Nashville SC Sends Elliot Panicco, Nick Hinds To Austin Bold FC On Loan

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Elliot Panicco and Nick Hinds. Photos: Courtesy of Nashville SC

Nashville SC announced that it has loaned goalkeeper Elliot Panicco and defender Nick Hinds to Austin Bold FC of the USL Championship for the 2021 season.

NSC selected Panicco with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2020 Major League Soccer SuperDraft. The goalkeeper was signed to an MLS contract on Feb. 25 of 2020 and has yet to make his debut with the club.

Hinds joined Nashville on Feb. 22 of 2021 after Nashville SC acquired his Homegrown priority from Seattle Sounders FC. While in Seattle, Hinds made 68 total appearances for the club’s USL Championship side Sounders 2 as well as for Tacoma Defiance.

Nashville SC has the ability to terminate the loan agreement at any point throughout the season.

Alan Jackson To Perform At Big Machine Music City Grand Prix

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Alan Jackson. Photo: by Russ Harrington

The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix continues to grow as they announce a partnership with the Grand Ole Opry to present performances by Alan Jackson and more.

The Opry performance is set for the evening of Sunday, August 8 in downtown Nashville, closing out the inaugural weekend of racing and music.

“When we first began to conceptualize the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix we knew music had to be just as big a part of this event as the racing itself, and there is no better partner for this than the Grand Ole Opry – the show that made country music famous,” says Matt Crews, CEO of Big Machine Music City Grand Prix. “We are looking forward to closing out what is sure to be an unforgettable weekend in the best way possible with the Grand Ole Opry.”

The Opry, based in Nashville, has rarely taken its show outside its home venue, on those occasions visiting prestigious locales such as New York City’s Carnegie Hall and Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as well as staging headlining shows at Bonnaroo, the iconic Manchester, Tennessee all-genre music festival.

“The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix has brought together a course like no other, an artist like no other and a show like no other to create an experience that could only take place here in Nashville,” says Scott Bailey, president of Opry Entertainment Group. “We are pleased to have the opportunity to connect artists and fans in such a unique setting.”

The three-day festival will be the weekend of August 6-8. The race will be staged on a temporary 2.17-mile grand prix circuit in Nashville and around the Nissan Stadium campus.

Nashville Native Katie Hill Named Senior Vice President Of NFL Communications

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Nashville native Katie Hill has been named the senior vice president of NFL Communications after spending four years working for former President Barack Obama as his Communications Director.

As SVP, Hill will be responsible for leading the NFL’s day-to-day communications operation and aligning the League’s communications strategy with its priorities. She will work closely with the leadership team across departments to ensure consistency of messaging and strategy and to elevate success stories. In addition, she will lead efforts in identifying reputational issues for the League and across the 32 clubs and developing strategies to mitigate their impact.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome someone of Katie’s talent to the NFL,” says Jeff Miller, Executive Vice President of Communications, Public Affairs and Policy. “Her communications vision, world-class strategic instincts, and deep understanding of today’s dynamic media, digital and cultural landscape make her an excellent fit for the League and our goals.”

Hill has 15 years of communications and public affairs experience spanning the White House, Capitol Hill, the private sector and political campaigns. In her most recent role, she curated President Obama’s post-Administration public profile, developing and executing international and domestic communications strategy for the former president, including his political activity, the launch of his production company, Higher Ground, and the publication of his presidential memoir, A Promised Land. She also served as the former president’s chief spokesperson.

From 2014 to 2017, Hill served in the Obama Administration, first as National Press Secretary for health care at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, then joining the White House in 2015 as Assistant Press Secretary and spokesperson for a variety of policy areas, including health care, education, veterans’ affairs, the Council on Women and Girls, and sports.

Hill, a graduate of Harpeth Hall in Nashville and the University of Virginia, will be based at League headquarters in New York.

Titans Sign Former Broncos Wide Receiver Fred Brown

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Photo By Alison P. McNabb/Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans have signed former Denver Broncos’ wide receiver Fred Brown to a multi-year deal.

Brown played 14 games with the Broncos over the past two season, starting only one of those games. He had two catches for 21 yards, including a 16-yard reception in those games. He’s also played on special teams where he’s picked up five tackles.

After playing at Mississippi State in college, Brown signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free-agent in 2017. He was waived at the end of training camp but re-signed to the team’s practice squad a few weeks later in September 2017.

The Titans, who lost three key receivers in the offseason, only drafted two wideouts in the 2021 NFL Draft last weekend out of eight picks.

Belmont Women’s Basketball Coach Bart Brooks Named Coach Of The Year

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Belmont women’s basketball coach Bart Brooks. Photo: Courtesy of the Belmont Vision/Bronte Lebo.

Belmont women’s basketball coach Bart Brooks has been named 2020-21 Coach of the Year by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association (TSWA.)

Brooks led the Bruins to their third Ohio Valley Conference Championship in four years as well as the program’s first ever NCAA Tournament win, beating No. 5 seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs 64-59. They are the first OVC team to win a NCAA Tournament game since 1990.

The Bruins’ record of 21-6 was the sixth consecutive season where they won 20 or more games. Brooks picked up his 100th win in the NCAA Tournament and he ranks 10th nationally in win percentage (.794) among active head coaches.

Brooks, a Wyoming native, joined the program in 2017 from DePaul as an assistant coach. He has become the third-fastest head coach to 100 career victories in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history.

Sabertooth Sports & Entertainment Partner With F&M Bank

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Bridgestone Arena. Photo: Courtesy of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp

Sabertooth Sports & Entertainment LLC (SS&E) has a agreed to a multi-year naming rights agreement with F&M Bank in Clarksville, Tennessee.

SS&E, owned by the Nashville Predators, announced that they will operate and manage a new 250,000-square-foot facility in Clarksville. The soon-to-be-named venue will hold roughly 6,000 fans for concerts, 5,500 for basketball games, and 5,000 for hockey games.

“Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett had a very specific vision for the region, with the driving force for that being a dynamic event center right in the heart of Clarksville,” says Nashville Predators President and CEO Sean Henry. “City of Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts and Austin Peay State University Athletic Director Gerald Harrison jumped on board with their own visions for what the event center could do for their city and school, respectively. These three individuals and their passion put us on the right track to create something special.

“The one thing we were missing was a dynamic, community-minded business leader to fully bring that project to life, and you can’t ask for a more community-centric individual than F&M Bank President and CEO Sammy Stuard,” Henry conitnues. “The core values at F&M Bank align so well with what we will achieve with this event center. No matter what the last name of the center will be called – forum, stadium, coliseum, hippodrome or arena – it won’t matter, because the first portion being F&M Bank all but guarantees our success.”

The venue’s primary tenant will be Austin Peay State University, whose men’s and women’s basketball teams will call the facility home. In addition to the facility’s main, flexible event space – which will be able to host sporting events, concerts, banquets, conventions, trade shows and other events – the multi-level venue will feature a separate sheet of ice that will be used for youth and adult hockey leagues as well as figure skating. The main arena bowl will also be able to add an ice surface, giving it the ability to host hockey tournaments and attract larger on-ice events or competitions much like the existing Ford Ice Centers in Antioch and Bellevue. Using these ice sheets, the Predators will offer a variety of learn-to-skate programs at the facility, continuing their mission to expose and grow hockey to more Middle Tennessee residents.

“Over 30 years ago, F&M Bank leaders envisioned the potential growth of Clarksville, moving its corporate headquarters here, and in 2007, we built a 48,000-square-foot main office facility in the heart of Public Square. The Montgomery County Event Center will not only be a center for entertainment, but also a stimulus for continued economic growth and small business expansion,” says Stuard.

Ground broke on the facility in November 2020 and construction work continues at its downtown location of First Street and College Street, with the venue scheduled to open during the 2022-23 season under SS&E management. SS&E will be responsible for its overall day-to-day operations and will be charged with booking the facility.

Michelle Ivey Frazier Joins Music City Baseball

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Michelle Ivey Frazier has joined Music City Baseball LLC as Director of Operations and Leader of their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program.

In this position, Frazier will work to ensure Music City Baseball is an inclusive organization in all aspects of their business efforts while also managing the company’s human resources, budgeting, financing, and facility management.

“I am excited to share my operational management and leadership talents with Music City Baseball,” says Frazier. “The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (DEIC) serves to directly promote and support our inclusive policies. I see my role here as a champion of this mission and a resource to help ensure that our goal of equity and inclusiveness is clearly evidenced in our daily operations.”

Frazier previously served as the Chief Operating Officer for Rivergate Dental. She formerly held roles with companies including, Genesco, Viacom Cable, InterMedia, Gaylord, Country Music Television International and also has a consulting and real estate business. Frazier has held various national, regional, and local leadership positions with organizations including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, The Links, Incorporated, GirlFriends, Inc., Jack & Jill of America, Inc. and Carrousels, Inc.

“Michele’s leadership and experience in marketing and business made her the perfect candidate for her new role with us,” says Managing Director of Music City Baseball John Loar. “One of our group’s driving principles is to build a team and organization with a diverse core. We firmly believe that baseball can be a bridge to a better and more equitable society.”

Frazier is a graduate of University of Montevallo where she served as the University’s first African American Student Government Association President. She also has a Master of Business Administration degree from Vanderbilt University’s Owen School of Management. Frazier has received recognitions for her work including the YMCA’s Black Achiever Award and the Leader of the 21st Century Award.

Richard Petty Signs With Newly Launched Sandbox Succession

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Richard Petty. Photo: Courtesy of Richard Petty Motorsports

NASCAR legend Richard Petty (Richard Petty IP LLC) has signed with the newly launched Sandbox Succession who will manage his estate and his likeness.

Petty is considered to be the greatest NASCAR driver of all time, being nicknamed “The King” winning seven cup series and seven Daytona 500 races.

Sandbox Succession is the newly formed division of Sandbox Entertainment that provides comprehensive estate management services in all exploitations focusing on name and likeness.

“I’m thrilled to announce the creation of Sandbox Succession which is a natural extension of our businesses,” says Sandbox Entertainment President/CEO Jason Owen. “It’s an honor and a privilege to work with the Estates of these icons. We look forward to preserving and furthering their enduring legacies.”

The division’s full list of services includes brand development and partnerships; merchandising and licensing; hospitality; exhibitions; live performances; and entertainment development across film, television, music, content, gaming and books.

Petty, a member of the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame, International Motorsports Hall of Fame and the NASCAR Hall of Fame, currently oversees Richard Petty Motorsports NASCAR team who’s driver, Erik Jones, competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Along with Petty, the Sandbox division will manage and market the estates of Johnny Cash, June Carter and The Carter Family.