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Peyton Manning, Candace Parker part of group that has submitted bid for Nashville WNBA franchise

Other members include ex-Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and his wife, and country music stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill

sean leahy
Contributing writer
·2-min read

The WNBA could be coming to Nashville. A group that includes football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and basketball legend Candace Parker, who both played collegiately at the University of Tennessee, has submitted a bid to bring a team to "Music City."

Former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and his wife, Crissy, and country music stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are also part of the ownership group.

"We believe a WNBA team, based in Nashville, could serve as a beacon for girls and women, young and old, across Tennessee, while also creating more opportunities for sports fans as our community continues to grow," Haslam said in a statement.

Should Nashville get the team, the franchise would not begin play until the 2028 WNBA season, and they would share Bridgestone Arena with the NHL's Nashville Predators.

As for a team name, the WNBA franchise would be called the Tennessee Summitt, in honor of the late Tennessee Lady Vols basketball coach Pat Summitt.

"It's kind of fun to give a personal tribute to somebody I'm both a fan of and was a friend of mine," said Haslam, who will take over as majority owner of the Predators on July 1, via The Tennessean. "You think Pat Summitt and you think excellence in everything, from the court to how (her players) handled themselves off the court, and what they've gone to do since then."

The WNBA currently has 13 teams, including the Golden State Valkyries, who will debut in 2025. Portland and the Toronto Tempo will enter the league in 2026.

Nashville will have competition to become the league's 16th team. In November, a group from Cleveland submitted a bid, and other cities, like St. Louis, Houston and Philadelphia, have expressed interest. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is part of a group trying to bring the WNBA to Kansas City.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said last year that she is "pretty confident" the league will be at 16 teams by 2028.