NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Major League Soccer is expanding its presence in the southeast, awarding Nashville the first of its newest expansion franchises as MLS' 24th team .
Commissioner Don Garber made the announcement Wednesday at a news conference with Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry and John R. Ingram, head of the group that will own the team.
"This is a town that really surprised us with 46,000 at the Gold Cup US-Panama match and over 50,000 for the Man City game just a few weeks later," Garber said. 'So soccer-involved, great ownership and a great stadium plan, it just seemed like the perfect, perfect match.