There is no word yet on when Nashville SC will be able to take the field again, but club CEO Ian Ayre offered up some good news for Music City.
In a letter to Nashville fans, Ayre revealed that the club expects their brand new stadium to open in mid-May of 2022. The venue is slated to become the largest soccer-specific stadium in the U.S. but remains in the very early stages of construction. Demolition began last month at the Nashville Fairgrounds only days after the MLS suspended its season due to the current pandemic.
“Given the size, scope and challenges in building what will be the largest soccer specific stadium in the U.S., and without certainty of how COVID-19 will continue to impact our lives, our stadium project team has tentatively identified a substantial completion date of mid-May 2022,” Ayre wrote. “The group is currently reaching out to suppliers and contractors, and construction will commence after demolition wraps up.”
He added that unforeseen roadblocks, particularly the coronavirus, may derail the stadium’s planned opening date. However, the club will track the construction progress and keep fans informed with updates.
“It is impossible to predict the actual date with any level of certainty in the current environment, but we will continue to monitor gains or losses on timing and keep everyone informed as we progress. We remain excited about the 2022 season in our new home and fully committed to bringing the 2020 MLS season back to Nashville and all our fans as soon as possible.”
The league’s newest team faced a challenge to even begin work on a new stadium. Ayre and Nashville Mayor John Cooper were at odds for months on constructing a site at the fairgrounds before reaching an agreement in February on the privately-funded venue.
In the meantime, Nashville SC awaits the resume of the MLS season, which was barely two weeks into the schedule before officials put everything on pause. Their debut was a successful one in terms of fan support. Temporary home Nissan Stadium was forced to open all 69,000 seats to accommodate eager soccer fans.
