College football could have one more neutral-site kickoff game beginning in 2016. The Tennessean reports that officials in Nashville are planning an “annual, high-profile, early-season college football game.”
The season-opening contest would match an SEC team against “a high-quality team from another conference” at LP Field, the home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.
“Music City Sports and Entertainment Group has been working on a significant college football event for Nashville, and we are about 60-90 days from making an announcement,” Tammy Genovese, CEO of MCSEG, told The Tennessean.
Nashville is seeking to model their kickoff game after the Chick-fil-a Kickoff Game, which last year reportedly pumped $35.5 million into Atlanta’s economy.
According to the report, there is a potential “stumbling block” due to the state’s occupational privilege tax on athletes. The group is exploring an amendment to that tax, and it is set to be brought to the state Senate and House next week.
For the 2014 season, there are five neutral site kickoff-style games set for opening weekend:
AdvoCare Texas Kickoff (Houston, TX)
LSU vs. Wisconsin
Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game (Atlanta, GA)
Boise State vs. Ole Miss
Alabama vs. West Virginia
Cowboys Classic (Arlington, TX)
Florida State vs. Oklahoma State
Croke Park Classic (Dublin, Ireland)
UCF vs. Penn State
Other neutral-site games set for opening weekend in 2014 include Ohio State vs. Navy (at Baltimore, MD) and Colorado vs. Colorado State (at Denver, CO).