Nashville SC is at the start of their second MLS season, a wild ride for the expansion franchise which opened to a huge crowd in March of 2020 but like many were forced to adjust due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While operating during a strict pandemic protocol the club is trying to continue that early wave and make a dent in the Tennessee sporting landscape.
Nashville SC entered MLS in 2020, and while their “thunder” was lost due to all the attention being focused on Inter Miami, the other team to enter the league in 2020, the club is setting the foundations to become a unique experience in the Tennessee area.
One can’t forget that two weeks before the Covid-19 lockdown Nashville SC drew 59,069 to their inaugural home match in 2020. The club has plans to have a 30,000 seat Soccer Specific Stadium in place by 2022, but in the meantime Nissan Stadium is where the club calls home and where they provide a game day experience to remember week in and week out.
Nashville SC gameday experience
While at times NFL stadiums can be imposing in MLS, in the early years many teams played in nearly empty NFL stadiums, Nashville has shown its potential and love for soccer in their first game, with over 59,000 fans. It’s very common to see live music at the games, something Nashville is known for, there are videos throughout the stadium that play rock, country, jazz music to support the team and entertain fans. Nashville is a music city and that is very evident when you enter the stadium and hear various styles of music before and after the game.
The fans, while attendance is still restricted, are still showing up in mass, and the game against Inter Miami drew 13,000 fans to the match. Every fan had either a jersey or a scarf, the fans are really identifying with the team and purchasing team merchandise at the team store.
Nashville SC Supporters Culture
The supporters of Nashville SC are in the stands signing and chanting for their team like many teams do in Europe. The passion the supporters have, known as The Backline Supporters Collective, will most likely be one of the best in MLS.The Backline Supporters Collective is composed of various groups that supports Nashville SC and they areThe Assembly, The Roadies, La Brigada de Oro, Eastern Front, and The Music City Heaters. The supportersenjoy tailgating before matches and have been supporting the team since their USL days. The group also has set up QR Codes for new fans to learn the team songs set up around the supporters area.
Like in many American stadiums, it is more than just taking a seat and watching the game, Nissan Stadium has a kind of strip mall where fans can buy game day products and food trucks to enjoy meals of every kind, Nissan Stadium has no cash payments, every item is either purchased via credit or debit card, which makes things safer amid the pandemic.
The pandemic has altered many things for Nashville SC in their first season and will most likely be the same for year 2. Still, the team and fans are building towards something special, and Nashville SC has the potential to be a very important club in Major League Soccer.