James C. and Linda Allen, the arena’s primary benefactors
- Used to be the home of the now defunct Nashville franchise the Nashville Rhythm
Mascot: LU Bison
- First mascot name suggestion was “Thundering Herd”
- Nashville artist Puryear Mims sculpted a statue of the mascot in Nov. 28, 1960 and it was proclaimed “Bison Day” at the university
Team colors: Purple and gold
Major accomplishments
- Won their first Atlantic Sun Conference tournament championship by defeating UCF in 2004
- Have made it to the NAIA Division l women’s basketball tournament eight times
- Beth Willis Dolente inducted into the Lipscomb Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011, known for finishing in the top five in program history for scoring and rebounding
🏀 Belmont Bruins men’s basketball (NCAA) | Est. 1953
The Belmont Bruins operate in the Missouri Valley Conference under head coach Casey Alexander. Only two players in Bruins men’s basketball history have their jerseys retired, including Robert Barnes (1953-56) and Joe Behling (1986-90).
Where they play: Curb Event Center Arena
- Max. capacity: 5,500
- Often used for concerts, trade shows, and conferences outside of athletic events
Mascot: Bruiser the Bruin
- Known for choosing a “Sweetheart of the Game”
- Hobbies include repelling from the Curb Event Center rafters to center court to present the game ball and crowd surfing through the M.O.B.
Team colors: Navy blue, red, and white
Major accomplishments
- Most recently appeared in the NCAA Division l tournament in 2019
- Have played in eight NCAA tournaments
- Won won the Atlantic Sun Regular Season Championship and the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament in 2011, receiving their highest seed in program history
🏀 Belmont Bruins women’s basketball (NCAA) | Est. 1968
The Belmont Bruins women’s team is a part of the Missouri Valley Conference. Mt. Juliet-based Alysha Clark was a product of the lady Bruins (who finished her college career at MTSU) that went on to play in the WNBA.
Where they play: Curb Event Center Arena
- Houses eight sky boxes overlooking the arena
- Offers 20,000 sqft
Mascot: Bruiser the Bruin
Team colors: Navy blue, red, and white
Major accomplishments
- Have won six conference regular-season titles
- Have made seven NCAA tournament appearances
- The women’s squad also competes in the annual “Battle of the Boulevard” rivalry
⚾ Trevecca Nazarene Trojan baseball (NCAA) | Est. 1969
Trojan baseball was the second intercollegiate team added to Trevecca Nazarene University’s athletic program. The program has seen several former players enter the MLB Amateur Draft, including Hunter Newman, whom was drafted in 2015 by the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
Where they play: Jackson Field
Mascot: Troy Trevecca
- NCAA describes a “Trojan” as being derived from the people of Greek mythology’s city of Troy
- Trojan warrior represents “loyalty, nobility, courage, and leadership”
Team colors: Purple and white
Major accomplishments
- Set the all-time Trevecca (NAIA / NCAA D2) record and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference record in the 2022 season with 86 home runs
- Braden Odom set the single season individual home run record (23) + the NCAA D2 Era career home run record (38)
- 2022 team has scored more runs than any other in Trojan baseball history
