April 23, 2025 – To say that it was a big week for professional sports in Nashville is an understatement.
The annual Sports Business Journal Creative Artists Agency (CAA) World Congress of Sports — the largest and most prestigious sports business conference in North America — made Nashville the center of professional sports this week.
The Nashville Stars Baseball Club joined the event and heard discussions with several commissioners, league officers, team executives, media executives and more – all of whom play an integral role in shaping the sports experience that we enjoy every day. One of the biggest names was Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Rob Manfred, who detailed his latest thoughts on the state of the league, including questions about future expansion.
“I have been consistent about the idea that baseball should be looking to expand,” Manfred said. “There are several markets in the United States that are big enough to support a Major League Baseball team, and I think we should try to meet that demand. I also think it’s an opportunity for the sport in terms of schedule format. 32 (teams) is a good number, and 4-team divisions are better than five.
“It almost goes without saying at this point that Nashville’s a candidate, and a good candidate. I have learned that saying too much about any potential expansion candidates sets off a chain of phone calls from everybody else so I’m just going to leave it there.”
Manfred also commented on this summer’s game at Bristol Motor Speedway and Dragway between the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves, the first MLB regular-season game to be played in the state of Tennessee.
“Bristol is part of a growth effort that we’ve undertaken in the last few years,” Manfred said, also noting that the game may very well shatter MLB attendance records. “The concept is: Take the game someplace where it’s not usually played, not played every day. It works best if you have some sort of an affinity or theme: Field of Dreams in Iowa, Rickwood in Alabama, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Williamsport in Pennsylvania.
“And we thought, Tennessee has a great baseball culture – the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Volunteers are the reigning NCAA champions, and Vanderbilt University has always had an amazing baseball program,” Manfred added. “It seemed really appealing to us, and we’re really looking forward to it.”
The conference welcomed a record attendance of more than 1,300, allowing the top executives and leaders in professional sports to see what Nashville has to offer.
“The record attendance for the Sports Business Journal’s CAA World Congress of Sports is a powerful testament to Nashville’s growing reputation as a premier sports and entertainment hub,” said John Loar, who is the Managing Director for Music City Baseball. “It’s an incredible opportunity to showcase not only our infrastructure, passionate fan base, and thriving cultural scene, but also the unique charm of our southern hospitality – all the ingredients needed to support and sustain a Major League Baseball franchise.”
The Nashville Stars are proud to have been part of this week’s CAA World Congress. We look forward to welcoming all of you back to Nashville once again when Major League Baseball arrives in Music City.