NASHVILLE, TN – Nashville SC CEO Ian Ayre published a letter to the fans on Wednesday morning, which included an update on construction for the stadium at the Nashville Fairgrounds.
The stadium was originally set to open early in the 2021 season, but legal hurdles involving the Save Our Fairgrounds lawsuit delayed construction, and NSC announced last March that the opening would be delayed until 2022, allowing the club to play the entire 2022 season in the new venue.
Now, the opening date has been delayed once again. Recent negotiations with Mayor John Cooper delayed things further, with an agreement finally reached in February and demolition beginning in March.
As soon as things appeared to be on track, COVID-19 put the world on hold, and with the immediate future of sports up in the air, Nashville SC has estimated a completion date of May 2022.
As Ayre stated in his letter, this date could change. It could be the club being overly cautious and underprommising in light of the coronavirus pandemic. It could also be optimistic if social distancing is required for an extended period of time.
The stadium is set to have a capacity of 30,000, making it the largest soccer-specific stadium in the United States. Major League Soccer’s 2020 season has been suspended since March 12, with clubs tentatively set to return to training on April 25th, although that date has already been pushed back three times. The league cited May 10 as their targeted return date back in March, but with the spread of COVID-19 throughout the country, a return to play still feels very much up in the air.
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