On a Leap Day afternoon, Tennessee Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell, and over 700 community members joined together to celebrate groundbreaking of the New Nissan Stadium, setting in motion construction of the dynamic facility scheduled to open in 2027.

The ceremony, held on the grounds of the future stadium, was hosted by "Voice of the Titans" Mike Keith and featured remarks from Cathy Bender (Chair, Metro Nashville Sports Authority), Jérémie Papin (Chairperson, Nissan Americas), Burke Nihill (President and CEO, Tennessee Titans), Adams Strunk, Lee, O'Connell, Adolpho Birch III (SVP, Chief External and League Affairs Officer, Tennessee Titans), and country music's Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood.

Speakers thanked local and state officials and community stakeholders for their support of the new venue and emphasized the economic and cultural impact of an active, year-round venue.

"Though Music City is known for music, music is the heart of this great city affectionately known as Music City, but we all know that sports are Nashville's heartbeat. An experience that uniquely draws together people from all walks of life," Bender said. "It is the duty and honor of the Sports Authority to safeguard and support this sacred institution that makes Nashville so special."

"This new stadium will be made by and made for this community," Nihill said. "To our fellow Nashvillians and Tennesseans, in the coming weeks and months, you will see your new stadium coming out of this very ground, and your stadium won't be like any other stadium in the world. Your stadium will proudly represent the character, the soul, the diversity, and the audacity of Nashville and Tennessee."

Following remarks, the speakers joined together at the front of the stage for the ceremonial "turning of the dirt." The Tennessee State University Aristocrat of Bands provided a drumroll for the big moment and performed as guests arrived at the ceremony.

Before and after the program, guests were invited to explore activations highlighting New Nissan Stadium features while enjoying refreshments from local businesses Frothy Monkey and Baked in Nashville. Titans alumni Brett Kern and Kevin Dyson, Titans cheer, and mascot T-Rac also commemorated the occasion with fans and attendees. TSU head football coach and former Titans Pro Bowler Eddie George was also in attendance.

Serving as a centerpiece of Nashville's East Bank, the 1.8 million square-foot New Nissan Stadium will feature a circular-shaped, high-tech ETFE translucent roof and sightlines to the field 38% closer than the current stadium, offering spectators an exceptional view from any seat in the house. Exterior terraces and porches will provide panoramic views of the city and serve as a social space during event and non-event days. "Made for Nashville," the facility will also feature a 12,000 square foot community space available for use year round.

A waitlist for those interested in PSLs for the new stadium is now open at newnissanstadium.com.

In addition to Titans games, the New Nissan Stadium will host TSU football games and community activities, also attracting the world's largest and most prestigious events such as Super Bowls, Final Fours, College Football Playoffs and Wrestlemania.

Tennessee Builders Alliance (TBA), made up of Nashville-based I.C.F. Builders, Brentwood-based Polk & Associates, Turner Construction Company and AECOM Hunt, is serving as the construction manager for the project. Collectively, the team has more than 55 years of NFL stadium construction experience and a long history of building iconic sports facilities. Turner and AECOM Hunt have successfully worked on 17 of the 30 most recently completed NFL stadium projects. Those interested in learning more about working on the project and other workforce opportunities can express interest at tnbuildersalliance.com.

The design team is led by architect of record, TVS, and lead design architect MANICA. Hastings, a Nashville-based architecture firm, also participated in the design work as the concept phase exterior design consultant. Twenty-four firms, including nine local businesses and 13 disadvantaged business enterprises, make up the architecture and engineering team.

The Titans also shared updates on ONE Community:

Metro Nashville Public Schools Students Design Construction Scrim

• With construction fencing already in place, guests arriving to groundbreaking were greeted by fencing scrim featuring artwork from Metro Nashville Public School (MNPS) students. The Titans' ONE Community initiative and TBA partnered with the PENCIL Foundation and MNPS to offer students the chance to submit artwork to be featured on the fencing at the new Nissan Stadium construction site.  
• More than 50 students submitted artwork, and TBA worked with its fencing vendor to incorporate each design into the fencing, which will stay up for the life of the project.

Tennessee Builders Alliance Adds $1 Million to ONE Community 1st & Goal Program  

• Birch announced in his remarks during the ceremony that TBA is donating an additional $1 million to Titans' $2 million contribution to the 1st and Goal Program with Citizens Bank, culminating in a total of $3 million that will be available to small and diverse businesses. 
• The program will offer access to capital for qualified small and minority-owned businesses along with support for growing businesses through the Nashville Business Incubation Center. 
• Applications for interested businesses should launch in the near future.

Here are some additional comments from event speakers:

Amy Adams Strunk, Controlling Owner, Tennessee Titans
"A generation ago, my father, Bud Adams, moved the Oilers to Tennessee. He saw a beautiful city here in Nashville, poised for growth and ready for the NFL stage. He met the people who lived here and observed how hard they worked and how impactful they could be when they came together as a community. He saw everything Nashville was and could be and decided to make it our home. But even with all that foresight, I don't think my father could have dreamed of just how right he was. This city and this state have been the most incredible home we could ever have asked for. And last year, we signed a new lease with the City of Nashville to remain here for another generation."

Governor Bill Lee
"This is truly a historic and important moment and day. The beginning of a season for our community and for our state. And much has been said, but I think enough cannot be said about what the Titans have meant to Nashville and to Tennessee for the past 25-plus years, the impact that this organization has had on economic development, on opportunity for Tennesseans, on a quality of life that's made our state different than every other state in the country."

"I thank you for your being here and for what this means. It is for the fans all across the state. It is for the people that will benefit, that might never even come to this stadium, but will benefit from the opportunities that are created and the impact that it has on the view that the rest of the world has of our city and of our state that makes us the best state in the country."

Mayor Freddie O'Connell
"This isn't just a groundbreaking for the stadium. As I mentioned, the new East Bank begins today. We will be leveraging public and private partnerships to greatly improve our infrastructure and make this one of the most connected areas our city has ever seen. Further into East Nashville, reconnected to downtown, and it will be a neighborhood for all Nashvillians, many of whom will choose to call it home."

Adolpho Birch III, SVP and Chief External & League Affairs Officer
"As a native Nashvillian and a proud Tennessean, I understood what those of us who have been a part of this city and watched it grow, been a part of this state and watched it grow over decades, I knew what they could see. And that is that this project represented an opportunity to create transformational, generational change. An opportunity for us all, working together, to address challenges and expand the prospects of families and businesses across this state."