As the NFL plans its first-ever game in France amid civil unrest, local authorities have postponed a professional soccer game due to concerns about the situation.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are set to play the New Orleans Saints on Sunday as the country of an estimated 70 million people is currently seeing massive protests against the rising cost of living and diminishing public services.
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Red Bull Jukebox Nashville returns to The Pinnacle on November 7th, 2026, with a can’t-miss, one-of-a-kind show.
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Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill asked a federal court to dismiss the SEC’s lawsuit against LSU over player eligibility.
Murrill, a Republican, said in her Tuesday court filing on LSU’s behalf that “enough is enough.”
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Jay Z, who oversees the selection of the Super Bowl halftime show, has chosen to perform himself, according to Puck News.
Super Bowl 61 will be held Sunday, February 14th, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, home of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers.
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In July, when I went to the Opry to see another artist, Tyce Delk made his Opry debut. I was so blown away by his performance of his original song, “Adaline,” that I hunted down his PR team and pestered them until I got an interview.
Delk is a fourth-generation farmer, rancher, and musician from Eastern New Mexico. People in that area know the legacy of The Delk Band, which Delk’s great-grandfather started when he was 17. Over the band’s 92-year history, it has become a staple of the Southwest and Texas.
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The NFL still plans to hold a football game in France despite civil unrest.
This upcoming Sunday, the New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers are scheduled to play in Paris at the Stade de France, which seats an estimated 80,000. The game will mark the NFL’s first game in France.
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SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey expressed an “openness” to College Football Playoff (CFP) expansion.
At SEC Tipoff, a media event for the upcoming conference’s college basketball season, Sankey said the conference has “never said” the expansion “won’t happen” or that it “won’t be a point of support.”
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Many of the new artists I interview are current Belmont University students or alumni. However, very few can say that they were on John Legend’s team on Season 29 of NBC’s “The Voice.”
Nineteen-year-old Belmont student Grace Humphries is an emotive singer who knocked John Legend’s socks off by singing Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now.” After hearing her beautiful rendition, I wanted to learn more about this young performer.
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The SEC implemented standardized contracts for name, image, and likeness (NIL) and revenue-sharing contracts, according to CBS Sports.
The outlet reported that SEC school presidents voted Monday to make this change. These contracts, which will include customizable portions, went into effect immediately
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The College Football Playoff (CFP) Management Committee announced Saturday it will continue talks with ESPN about expanding the playoff system.
ESPN held an exclusive 30-day negotiating period with the CFP Management Committee to discuss expanding the playoff from 12 to 24 teams, which ended Friday.
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Mike Ditka died Friday at the age of 86, his family announced. Ditka was best known for leading the 1985 Chicago Bears to the only Super Bowl title in franchise history, according to Yahoo News.
Dikta’s death was announced by his family in a social media post of the son of former running back great Walter Payton, Jarrett Payton.
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Last year, when I featured Levi Foster and his debut album We Made Fire in my Music Spotlight column, I was drawn to him because he was different. His music pays tribute to his Appalachian upbringing, and Foster plays to the beat of his own drum without worrying about trends.
Another person drawn to his uniqueness was Shooter Jennings. Foster’s PR firm reached out to Jennings’ manager, and they sent him the debut album.
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Disney is asking companies to pay an exorbitant amount to buy commercial ads for Super Bowl 61, even though the company has already sold out its ad inventory.
According to Variety, Disney, which will be televising the Super Bowl in February 2027, is seeking up to $12 million for a 30-second advertisement. The outlet reported that Disney hopes to use inventory a current advertiser returns to the company and resell it.
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The Portland Trail Blazers have refused to rehire a broadcaster after firing him for tweets he made as a 15-year-old.
The NBA team hired Braiden Bell as play-by-play announcer on October 1st, but fired him the same day after social media posts he made as a teenager became public.
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When I heard that the band Absolute Silence was doing a fundraising concert at Ocean Way Studios to benefit the Isaiah 117 House non-profit, I was all in to support them because I know how vitally important their work is. What I was not prepared for was what an otherworldly rock trio Absolute Silence was.
Absolute Silence is a piano-led rock trio from Nashville, Tennessee, combining explosive live performances, cinematic songwriting, and modern production influences.
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Congress is on the verge of passing major college sports regulations, but it remains to be seen whether it can pass them on time.
The Senate passed the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act (PCSA) 77-22, which seeks to regulate the ever-changing world of college athletics.
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The College Football Playoff (CFP) system may be going through another round of expansion.
This week, the College Football Playoff Management Committee (CFPMC) met at the Big Ten headquarters in Rosemont, Illinois, near Chicago, to discuss expanding the playoff system from 12 teams to 24. The CFP is in its third year of a 12-team playoff structure, after running a four-team playoff for 10 years.
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Southern rockers, American Blonde, have released their autobiographical EP, Delta Home. Each song is unique, on point, and not to be missed.
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Conservative activist Riley Gaines announced Tuesday that she would appeal a recent court decision dismissing her lawsuit against the NCAA.
Gaines and other current and former collegiate female athletes alleged the NCAA violated their Title IX rights by allowing biological males to compete in female sports.
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Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15-October 15. To celebrate, I revisited some of my favorite Latina artists in this exclusive article.
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Actor and stunt performer Johnny Knoxville will serve as ESPN’s College GameDay guest picker Saturday when the Tennessee Volunteers host the top-ranked Texas Longhorns at Neyland Stadium.
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President Donald Trump will be in Knoxville this Saturday to attend the Tennessee Volunteers’ SEC opener against the top-ranked Texas Longhorns at Neyland Stadium, according to multiple reports confirmed by the White House Press Office.
The Vols will face Texas at noon ET on Saturday, and the game will air on ABC. Trump’s attendance will coincide with ESPN’s College GameDay broadcast from the University of Tennessee campus.
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The Protect College Sports Act (PCSA) passed another procedural hurdle, setting up a potential final vote later this week.
Senators voted 70-21 to invoke cloture on Tuesday on the Cruz-Cantwell substitute amendment to the PCSA.
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The College Sports Commission (CSC) has approved almost $600 million in name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals for student-athletes since June 2025.
CSC released a report showing that as of August 31st, it has approved $582.5 million in NIL money for student-athletes.
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ESPN College GameDay will return to Knoxville this Saturday as the Tennessee Volunteers host the top-ranked Texas Longhorns in the teams’ Southeastern Conference opener at Neyland Stadium.
The pregame show will originate from the lawn of Ayres Hall from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. ET, followed by the final hour inside Neyland Stadium from 11 a.m. to noon. The game is scheduled to kick off at noon ET on ABC.
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NCAA President Charlie Baker said the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA) addresses challenges college sports currently face.
On Sunday, Baker, the former Republican Massachusetts Governor, appeared on Fox News’ The Sunday Briefing to discuss college sports and the PCSA, which Congress is considering.
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Metro Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell on Friday said his office has had no direct contact with Paramount Skydance Corporation, which is reportedly leaving California amid a breakdown in negotiations between Paramount and California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
TMZ reported Tuesday that Paramount officially told California officials it planned to leave, with earlier reporting that it would exit the state if a deal to complete its merger was not in place by October 1. The outlet later reported that negotiations between Paramount and Bonta had resumed.
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Paramount Skydance was reportedly shopping for office space in Nashville, Tennessee, as the Hollywood giant weighed shifting operations out of California while the state’s Democratic attorney general led a lawsuit seeking to block its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
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Let’s stop the nonsense. The Tennessee Titans are the worst franchise in the National Football League. Their total home humiliation at the hands of the New York Jets was not merely a loss. It was an organizational indictment—a televised autopsy of a franchise with no direction, no identity and apparently no clue. The clown car Robert Saleh and Brian Daboll rolled onto the Nissan Stadium turf Sunday was completely inept. Laurel and Hardy could have produced a better game plan. The Titans’ offense was practically nonexistent. Cam Ward spent the afternoon running for his life behind an offensive line that appeared incapable of blocking anybody wearing a different-colored jersey. When Ward finally escaped the pass rush and delivered a catchable football, his receivers frequently dropped it. Ward wasn’t playing quarterback. He was participating in an extended survival drill. The Titans managed only three points through three quarters. At that stage, they had been outgained 335–114, produced only six first downs and possessed the football for just 17 minutes. Ward was 11-of-20 for a microscopic 74 yards. Let that sink in. 74 yards. The Jets, meanwhile, had already rolled up 209 passing yards and 126 rushing yards. Those numbers aren’t merely…
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A hype video released on the official X account of the Kansas Jayhawks football team ahead of its rivalry game with the Missouri Tigers that portrayed the Civil War abolitionist and murderer John Brown as a hero created a viral backlash that generated more than 36 million views on X.
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Football is back—and Godzilla is planting his flag in Nashville.
My best bet of the week: Tennessee Titans −1.5 over the New York Jets.
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The SEC announced Louisiana State University (LSU) did not receive any discipline for their actions regarding player eligibility after the conference held a meeting with its members.
“The presidents and chancellors of the Southeastern Conference met Thursday by videoconference to discuss the recent matters involving conference expectations and responsibilities. Those discussions will continue as the conference and its member universities work toward an appropriate resolution,” the SEC said.
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Jeannie Seely’s ‘Pennsyltucky’ home offers artists an opportunity to create and write songs in her home, much the same she did when she was alive.
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The Nashville-based dining chain O’Charley’s Restaurant & Bar is closing its remaining corporate-owned locations nationwide, including all eight of its Middle Tennessee restaurants, according to multiple reports.
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I can’t believe I am saying this, but I have to defend LSU and Lane Kiffin here. I don’t enjoy it.
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Nashville Zoo announced Wednesday it has canceled its annual Zoolumination lantern festival for 2026 after visa applications for artisans from China who help construct the event’s displays were denied.
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Louisiana State University (LSU) filled out its 105-man roster for the 2026 college football season without including two players with professional experience.
According to ESPN, LSU used the last two open roster spots on cornerback Aidan Anding and defensive end Gabriel Reliford. Both of these players played for the Tigers last year.
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Legal analyst and retired attorney Mark Pulliam criticized the Southeastern Conference’s (SEC) legal strategy in its escalating dispute with Louisiana State University (LSU), arguing the conference is relying on a weak First Amendment theory to prevent LSU from challenging its possible expulsion.
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The SEC has scheduled a meeting to decide whether to expel Louisiana State University (LSU).
The meeting between the conference’s presidents and chancellors will occur on Thursday to decide the fate of one of its biggest brands, ESPN reports.
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The documentary Water Wars, about water rights in Texas, is available on Amazon Prime on September 4th.
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Governor Bill Lee and the Metro Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) have confirmed that plans to rename the BNA Nashville International Airport to honor Dolly Parton are underway after the iconic singer, songwriter, actress, and philanthropist died last week at age 80.
The governor confirmed in a Friday press release that his office and the MNAA were working together on the proposal to rename the airport, and that Parton’s team was “touched by the idea and open to continuing the conversation.”
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Bronwyn Keith-Hines, who goes by the stage name “Bronwyn,” is a Grammy-winning Americana/bluegrass artist and two-time IBMA “Fiddle Player of the Year.” Her name is Welsh, but you can tell from her looks that she has a lot of Irish ancestry.
Though no one in her family played music, they were always very supportive. She was three years old when she first saw a female fiddle player busking on the street, and that inspired her to ask for violin lessons. “I’ve been playing as long as I can remember,” she stated.
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Acclaimed singer-songwriter, producer and author Kelly Lang is celebrating the release of her new album, Jealous Green Eyes, a must-hear collection for fans of the iconic singer.
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A traveling museum celebrating America’s history and 250th anniversary will make a stop at the Wilson County Fair-Tennessee State Fair in Lebanon this week.
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EJ Haust, official guest host of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, praised OutKick founder Clay Travis’ $10 million challenge to the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, calling the proposal “absolutely brilliant” during Tuesday’s broadcast while arguing it would test claims about the competitiveness of women’s professional basketball.
On Monday, Travis announced on X that he was increasing his standing offer to stage a game between the Las Vegas Aces and a boys’ high school state championship basketball team.
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Three-time Grammy Award winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member Reese Wynans has spent more than six decades performing with some of the most influential artists in blues, rock, soul and country music.
Best known for his work as a member of Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, the celebrated keyboardist has also performed and recorded with artists including Joe Bonamassa, Buddy Guy, Boz Scaggs, Delbert McClinton, Albert Collins, Carole King and many others.
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Braden Hull is a rising singer/songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee, who hails from Lexington, North Carolina. I first met him at CRS 2026, where he immediately impressed me with his remarkable story. Hull never set out to be a musician; he wanted to be a fireman. When he was 14, he joined his local junior fireman program, and by the time he was 16, he was a fully certified volunteer fireman. He later got his EMT certification, opened a landscaping company, and did some DJ work on the side.
He started writing songs as a hobby. Hull shared, “I thought they were good songs because I wrote them, but it was my dad who said, ‘You’ve really got something here. You can really write a song.'”
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Film executive Chris Fenton said in an exclusive interview with The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy that his upcoming comedy Bad Counselors aims to bring audiences something he believes has become increasingly rare in Hollywood: a family-friendly comedy centered on redemption, humor, and authentic human connection.
Appearing on Tuesday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Fenton discussed the independent film, which opens nationwide on July 23 following preview screenings on July 22.
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Diamond-certified superstar Thomas Rhett, whose career has produced 25 Number One hits over the past decade, was inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame on Wednesday in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Out of the 43 artists I interviewed at CRS this year, one who clearly stood out to me was Spencer Hatcher. Because he has a bluegrass background, a traditional country sound, and spades of charisma, I knew Hatcher was one to keep an eye on. With his second EP, Hot Weather, Cold Beer, just being released, it was the perfect time to do a full interview with the rising entertainer.
Hailing from Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, Hatcher comes from a musical family. His mother and grandmother played piano, his dad played guitar, and his brother, Connor, currently plays bass guitar in his band. Everyone sang in church. Hatcher learned the mandolin at age eight but started singing at age four. By the time he turned 12, he started playing the banjo, “the instrument [he] really wanted to learn.” They started a family band. Hatcher’s older brother played guitar and mandolin, his younger brother picked up the bass, and his dad played the guitar.
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