The group, which includes legendary Tennessee athletes Candace Parker and Peyton Manning, as well as entertainers Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, plans to name the team after iconic Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt. If successful, the franchise would be called the Tennessee Summitt.
“Tennessee is the DNA of everything women’s basketball stands for,” Parker said in a statement. The three-time WNBA champion also shared a heartfelt Instagram post about her passion for bringing a team to Tennessee and honoring Summitt’s legacy in a place she considers home.
Leading the bid is former Tennessee governor Bill Haslam, who submitted the proposal to the WNBA on Thursday. The franchise, if approved, would begin play in 2028.
“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.
The bid also includes plans to build a practice facility for the team, which would double as a space for youth basketball development.
Summitt, who won eight national championships as Tennessee’s head coach, passed away in 2016.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for Saturday Down South.
