USL expansion franchise Nashville SC yesterday "offered the first glimpse" of plans to play their inaugural season at First Tennessee Park, home venue of the Triple-A PCL Nashville Sounds, according to Joey Garrison of the Nashville TENNESSEAN. The Sounds and Nashville SC have "reached a one-year agreement for the soccer club's use of First Tennessee Park," where it will play all 17 of its '18 home games. First Tennessee Park's first baseline will "form one sideline of the soccer field with the opposite sideline going in left and center fields." The stadium's 10,000-seat capacity for baseball "will be the same for soccer." The soccer field will have a "goal near the right field wall and the other on the third baseline, positioning the field in a southwest-northeast direction." Grass will "replace the infield's dirt for soccer games." Nashville SC CEO Court Jeske said that the team has received deposits from 80% of the 1,800 fans who "form the team's 1779 Club, a club membership package." The stadium plan comes as Nashville SC Controlling Owner John Ingram "pursues an MLS expansion franchise." But due to requirements for soccer-specific stadiums for expansion teams, First Tennessee Park is "not considered an option for MLS." Meanwhile, Nashville SC kicked off a "Plant the Flag" campaign intended to "generate buzz about pro soccer in Nashville." The team wants soccer die-hards to "show their spirit by placing Nashville SC flags in their front yards" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 8/24).
WHAT'S IN A NAME? In Nashville, Eleanor Kennedy noted in mid-April, a series of U.S. trademark applications were "filed on behalf of an entity called SH Registry LLC seeking protection for the following names connected to soccer-related events: Nashville Vibe, Nashville Beat, Nashville Groove, Nashville Honky Tonkers and Nashville Notes." The same group last month "filed additional applications covering a wide variety of promotional merchandise ... connected to the name Nashville Vibe." A business license was filed the next day with the Tennessee Secretary of State for Nashville Vibe LLC (BIZJOURNALS.com, 8/23).
