Oct. 5, 2011
Nashville is known for its music, its Southern hospitality and its small-town feel with big-city amenities, but it is not always recognized as a sports town.
Maybe it should be.
Each year, Sporting News unveils its rankings for the best sports cities in America and Canada, and Nashville consistently ranks in the top 20.
This year’s rankings were revealed on Tuesday and Nashville checks in at No. 16.
Nashville ranks higher than any other city that an SEC school calls home and ranks fourth among cities in the Southeast. Only Atlanta (7th), Miami (9th) and Tampa/St. Petersburg (10th) rank higher.
The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex was ranked as the No. 1 sports city.
The rankings are based on point values that are accumulated through various categories such as won-lost records, postseason appearances, attendance and more over a 12-month period beginning in the summer of 2010.
Here are where other SEC cities rank.
55. Gainesville, Fla.
56. Tuscaloosa, Ala.
59. Auburn, Ala.
61. Fayetteville, Ark.
70. Lexington, Ky.
71. Starkville, Miss.
78. Athens, Ga.
79. Knoxville, Tenn.
83. Columbia, S.C.
86. Baton Rouge, La.
100. Oxford, Miss.
To view the entire list, click here.
You can follow me on 
Twitter @SchulzRyan