TrueOrange
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at LP Field, with an initial target date of 2016...think similar to Atlanta's Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic:
Nashville planning for high-profile SEC football game
A Nashville group including city executives and sports officials has been quietly working toward putting together an annual, high-profile, early-season college football game for LP Field beginning as early as 2016, sources said.
Each game would match an SEC team against a high-quality team from another conference. The format compares to the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic, which has been held annually in Atlanta since 2008 and last year injected a reported $44.3 million into that city's economy.
The Music City Sports and Entertainment Group, Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau and Nashville Sports Council are among the organizations planning the game, sources said, while the Titans would provide use of the stadium.
"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," said Tammy Genovese, CEO of MCSEG.
A potential stumbling block involves the state's occupational privilege tax on athletes.
The group would like to see the tax amended to alter the way its funds are distributed, which would help to cover the costs of the game.
The state legislature is considering a bill to repeal the tax. The bill, which passed through the Senate's finance committee on Tuesday, is expected to be brought to the floor in the Senate and the House in the next week.
A number of states and cities have special taxes on professional athletes, but Tennessee's is considered one of the highest in the country, in part because NHL and NBA players pay it as a flat fee $2,500 per game, capped at three games, regardless of salary. NFL players have always been exempted from the tax.
The impact of a repeal would be about $3.6 million less in tax money to Nashville (NHL's Predators) and Memphis (NBA's Grizzlies) combined, according to the fiscal note on the bill.
That tax money has been passed on to the cities' respective convention and visitors bureaus, with the mandate that it be used as directed by the managers of Bridgestone Arena in Nashville and FedEx Forum in Memphis.
The Nashville group is arguing against the repeal, and instead hopes to amend the current guidelines to enable the convention and visitors bureau to use the tax money for other events.
"Our business model has been built with the privilege tax as a major component to ensure our ability to attract high-profile, power-conference teams," Genovese said. "So yes, our current business model won't work if the tax is repealed. Regardless of this outcome, we will continue to explore all options to bring this event to Nashville."
Nashville planning for high-profile SEC football game