architect nissan stadium
The AFL  NFL merger was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time : the National Football League ( NFL ) and the American Football League ( AFL ). It paved the way for the combined league , which retained the " National Football League " name and logo , to become one of the most popular sports leagues in the United States . The merger was announced on the evening of June 8 , 1966 . Under the merger agreement , the leagues maintained separate regular - season schedules for the next four seasons  from 1966 through 1969  and then officially merged before the ___MASK53___ season to form one league with two conferences . Nissan Stadium is a multi - purpose stadium in ___MASK8___ , Tennessee , United States , owned by the Metropolitan Government of ___MASK8___ and Davidson County . It is primarily used for football and is the home field of the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League ( NFL ) and the Tennessee State Tigers of Tennessee State University . The stadium is also the site of the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl , a postseason college football bowl game played each December , and is occasionally used as a venue for soccer matches . Nissan Stadium is used for large concerts , such as the CMA Music Festival nightly concerts which take place for four days every June . Facilities are included to enable the stadium to host other public events , meetings , parties , and gatherings . Nissan Stadium is located on the east bank of the Cumberland River , directly across the river from downtown ___MASK8___ and has a listed seating capacity of 69 , 143 . Its first event was a preseason game between the Titans and the Atlanta Falcons on August 27 , 1999 . Since opening in 1999 it has been known by multiple names , including Adelphia Coliseum from 1999 to 2002 , The Coliseum from 2002 to 2006 , and LP Field from 2006 to 2015 . The stadium features three levels of seating , with the lower bowl completely encompassing the field . The club and upper levels form the stadium ' s dual towers , rising above the lower bowl along each sideline . All of the stadium ' s luxury suites are located within the towers . Three levels of suites are located in the stadium ' s eastern tower : one between the lower and club levels , and two between the club and upper levels . The western tower has only two levels of suites , both between the club and upper levels . The pressbox is located between the lower and club levels in the western tower . Nissan Stadium ' s dual videoboards are located behind the lower bowl in each end zone . The playing surface of Nissan Stadium is Tifsport Bermuda Sod , a natural grass . However , the relatively warm climate of ___MASK8___ , combined with the wear and tear of hosting a game nearly every weekend , usually results in a resodding of the area `` between the hashes '' in late November . On Nissan Stadium ' s eastern side is the Titans Pro Shop , a retail store which sells team merchandise . It remains open year - round and maintains an exterior entrance for use on non - event dates . The CMA Music Festival is a four - day music festival centered on country music hosted each June by the Country Music Association in ___MASK8___ , Tennessee . Beginning in 1972 as Fan Fair , the event now draws over 400 artists and celebrities who hold autograph sessions and perform in one of the many concerts offered throughout the festival . The National Football League ( NFL ) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams , divided equally between the National Football Conference ( NFC ) and the American Football Conference ( AFC ). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America , and the highest professional level of American football in the world . The NFL ' s 17 - week regular season runs from the week after Labor Day to the week after Christmas , with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week . Following the conclusion of the regular season , six teams from each conference ( four division winners and two wild card teams ) advance to the playoffs , a single - elimination tournament culminating in the Super Bowl , played between the champions of the NFC and AFC . Country music is a genre of United States popular music that originated in the southern United States in the 1920s . It takes its roots from the southeastern genre of United States , such as folk music ( especially Appalachian folk music ), and blues music . Blues modes have been used extensively throughout its recorded history . Country music often consists of ballads and dance tunes with generally simple forms and harmonies accompanied by mostly string instruments such as banjos , electric and acoustic guitars , dobros and fiddles as well as harmonicas . According to Lindsey Starnes , the term " country music " gained popularity in the 1940s in preference to the earlier term " hillbilly music "; it came to encompass Western music , which evolved parallel to hillbilly music from similar roots , in the mid - 20th century . The term " country music " is used today to describe many styles and subgenres . The origins of country music are the folk music of working - class Americans , who blended popular songs , Irish and Celtic fiddle tunes , traditional English ballads , and cowboy songs , and ___MASK9___ musical traditions from European immigrant communities . In 2009 country music was the most listened to rush hour radio genre during the evening commute , and second most popular in the morning commute in the United States . Tennessee State University ( Tennessee State or TSU ) is a public land - grant university located in ___MASK8___ , Tennessee , United States . Founded in 1912 , it is the largest and only state - funded historically black university in Tennessee . It is a member - school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund . Tennessee State University is a comprehensive urban institution offering 38 bachelor  s degrees , 24 master ' s degrees , and seven doctoral degrees . The American Football Conference ( AFC ) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League ( NFL ), the highest professional level of American football in the United States . This conference and its counterpart , the National Football Conference ( NFC ), currently contain 16 teams each , making up the 32 teams of the NFL . Both conferences were created as part of the ___MASK53___ merger with the rival American Football League ( AFL ), with all ten of the former AFL teams and three NFL teams forming the AFC , and the remaining thirteen NFL clubs forming the NFC . A series of league expansions and division realignments have occurred since the merger , thus making the current total 16 clubs per each conference . ___MASK8___ is the capital of the U . S . state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County . It is located on the Cumberland River in the north central part of the state . The city is a center for the music , healthcare , publishing , banking and transportation industries , and home to numerous colleges and universities . Reflecting the city ' s position in state government , ___MASK8___ is home to the Tennessee Supreme Court ' s courthouse for Middle Tennessee . It is known as a center of the country music industry , earning it the nickname " Music City U . S . A ." Christmas or Christmas Day ( meaning " Christ ' s Mass ") is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ , observed most commonly on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world . A feast central to the Christian liturgical year , it is prepared for by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmastide , which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night ; in some traditions , Christmastide includes an Octave . The traditional Christmas narrative , the Nativity of Jesus , delineated in the New Testament says that Jesus was born in Bethlehem , in accordance with messianic prophecies ; when Joseph and Mary arrived in the city , the inn had no room and so they were offered a stable where the Christ Child was soon born , with angels proclaiming this news to shepherds who then disseminated the message furthermore . Christmas Day is a public holiday in many of the world ' s nations , is celebrated religiously by the vast majority of Christians , as well as culturally by a number of non - Christian people , and is an integral part of the holiday season , while some Christian groups reject the celebration . In ___MASK72___ countries , celebrating Christmas Eve on December 24 has the main focus rather than December 25 , with gift - giving and sharing a traditional meal with the family . The National Football Conference ( NFC ) is one of the two conferences of the National Football League ( NFL ), the highest professional level of American football in the United States . This conference and its counterpart , the American Football Conference ( AFC ), currently contain 16 teams each , making up the 32 teams of the NFL . Both conferences were created as part of the ___MASK53___ merger with the rival American Football League ( AFL ), with all ten of the former AFL teams and three NFL teams forming the AFC while the remaining thirteen NFL clubs formed the NFC . A series of league expansions and division realignments have occurred since the merger , thus making the current total 16 clubs per each conference . The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in ___MASK8___ , Tennessee . The Titans compete in the National Football League ( NFL ) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( AFC ) South division . Previously known as the Houston Oilers , the team began play in 1960 in Houston , Texas , as a charter member of the American Football League ( AFL ). The Oilers won the first two AFL Championships , and joined the NFL as part of the AFL  NFL merger in ___MASK53___ . The Music City Bowl is a post - season American college football bowl game certified by the NCAA that has been played in ___MASK8___ , Tennessee , since 1998 . A county seat is an administrative center , seat of government , or capital city of a county or civil parish . The term is used in the United States , Canada , Romania , China and Taiwan . In the ___MASK50___ and Ireland , county towns have a similar function . The Country Music Association ( CMA ) was founded in 1958 in ___MASK8___ , Tennessee . It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre . The objectives of the organization are to guide and enhance the development of Country Music throughout the world ; to demonstrate it as a viable medium to advertisers , consumers and media ; and to provide a unity of purpose for the Country Music industry . However the CMA may be best known to most country music fans for its annual Country Music Association Awards broadcast live on network television each fall ( usually October or November ). Tennessee (" Tanasi ") is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States . Tennessee is the 36th largest and the 16th most ___MASK76___ of the 50 United States . Tennessee is bordered by Kentucky and Virginia to the north , North Carolina to the east , Georgia , Alabama , and Mississippi to the south , and Arkansas and Missouri to the west . The Appalachian Mountains dominate the eastern part of the state , and the Mississippi River forms the state ' s western border . Tennessee ' s capital and second largest city is Nashville , which has a population of 654 , 610 . Memphis is the state ' s largest city , with a population of 655 , 770 .