The franchise could also raise the city's profile as a major sports town. The proposal for a WNBA team named the Tennessee Summitt comes as the popularity of the sport is skyrocketing and as Nashville solidifies its status as a cultural and economic engine in the Southeast.

News of the Nashville bid comes in the midst of a growth period in the WNBA, which intends to expand to 16 teams by 2028.

The chairman of the NH L's Nashville Predators and his wife want to bring the WNBA to Music City and have teamed up with a star-filled investor group including Candace Parker, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and entertainers Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.