NASHVILLE — Music City gave a hint Wednesday of what the NFL and football fans can expect in 2030, when Nashville hosts Super Bowl LXIV.
CBS Sports broadcaster Jim Nantz handled emcee duties, and country music star Eric Church sat in the front row of a news conference that was more a celebration of landing the biggest event in Tennessee sports history. NFL owners voted unanimously Tuesday to award Nashville the 64th edition of the Super Bowl to cap the 2029 season, the 110th campaign in league history.
Nantz, who has called seven Super Bowls for CBS and now calls Tennessee’s capital city home, said Nashville knows how to host big events.
“Among many things, we’re in the entertainment business, and I don’t have a doubt that we’re going to entertain the people that travel to our city and our state to the greatest experience they’ve ever had at a big event,” Nantz said. “That’s what we do, and now we get to show them.”
A party also was open to the public Wednesday night on Lower Broadway — the portion of downtown Nashville that served as anchor of the 2019 NFL draft — with music, a special guest or two and even a drone show scheduled.
The bid committee helping Nashville land the Super Bowl for the first time included comedian Nate Bargatze, Church and another country star in Tim McGraw.
Questions already are flying about who will handle the halftime show, with Taylor Swift a popular suggestion.
Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s executive vice president of club business as well as international and league events, recalled a big thunderstorm barreling toward 200,000 people during the 2019 draft only to split and go around the town. O’Reilly called that a bit of Nashville magic.
Nashville finished what is annually the biggest offseason event for the NFL with record-setting attendance, helping reset the standard for host cities since. O’Reilly expects Nashville to do it again.
“Super Bowl 64 in 2030 is going to be a game-changer for the Super Bowl,” O’Reilly said. “Super Bowl 64 in 2030 is going to be a game-changer for the NFL.”
The same people who helped Nashville put on the 2019 draft are still around. Burke Nihill, the president and CEO of the Tennessee Titans, said the city’s NFL franchise will be involved with planning as Nashville puts its Music City stamp on everything up to and including the Super Bowl itself at the new Nissan Stadium.
“Let’s not start with a base understanding of how it’s always been done,” Nihill said of going beyond the NFL’s expectations. “How can we create something new that’s very different?”
Nantz also is the co-chair of Nashville’s Super Bowl host committee with Bill Haslam, a former Tennessee governor who is currently a majority owner of the NHL’s Nashville Predators. Nantz made clear he believes 2030 will be just the first Super Bowl played inside the domed Nissan Stadium, which opens in 2027 and is being built adjacent to the current open-air Nissan Stadium.
Deana Ivey, president and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, said she is focused on 2030 first.
“I haven’t asked that question,” she said. “I’m focused on the first time.”