Getting Ready Before Kickoff: Inside the Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl Coaches’ Press Conference
In December 2025, REED was tasked with the complete coordination of the pre-game press conferences featuring the University of Tennessee and University of Illinois’ head coaches, offensive coordinators and defensive coordinators for one of Nashville’s signature events: the Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl. Located at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, REED managed the venue, technical production, both teams and media relations.
INSIGHT:
With two teams came two unique identities and preferences. From the start, it became clear that a one-size-fits-all approach wouldn’t work. The challenge was to host two press conferences in the same room on the same day while preserving the individuality of each team’s experience.
STRATEGY:
REED focused on proactive planning and flexibility, anticipating the changing needs of teams and the media. By preparing for multiple scenarios and maintaining constant communication as a team, we positioned ourselves to make real-time adjustments, ensuring smooth operations and keeping the day on schedule.
ACTIVATION:
REED managed all logistics, including setup, technical coordination, client and team management, moderating and media relations.
We worked closely with the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center and the venue’s A/V and IT staff to ensure each press conference had optimal lighting, sound and connectivity. This included calls and site walkthroughs.
REED staffed the event and had a team member serve as the moderator. This moderator was prepared with team-specific briefing materials. We also coordinated with both schools’ communications teams to understand their expectations, prepared the coaches and facilitated the media’s interaction with coaches and coordinators.
We also handled media invitations, distribution of game day credentials on-site, created and executed the run of show for both press conferences and facilitated a productive Q&A session with attendees.
RESULTS:
The effort resulted in 45 media attendees over the course of the day, including representatives from the Chicago Tribune, Yahoo! Sports, the Nashville Banner, WTVF-TV, WAND-TV and more. Both press conferences ran smoothly, each reflecting the individual team’s identity, with the room being turned over with individual Tennessee and Illinois assets in between sessions.
REED successfully managed media and teams to provide a polished, professional environment to kick off the Bowl Game festivities.