Bridgestone Arena and Sports Council representatives briefed the Sports Authority on the recent SEC men’s basketball tournament and on outreach around a possible WNBA expansion team in Nashville.

Kyle Clayton and John Cooper told the authority the SEC tournament “was fantastic” from a basketball and production standpoint: the event expanded to include Texas and Oklahoma, ran eight sessions from Wednesday through Sunday, set a record for attendance and featured the ESPN selection show on Bridgestone Arena Plaza — the first time ESPN broadcast that show live outside its studio, officials said.

Clayton said some tournament expenses — staffing, décor and hospitality — are reimbursed under an agreement using sales-tax-derived funds collected on the property. Because this year’s tournament added sessions, Bridgestone plans to present a proposal next month to increase the reimbursement amount; Clayton emphasized those costs are paid from the sales-tax waterfall tied to the property, not from Sports Authority general funds.

On the WNBA bid, Michelle Kennedy briefed the board on Nashville’s application to be considered for the WNBA’s sixteenth franchise. Kennedy said an ownership group led by Bill and Chrissy Haslam — joined by Peyton Manning, Candace Parker and others — submitted an application and is committed to bringing professional women’s basketball to Nashville. She noted that media reports have named other frontrunners (including Cleveland) but that no official announcement has been made by the league.

Why it matters: Tournament exposure and a competitive WNBA bid could raise Nashville’s profile as a host for major women’s sports and entertainment events, with implications for venue calendars, tourism and long-term sports development.

Officials said they expect additional activity in the coming months as reimbursement requests are finalized and as WNBA expansion decisions are announced by the league.