Nashville SC have extended CEO Ian Ayre’s contract through 2026, it was announced Monday.
Ayre has served as CEO of the club since 2018, steering their entry into Major League Soccer last year as an expansion club.
“We have a great team in place right now – on and off the pitch,” principal owner John Ingram said in a release. “We have above-expectation results and a lot of momentum in the right direction, and that’s in large part because we have Ian leading the way. Our confidence in him continuing to do so at a high level is evidenced by this extension.
“Our success on the pitch and in the front office are absolutely linked, and Ian has been critical in building our club up to the major professional sports organization it is today. I look forward to bigger and better things ahead.”
Nashville made the playoffs as a first-year club before falling in the Eastern Conference Semifinals to the Columbus Crew, the eventual MLS Cup 2020 winner. Nashville are currently tied with two other clubs on 28 points and are positioned to again challenge for a playoff spot.
Ayre, the former CEO of Premier League side Liverpool, remains in Nashville through the 2026 FIFA World Cup, for which Nashville is bidding to become a host city when the United States, Mexico and Canada co-host the global soccer event.
“It’s been a blessing so far to see what Nashville SC has become, so it’s humbling to know that I will continue to be a part of this journey for years to come,” Ayre said in a release. “I couldn’t imagine a better team and city to be surrounded by, and I will always be extremely grateful for being given the opportunity to lead this club. With our stadium getting ready to welcome fans through its gates in 2022, the future couldn’t be brighter.”
Nashville currently play at Nissan Stadium, though are slated to open their own soccer-specific stadium in May 2022. The club is also constructing a new training ground at Century Farms in Antioch, Tenn., that’d be completed by late 2022.
