Nashville awarded franchise

Major League Soccer announced Nashville as the recipient of the league’s 24th team Wednesday in a ceremony at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

The announcement comes a little more than a month after the Nashville Metro Council approved $275 million in public financing for a 27,500-seat stadium and improvements to The Fairgrounds Nashville, where the stadium will be located.

Seated before Nashville soccer supporters Wednesday were MLS commissioner Don Garber, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, John R. Ingram, leader of the team’s ownership group Nashville Soccer Holdings LLC, as well as special guests: model Lily Aldridge and former Tennessee Titans and Ohio State running back Eddie George.

Garber said Nashville went from a city that wasn’t on the MLS’ radar to one of its top choices in a short period.

“It’s just so incredible to see how far we’ve all come in the last year and a half in this wonderful city,” Garber said. “There is no doubt that Nashville is a city on the rise.”

Similar to the Predators and Titans, Ingram said his vision is for the soccer team to be “Nashville’s team.”

“More than just an owner, I see my role as being an engaged curator,” he said.

Nashville was one of 12 cities to submit a formal bid for one of four expansion slots earlier this year. Nashville, Cincinnati, Detroit and Sacramento were named the finalists for the first two expansion teams on Nov. 29.

Reports out of Cincinnati indicated an MLS announcement on a second expansion city will not come until early 2018.