At a cost of $1.26 billion, a new Tennessee Titans venue will be built, which will be the smallest stadium in the NFL. However, it will not be far from modern standards. Despite staffing issues, construction has just begun and all work can be followed via a camera provided by the club.

Smallest, but very modern

The Tennessee Titans' current NFL team facility, Nissan Stadium, was built between 1997 and 1999, when the team moved from Houston to Nashville. Before the stadium was built, a lease agreement was signed with the city, under which the local authority agreed to bear the costs of maintaining and renovating the arena.

With the cost of upgrades rising, in early 2022 the Titans, together with the local authorities, began to analyse the economic sense of maintaining the current situation. A study by Venue Solutions Group showed that the costs of maintaining the facility until the end of the contract (2039) would be between $1.75bn and $1.95bn. Consequently, it was felt that it would make financial sense to build a new stadium. In October 2022, the first visualisations of the new facility, prepared by Manica Architecture, were published.

The new stadium will be built to the east of Nissan Stadium, on the site previously occupied by car parks. The new ground lease is to run for 30 years. The facility is expected to hold around 60,000 spectators, almost 10,000 fewer seats than the existing stadium, making it the smallest in terms of capacity in the NFL league, but will nevertheless be one of the most modern stadiums.

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The stadium will be fully covered, including the field. The roof will be permanently installed, with no possibility of opening, and will be sheathed largely in ETFE material, which allows light to pass through.

The stadium will cost $2.1 billion to build, of which $840 million will be provided by the Tennessee Titans (the NFL is expected to support the team in funding its contribution), $500 million will be contributed by the state of Tennessee and $760 million will come from the metropolitan government. The total public contribution will be $1.26 billion, which will be the largest subsidy to build an NFL stadium in history.

On August 17, 2023, the main contractor for the new stadium was announced. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on February 29, 2024. According to the schedule, the facility should be ready in spring 2027. The new stadium is expected to host not only Titans games, but also TSU football games, the Super Bowl, Final Fours, College Football playoffs and Wrestlemania.

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Staffing challenges on site

The construction of new Tennessee Titans stadium represents one of the largest infrastructure projects in Nashville. However, the project faces significant difficulties due to labour shortages. This challenge could not only delay the work schedule, but also significantly affect the cost of the entire project. The stadium project is expected to create more than 19,000 jobs and generate economic benefits of $3 billion over three years. Currently, an additional 1,400 workers are needed, while around 200 people are working on site, which is only 16% of the required workforce.

To fill this gap, Titans Construction Training Camp has been initiated. This programme lasts for three weeks and provides essential vocational training and initial apprenticeship opportunities in the construction industry. Participants gain two industry certifications and tools.

This endeavor not offers employment prospects but also establishes a pipeline of skilled workers, for future endeavors. The Titans Construction Training Camp is focused on engaging residents, young adults in the construction industry by providing practical skills and job opportunities. The program aims to develop a generation of construction workers of handling large projects effectively said Beth Duffield, workforce development manager for the Tennessee Builders Alliance.

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The Tennessee Builders Alliance (TBA), a consortium of construction industry leaders such as Turner Construction Company, AECOM Hunt, ICF Builders and Polk & Associates, is responsible for managing the project. TBA, with extensive experience in the construction of NFL stadiums, has committed to overseeing both the pre-construction and main construction phases. The consortium is also responsible for the selection of subcontractors.

Live streaming and construction progress

Fans can follow the construction progress of the new stadium in real time thanks to a webcam installed at the construction site. The project, which began in February 2024, involves extensive groundworks, including the excavation of around 400,000 cubic yards of soil. The construction team is also drilling 767 pillars into the ground that will support the building structure. More than 500 boreholes have been drilled to date. The installation of a 22-metre Soil Nail Earth Retention System wall that will support the stadium's loading ramp and the construction of a rainwater storage tank that will hold almost 400,000 litres of water is also currently underway.

A link to the live webcam can be found here.