Tennessee State University will renovate Hale Stadium

In an effort to keep its football team closer to home, Tennessee State University plans to renovate the 71-year-old Hale Stadium. The Tigers football team has barely played on that field since the university made a deal to share Nissan Stadium with the Tennessee Titans. Head coach Eddie George, who is in his fourth season, has only coached one game in “The Hole” when Tennessee State played Lane College in 2021, according to Mike Organ of The Tennessean.

Currently, the football team uses Hale Stadium as a practice field. However, the updated pitch will be extended to accommodate women’s football matches, although the track around the pitch will be removed. Since 1999, when TSU signed the lease with Nissan Stadium, the football team has played only a handful of games in Hale. That’s in stark contrast to before the lease, as the Tigers primarily used Hale from its construction in 1953 until 1999, although they also played some games at Vanderbilt. In 2012, TSU renovated the stadium for a 100th anniversary game against Austin Peay. The team also played Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee Tech in Hale that season.

The Hale Stadium renovation project isn’t the only construction taking place in Nashville. The Tennessee Titans are working on a new Nissan Stadium expected to open in 2027. Organ’s article suggests that Tennessee State will switch to playing games in the new stadium once it is completed. It seats approximately 60,000 fans and features a dome.

While TSU Athletic Director Nick Guerriero worries about Hale Stadium, Eddie George is focused on the continued rebuilding of the Tigers’ football program. 2023 seemed to be a breakout year for George as his team secured their first season with a finish above .500, winning 6-5. George remained active in both the transfer portal and the coaching cycle. For a while, the Tigers thought they had landed North Dakota State offensive coordinator Tyler Roehl as their own OC. However, just a few weeks after the university announced Roehl’s hiring, he took an assistant coaching job at Iowa State.

Despite missing a key coaching target, George is pleased with the recruiting front. In February, he spoke to Organ about the success they had as the signing period began.

“I’m really excited about the ’24 recruiting class,” George said. “We addressed a lot of issues on our team with this class, from quarterback to offensive line and playmakers on the outside. On the defensive side, we added linebackers to our defensive line and got some great guys in the secondary. We are excited to build on the momentum of last season.”

Tennessee State opens its football season on August 31 at home against Mississippi Valley State. Ironically, they play North Dakota State the following week in Fargo, North Dakota.