The Tennessee Titans have been playing at what is now known as the Nissan Stadium since 1999, but that could be changing. After originally planning on doing extensive renovations to the building, Mayor John Cooper now says they are exploring all options, including a potential new stadium.
“Together with the Titans, we are evaluating the costs & benefits of multiple scenarios,” Cooper shared on social media. “Revised cost estimates require us to closely review whether a new stadium would be a better long-term financial decision. We won’t settle for anything but the best-case scenario for Nashville.”
Together with the Titans, we are evaluating the costs & benefits of multiple scenarios. Revised cost estimates require us to closely review whether a new stadium would be a better long-term financial decision. We won’t settle for anything but the best-case scenario for Nashville. https://t.co/4PQREvRrzs
— Mayor John Cooper (@JohnCooper4Nash) February 17, 2022
The Titans also spoke out about the possibility of a new stadium, and why that might be a better decision than repairing Nissan Stadium.
“Over the past year, we’ve been gathering community feedback and digging deep into the needs of the stadium. We’ve worked with multiple experts to help us learn more about those needs, and what we’ve discovered most recently is that the stadium has a lot more infrastructure needs than we originally anticipated,” the Titans explained in a statement (via Fox 17).
The statement went on to explain all of the issue that need to be repaired, including the structural frame, which was built with concrete and now needs to be replaced with steel. Other problems include the mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems, which all need to be completely replaced, along with the “antiquated” window system.
“All of these new revelations are adding up and moving a renovation price nearly double what we initially anticipated,” the statement continued. “When you consider the present and future needs of our current stadium, it’s possible that another path, such as a new, modern stadium that could better serve its community’s needs, might be a more responsible option to explore.”
The Titans add that they are committed to their original mission, which is to “find an elegant solution to upgrade the stadium to first-class, NFL-quality standards and remove Nashville’s general fund from stadium business once and for all through a re-imagination our current lease structure, which as it stands today, puts the burden of an aging stadium’s costs on the city and Nashville’s general taxpayer.
“With all this in mind, we need to take a step back and re-evaluate if a stadium renovation is the most responsible option forward and explore other paths,” the statement concluded.
According to CBS Sports, a new stadium would give the Titans the ability to look at indoor options, which would be Nashville in better contention to be considered as a future Super Bowl destination.
