The Houston Oilers are on the hook and now it's up to Nashville to reel in Tennessee's first professional sports team.
The first snag could come Tuesday. The city's Metro Council is scheduled to vote on the 50-page legal agreement between Mayor Phil Bredesen and Oilers owner Bud Adams laying out details of the $292 million project.The council approved a three-page outline of the deal in October, but members had less than a week to study the mammoth document signed Thursday by Bredesen and Adams.
Vice Mayor Jay West, who heads the council, said Bredesen scheduled at least one briefing and has made himself and his staff available to anyone with questions.
"He hasn't just introduced it and then gone back to his office and shut the door," West said. "He's going the extra mile to clear up any ambiguities."
West said the details were clear, making it easy for members to decide.
"There is no room for conjecture," he said.
"I would say the mayor is a very tenacious individual and has his eyes on the prize."
Even if Nashville does all it must, and the legislature approves the state's promised $79.3 million worth of the financing, NFL owners have to approve the move.
Bredesen hopes they will vote on it at a March 15 meeting.
More immediately, a certain number of seats must be sold.
Part of the agreement is the sale of 82 luxury suites for $7.5 million by Jan. 20, but Bredesen said that would be no problem. He already has had more requests than that.
The stadium will have 170 enclosed luxury suites seating an average of 12, plus eight larger party suites. At least 44,700 permanent seat licenses (PSLs) and 9,600 premium club seats also must be sold by Feb. 15.
Bredesen said he doesn't know how many requests have been made for PSLs, which gives buyers the lifetime right to purchase season tickets. But he doesn't think there will be any difficulty in reaching the deadline.