Midland to headline free concert for fans at SEC Media Days

You know that old SEC motto, it just means more? Well, you can add SEC Media Days to the list of things that just mean more.

In 2023, the SEC will put on a free concert with the GRAMMY-nominated band Midland. That will be part of an SEC Kickoff presented by Regions, helping celebrate the multi-day event that typically marks the unofficial start of football season.

The 2023 SEC Media Days are being hosted in Nashville, Tenn., for the first time.

The annual event is typically held in Hoover, Ala., with hundreds of league media coalescing on the spot in mid-summer to talk to players and coaches ahead of the upcoming football campaign.

This time around, fans and media alike are in for a little treat.

The concert will take place on Lower Broadway and will begin at 6 p.m. ET on July 18 as part of a special edition of SEC Nation telecast on ESPN2 and the SEC Network, starting at 7 p.m. ET. The concert is slated to follow the special edition at about 8 p.m. ET.

The concert stage will be located close to Fourth and Broadway. It’s the first time SEC Media Days has incorporated a street party and live music concert into the event, seemingly taking a page out of the NFL Draft’s highly successful playbook.

“We are excited to bring SEC Football Media Days to Nashville as we kick off the 2023 season,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a press release. “When we began moving SEC Media Days to new locations, we wanted to enjoy the experiences uniquely present in each community and we look forward to the Tuesday night concert blending Music City with SEC Football.”

Midland has been nominated for two GRAMMY awards, in the categories of Best Country Duo/Group Performance and Best Country Song. They won New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year at the ACM Awards in 2018.

The group should give some musical flavor to the SEC launch party.

The SEC Media Days have only left Hoover three times, with this year’s trip to Nashville being the third. The city is excited to host the conference, which is typically one of college football’s most competitive.

“Partnering with the SEC to host this high-profile event is both an honor and opportunity for our city,” said Butch Spyridon, CEO, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “We are adding live music to give the event a Music City touch, and we hope it’s only the beginning of a long-lasting relationship. We want all the SEC fans in Middle Tennessee to come out, represent their teams and enjoy a free show right in their backyard.”

The SEC Media Days will be held July 17-20.