“We couldn’t be more excited about the enthusiasm and momentum we are witnessing here in Nashville,” said USL Chief Executive Officer Alec Papadakis at the time. “We are proud to officially welcome Nashville SC to the USL and even prouder of the commitment we have seen from the ownership group, Mayor Barry, the Nashville City Council and the area’s many soccer supporters.”

The club has since gone on to make major strides as it builds a club that will be embraced by the Music City’s diverse culture, retaining a link to the past with the hiring of General Manager Chris Jones, but also pulling off a major coup with the addition of veteran soccer executive Court Jeske from Soccer United Marketing as its CEO. While there’s more than a year to go before Nashville sees its first USL action, the future appears very bright for the league’s first club in Tennessee.

2016: Top Stories of the Year

No. 8: Music City Embrace

No. 9: Highlight-Reel Tallies

No. 10: International Flavor