The Nashville Predators have negotiated a lease agreement with the City of Nashville to begin managing and operating the ice facilities at Centennial Sportsplex; pending all required approvals, management would shift to Predators affiliate, Powers Management, in the spring or summer of 2026.  In conjunction with the new lease agreement, we will renovate the team’s training center at Centennial, guaranteeing that Centennial remains the practice home of the Predators through at least 2049.

As part of the agreement, the Predators organization plans to update and renovate the ice facilities as well, upgrading locker rooms, concession stands, lobby and other common areas, the ice sheets, dasherboard and glass systems –modernizing the facility and saving the City from the burden of identifying significant sources of funding (estimated to be at least $30 million) to address past due and anticipate future needs for facility maintenance. The Predators organization would also take on responsibility for operating the ice facilities, including any expenses and associated operating losses for the facility at the same time offering to split any profits, should the facility become profitable over the course of the lease.

A tremendous by-product of the lease agreement would be extended operating hours, with an eye toward maintaining all current programming at Centennial while also adding programming like GOAL, CORE, Learn to Play, and other community-focused programs aimed at introducing skating and hockey to groups that may not otherwise have access.

Overview

In partnership with the Mayor's Office and Metro Parks, the Nashville Predators organization has reached an agreement to manage Centennial Sportsplex in a way that allows them to build a state-of-the-art practice facility, while ensuring that Centennial remains a vibrant, affordable, and accessible community hub for generations to come.  Pending all required approvals, management would shift to Predators affiliate, Powers Management, in the spring or summer of 2026.

Since the day the Nashville Predators came to town in 1998, Centennial Sportsplex has served as the team’s official practice facility, and in the decades since, the Preds and Metro have worked in close coordination to grow hockey and expand access to ice sports across Middle Tennessee. This commitment was with the motivation for opening the first Ford Ice Center in Antioch in 2015, and then again with the Ford Ice Center in Bellevue in 2019. Together, these facilities have helped thousands of Nashvillians discover skating and hockey, offering everything from recreational youth and adult leagues to elite hockey and figure skating clubs, all while introducing accessible grassroots initiatives like learn-to-skate, GOAL, and CORE. Now, looking ahead, the Predators hope to continue to build on that legacy at Centennial Sportsplex.

Under this proposed lease agreement, Centennial Sportsplex will remain the official practice facility of the Nashville Predators through at least 2049. Metro will continue to own Centennial Sportsplex, while the Predators will take over daily operations and invest nearly $100 million to both build out a modern, cutting-edge training center for the team, while also upgrading and maintaining the ice facilities and public amenities at the Sportsplex to deliver a better experience for regular users and visitors alike. This partnership is a win-win for Nashville, as it protects a beloved, historic public facility and protects the future of ice sports in our city, at no additional cost to taxpayers. We hope you will take some time to learn more about the details of the proposal. To that end, we have compiled some answers to frequently asked questions below. Should you still have questions, we encourage you to reach out to us via the form below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the city transferring ownership of Centennial Sportsplex to the Predators?

No. Metro will retain ownership over the entire Sportsplex — the land and the buildings. Nothing is being sold or transferred. The Predators will simply run the ice rink operations under a lease agreement.

How long is this agreement?

The lease runs through 2049, coterminous with the Predators’ lease at Bridgestone Arena.

Who pays for what?

The Predators, not the taxpayers, will now pay for:

  • All day-to-day operating costs of the ice rinks
  • All future repairs, equipment replacements, and upgrades
  • All insurance related to ice operations

That means no more taxpayer money will go toward running or maintaining the ice facilities. Metro Parks will continue to operate the parking lots and the swimming, tennis, and fitness centers.

How much will the Predators invest?

Over the course of the agreement, the Predators expect to invest about $100 million into the facility. That includes renovations to the team’s practice facility, significant expenditures in upgrading public amenities, like locker rooms, restrooms, concession areas, bleachers, party rooms, and other cosmetic upgrades, along with critical maintenance to core building systems that is overdue, like plumbing, mechanical, and electrical, and a significant commitment to routine upgrades and long-term capital improvements to the facility, like the refrigeration equipment and other major building repairs that will be needed over the next 25 years.

Will the public still be able to use the ice?

Yes! Public access stays the same — and will likely expand. Centennial Sportsplex is already the official practice facility of the Nashville Predators, and the team only uses the ice a few hours a week, usually during weekday mornings when the rinks are quiet. That won’t change. Both sheets of ice will continue to be available for hockey, figure skating, and public skating just as they are today. In addition, we anticipate expanding the operating hours of the facility.

Will the current legacy programs who operate out of Centennial lose ice time or be displaced?

No. The Predators organization has publicly affirmed its commitment to preserving legacy ice-sports organizations and programs currently operating at Centennial Sportsplex, including, but not limited to, the Nashville Youth Hockey League (NYHL), the Nashville Flyers, Greater Nashville Area Scholastic Hockey (GNASH), various adult hockey leagues, the Nashville Skating Academy (NSA), and other figure skating groups. The Predators organization is currently working with leadership of these various organizations to create multi-year agreements that will ensure continued access to the ice under similar rates and schedules currently in place, including the commitment that all legacy ice- organizations will pay the same rate they do today until July 2027, with no more than a 3% year-over-year increase through the initial term of the Agreements;

How will this impact the adult leagues at Centennial Sportsplex?

In short, only positively. The Predators plan to keep the current ice times and the per-team payment model that players are used to.

Where adult league participants will notice a difference will be in the improvements to things like:

  • Dedicated scorekeepers and referees at all games
  • GameSheets system to track stats, standings, and schedules online
  • Improved facilities, like better locker rooms and showers
  • Upgraded concessions with expanded operating hours
What upgrades will the public notice?

A lot! Planned improvements include but are not limited to:

  • Revamped restrooms and locker rooms
  • Replacing the dasher boards and glass in the rinks
  • U[graded bleachers and spectator viewing areas
  • Upgraded concessions and food and beverage options
  • Renovated party and meeting rooms

These updates will make Centennial more comfortable, family-friendly, and accessible for all users.

How does this impact Tennessee State University?

The upgrades to the Predators practice facility will also create space for TSU’s new NCAA Division I men’s hockey team, enabling TSU to become the first HBCU in the nation to field a team at this level. The Predators are proud to support that milestone, as it is yet another positive step in growing hockey in Middle Tennessee.

In terms of ice availability, like the Predators, TSU would practice during off-peak, daytime hours during the week when the rinks are relatively quiet.

Why not build a new facility somewhere else?

The Predators organization wants to continue its role as an integral part of the community by making improvements and extending the life of a facility that is very important to the legacy and future of hockey and skating in Nashville. This plan will enable the team to stay in the heart of Nashville at the facility they have been at since day one and at the same time, bring benefit to the community through a much needed renovation of the facility. By keeping their practice facility at a Metro-owned, publicly accessible facility, fans and families can continue to watch open practices and feel connected to the team on a very personal level, something important to the organization and unique in professional sports.

What happens to current Sportsplex employees?

No one loses their job; in fact, more staff will be added to help expand programming and improve operations. All full-time Metro employees currently working in the ice area will be offered the opportunity to stay in their role at the facility.

What does this mean for taxpayers?

In short:

  • Metro retains ownership of the building and all improvements made
  • The Predators organization pays for all operations and repairs
  • The city saves millions
  • The public gets a modernized facility
  • The organizations that currently run programs at the facility will continue to do so with similar rates and schedules currently in place

This partnership keeps the Sportsplex thriving for years to come — without adding to Metro’s budget.

Will the facility shut down to allow for the upgrades?

No, the Sportsplex will stay open during all of the renovation work.

Most upgrades to the public areas will happen in phases, and one rink at a time, so the rinks can keep operating with minimal impact. The only time a rink might briefly close is when major equipment like the ice system or boards are replaced, and even then, it would only last a few days and would be scheduled outside of the busy season and with reasonable advance notice.

All of the Predators’ planned improvements to their private practice facility area are completely separate from the public ice rinks, so that work can commence without any impact to the ice operations at all.

What are the next steps?

The lease agreement still needs to go before the Metro Parks Board in December, before being considered by the Metro Council, where it will need to go through the full approval cycle. If it is approved at each of these steps (which will culminate in January), a due diligence process would commence. At the conclusion of the due diligence period, the lease would take effect in Spring 2026.

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