In a span that has covered more than a quarter century, the Peach Bowl in Atlanta went from a rain-soaked experience at Fulton County Stadium to a New Year’s Six bowl inside the Georgia Dome to an annual component in college football’s 12-team playoff and a two-time site of the sport’s national championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Scott Ramsey, the CEO and president of the Nashville Sports Council, would love to see his city travel a similar path.
When Illinois and Tennessee meet in a pairing of 8-4 teams at the Music City Bowl on Tuesday (5:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPN), it will mark the 26th version held at Nissan Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans. Next season’s Music City Bowl will be the last that will take place outdoors, with the new Nissan Stadium scheduled to open in 2027 at a cost of $2.1 billion.
“Getting a roof will open up a lot of doors for us and for this city to pursue some events that we haven’t really been qualified to pursue — the Super Bowl, the Final Four, the College Football Playoff national championship game,” Ramsey said. “With concerts, you won’t have the CMA (Country Music Association) struggling with thunderstorms in the middle of the summer. You can book concerts now in the middle of winter.
“It’s going to open up the door for us to do a lot of things.”