Nashville ranked eighth best sports business city in America

Nashville is the eighth-best sports business city in American, according to Sports Business Journal.

The ranking, which included 50 cities, was based on cities that provide the best opportunity and environment to conduct business and relied on feedback from industry insiders about stability, market size, fandom, impact and culture.

Nashville's booming population and growth combined with its major professional pro sports teams - Tennessee Titans, Nashville Predators and Nashville SC - the return of NASCAR to the market along with an effort to bring another NASCAR race back to town, an IndyCar race, and its college programs, moved it ahead of cities such as Chicago, Boston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Miami and San Diego.

“It’s a hot city, growing by leaps and bounds," said Sports Business Journal reporter David Broughton. "It’s an affordable market with an attractive business climate. It’s becoming a ‘destination’ sports city, much like Las Vegas.”

Las Vegas was ranked one place ahead of Nashville at No. 7.

The No. 1 city was Dallas followed by New York, Charlotte, Minneapolis, Atlanta and Los Angeles.

Memphis was listed at No. 36.

Hosting events such as the NFL Draft, NHL All-Star Game and the Women's NCAA Final Four helped Nashville climb in the rankings in the past.

The city continued that trend in the latest ranking by hosting the 2022 U.S. Figures Skating Championships and landing the SEC men's basketball tournament through 2030 and the women's tournament in 2026.

Jim Delaney, C.M. Newton will be honored at the Final Four

Former Big Ten and Ohio Valley Conference commissioner Jim Delaney, a Nashville resident, former Vanderbilt basketball coach C.M. Newton, and Dave Gavitt will receive the Tom Jernstedt Lifetime Achievement Award at the Men's Final Four in Houston Monday.

Newton and Gavitt, will be honored posthumously.

The Tom Jernstedt Lifetime Achievement Award was created this year to honor those who best exemplify the leadership and service demonstrated by Jernstedt during his 38-year tenure at the NCAA, and who have made a meaningful impact on college basketball.

Delany, who played basketball at North Carolina for coach Dean Smith, served as an NCAA enforcement representative before becoming the OVC commissioner in 1979. He moved on to the Big Ten in 1989 where he remained until his retirement in 2020 when he moved back to Nashville.

Newton played at Kentucky where he was a member of the 1950-51 national championship team. He coached at Transylvania and Alabama before arriving at Vanderbilt in 1981.

He remained at Vandy until 1989 when he became the athletics director at Kentucky.

Belmont's Bellinger and Shanks transferring to TSU

Belmont basketball players E.J. Bellinger and Michael Shanks are transferring, but not going far.

Bellinger, a 6-foot-4, guard from Missouri, and Shanks, a 6-6 forward from Arkansas, are are transferring to Tennessee State. Belinger will be a graduate student and Shanks will be a senior.

Shanks started in one game and played in 31. He averaged 2.1 points and 1.6 rebounds. Bellinger did not start, but played in 29 games. He averaged 3.8 points and 1.1 rebounds.

Kinyon Hodges, a guard from Eastern Illinois, also transferred to TSU. He led EIU in scoring and was 11th in the OVC averaging 14.4 points.

Belmont’s Destinee Wells, a three-time all-conference player, is transferring to Tennessee. The 5-foot-6 point guard made the All-Missouri Valley Conference team this season and the All-OVC team the previous two seasons. She has scored 1,648 career points.

Meanwhile, Ja'Monta Black is transferring from Northwestern State to Austin Peay. Black is a senior, who previously played at Missouri State and has scored 1,000 career points. He is a 6-4 guard who started every game and averaged 15.4 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

David Craig, a 7-2 freshman center from Mercer, is transferring to Tennessee Tech. He is McCallie School graduate who played in 10 games and averaged 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

Yaubryon Chambers, who played in every game for Vanderbilt this season and started in 24, transferred to Tennessee Tech. She’s a 6-1 forward from Pearl-Cohn, who averaged 4.5 points and 4.6 rebounds.

TSU spring football game set for April 15

TSU football, which kicked off spring practice last week, will play its spring blue and white game on April 15 at 3:30 p.m. at Hale Stadium.

The Tigers are in their third season under coach Eddie George.

They will have scrimmages each Saturday leading up to the spring game. Times for the scrimmages have not been announced.

The 2023 season opens on Sept. 2 at Notre Dame.

Pearl great Wayne Offutt dies at 59

Former Pearl High football and baseball star Wayne Offutt died on March 23. He was 59.

Offutt, whos nickname was Booley, made the 1982 Tennessean All Nashville Interscholastic School baseball team as a shortstop.

He was a quarterback on the football team who led the Tigers to a 10-0 season as a junior.

Offutt went on to play baseball at Aquinas.

If you have an item for Midstate Chatter contact Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville ranked eighth best sports business city in America