Tennessee State will renovate Hale Stadium as it looks to make more frequent appearances on the field that hosted numerous football games in the last half of the 20th century. Since 1999, the Tigers have primarily called Nissan Stadium in Nashville home for its football games alongside the NFL’s Tennessee Titans. TSU signed a 30-year lease to play at Nissan Stadium that began in 1999.
Hale Stadium, also known as “The Hole”, saw some renovations completed by 2012, which led TSU to play as many as four games per year from 2012 through 2020. The most recent game played at The Hole was in 2022 against Lane College and that game occurred after the press box had already been condemned.
The renovations will include the installation of an artificial surface that will replace the grass sod. The aim is for the new surface to be ready in time for fall as the Tigers use Hale Stadium as a practice facility. The school also intends to use the new field as a home for the women’s soccer team when it begins competition.
Tennessee State will start the 2024 season on Saturday, August 31 at Nissan Stadium against Mississippi Valley State in the John Merritt Classic. They have five home games in Nashville and a sixth “home” contest in Memphis, Tennessee versus Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the Southern Heritage Classic on Saturday, September 14.
Photo Credit to Tennessee State University Athletics
