BRISTOL, Tennessee — In August 2025, baseball fans across multiple states can gather at the Bristol Motor Speedway, where the Cincinnati Reds will face off against the Atlanta Braves. The game is part of a larger effort by Major League Baseball to play games in unique venues, said Jeremiah Yolkut, the league's vice president of global events.
"The idea is that we can bring the product to places like Tennessee, where it's very baseball rich, but they don't have the opportunity to see a Major League Baseball game all the time," Yolkut said.
Leaders gathered in Bristol on Friday to announce the upcoming game. They included Governor Bil Lee and University of Tennessee President Randy Boyd. He also owns the Tennessee Smokies baseball team.
Lee said the game will be the perfect opportunity for Tennesseans to show off Tennessee.
"When we have these global sporting events, the world sees what we know here in Tennesse," he said. "And it will be an opportunity for people to see East Tennessee like they haven't ever before."
The governor said a venue like the speedway is well-equipped to handle an event of this magnitude.
"They've been having NASCAR races here where 100,000 people show up for a long time. They know how to handle it, they know how to prepare for it, and they know how to make it a good fan experience," he said.
Jerry Caldwell, the president of the speedway, said the game is also expected to significantly boost the economy.
"It's a wonderful impact to this economy," he said. "I think that’s why you saw the state of Tennessee and the Commonwealth of Virginia be so supportive and leaning in and saying, 'What can we do to help?'”