Nashville Athletic Club

The Nashville Athletic Club (NAC) was a sports club for young men founded in Nashville, Tennessee in 1884.^[1] The NAC was responsible for helping popularize the sports of baseball, football, basketball, athletics, gymnastics and swimming in the Nashville area. The NAC also featured a swimming pool, a gymnasium, Turkish and Russian baths and choice exercise equipment.^[2] It was based for some time at 520 Commerce Street in downtown Nashville.^[3]

Baseball

The NAC originally had the only regulation size baseball diamond in Nashville located at Sulpher Springs Bottom (later called Athletic Park, then Sulphur Dell).^[4]

Football

The NAC is believed to have played the first organized football game in Nashville on Thanksgiving Day, 1885 against the Nashville Football Club^[5], winning 6-4 in a game played at Athletic Park.^[6] They lost their only recorded game against Vanderbilt in 1895, 20-4.^[7]

Basketball

The NAC also played some of the first organized basketball games in Nashville, forming the Nashville Athletic Club Basket Ball League in 1895.^[8] They played 13 recorded games against Vanderbilt between 1900 and 1909, winning 4 and losing 9.^[9]

Notes

1. ^ Doyle, D.H., New Men, New Cities, New South: Atlanta, Nashville, Charleston, Mobile, 1860-1910, p. 213, UNC Press (1990). ISBN 0807842702
2. ^ Glickman, L.B., Consumer Society in American History: a reader, p. 225, Cornell University Press (1999). ISBN 0801484863
3. ^ "Southern Regional Volleyball Association". Srva.org. http://www.srva.org/Directions.php?dir&id=147. Retrieved 2007-03-20. 
4. ^ "Baseball Comes to Nashville". Nostalgiaville.com. http://www.nostalgiaville.com/travel/Tennessee/Davidson/37219downtown/downtown5.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-20. ^{[dead link]}
5. ^ "Vandy Football Began with a Challenge". CSTV.com. http://vucommodores.cstv.com/ot/history-corner-091306.html. Retrieved 2007-03-20. 
6. ^ "Friends of Metropolitan Archives of Nashville and Davidson County". Rootsweb.com. http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~nashvillearchives/facts.html. Retrieved 2007-03-20. 
7. ^ "Vanderbilt Football Results". Rivals.com. http://vanderbilt.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=1087&CID=300031. Retrieved 2007-03-20. 
8. ^ "Era 7: 1890-1930 The Emergence of Modern America". Tennessee.gov. http://www.srva.org/Directions.php?dir&id=147. Retrieved 2007-03-20. 
9. ^ "Vanderbilt Basketball Results". Rivals.com. http://vanderbilt.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=1087&CID=300331. Retrieved 2007-03-20.