There’s a bid for Nashville to land an expansion WNBA team named the Tennessee Summitt in honor of legendary Lady Volscoach Pat Summitt and facilitated by Candace Parker and Peyton Manning.
Let that sink in.
Country music stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are also partnering with former Tennessee governor and Nashville Predators chairman Bill Haslam, who is leading the ownership team.
On Thursday, Haslam and the star-studded ownership group announced their bid for the WNBA expansion franchise. If awarded, the Tennessee Summitt would play its first season in 2028.
That’s a lot to digest. So let’s boil down the highlights.
Where and where the Tennessee Summitt would play
The Summitt would be based in Nashville, but it would identify as Tennessee’s WNBA team.
Home games would be played at Bridgestone Arena, home of the Nashville Predators, with a state-of-the-art practice facility built at a location still to be determined. But games also could be played in Knoxville, Memphis and Clarksville.
The Summitt practice facility would also serve as a center for community outreach, especially for youth basketball.
WNBA games are played May through October. The Summitt would be the 16th WNBA team. Golden State joins the league in 2025. Toronto and Portland join in 2026.
Why WNBA team would be named after Pat Summitt
Pat Summitt was arguably the most influential person in women’s basketball history.
She won eight NCAA titles and 1,098 games as Lady Vols coach, retiring in 2012 as the winningest coach in college basketball history.
She was the first American in history to win an Olympic medal as a basketball player and coach. And she helped transform women’s basketball from a regional pastime to a global sport.
And it’s hard to find anyone that was more Tennessean than Summitt, who left her mark in all three regions of the Volunteer State. She was born in Clarksville and grew up in Cheatham County (Middle Tennessee), starred as a player at UT Martin (West) and became iconic with the Lady Vols in Knoxville (East).
Tyler Summitt approved the use of his mom’s name
Tyler Summitt, Pat’s son, approved of the usage of his mother’s name because he thought it would honor her contribution to women’s basketball.
“As a fierce competitor, my mom was proud of the Lady Vols’ championships and success, but she was also a huge advocate for women’s sports and women in leadership,” Tyler Summitt said in a press release. “I know she would be proud and honored to be included in the expansion of women’s professional basketball into Tennessee.”
Tyler Summitt, 34, is co-founder of Pat Summitt Leadership Group and Pat Summitt Foundation, which focuses on research and treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Pat Summitt died in 2016 after a five-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
How Candace Parker and Peyton Manning are involved
Manning, the former UT star quarterback, and Parker, a former Lady Vols star under Summitt, are part of the ownership group. Aside from being iconic former athletes in Tennessee, they are major media personalities who can help propel the WNBA franchise bid.
Parker also will serve as a team consultant to build the organization in a way that pays tribute to Summitt.
McGraw and Hill are also part of the ownership group, adding plenty of star power to the bid.