Plot Synopsis

In early 1997, the Nashville Sports Council began discussions with the Southeastern Conference (SEC) about hosting a post-season college bowl game in Music City. In December 1998, the inaugural event was held a Vanderbilt Stadium, featuring Virginia Tech and Alabama. In 1999, the stadium for the Tennessee Titans was completed and the game moved to its current home at Nissan Stadium. In 2000, the Bowl took a new direction signing a four-year deal with the Big Ten Conference to replace the Big East starting with the 2002 game to play against the SEC. Then in 2005, the Bowl announced a new conference partnership with the SEC and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) beginning in 2006 through 2009. Beginning in 2002, Gaylord Hotels agreed to serve as title sponsor of the Bowl and the Bowl name was changed to the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl. In December 2009, officials announced a four-year agreement with Franklin American Mortgage to be the title sponsor, which was later extended through the 2019 game. Starting in 2014, the Bowl showcased the extended partnership between the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC) with the introduction of the Big Ten as a third conference partner in Nashville. As announced in July 2014, the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl and TaxSlayer Bowl have agreed to share selections with the Big Ten Conference and ACC to provide an opponent to the SEC through 2019. The 2020 game was canceled because of COVID. The next year, the event had a new title sponsor, TransPerfect, as part of an agreement to take the game through 2025, in conjunction with an agreement with the SEC and Big Ten conferences.