Playing Beyond The Field: Sporting Soundtracks

Sporting Soundtracks: An Evening with the Players and Sounds of Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball

Date: Thursday, February 19, 2026

Reception: 5:30 – 6:30 pm

Time: 6:30 – 8:00 pm

Location: The Roots Theater, National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM), 510 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203

Event Description:

An interactive evening exploring the enduring relationship between music and basketball, featuring a panel of world-class professional women’s basketball players in conversation with Dr. Courtney M. Cox, author of Double Crossover: Gender, Media, and Politics in Global Basketball.

Join us for a lively playlist experience that invites audiences into a dynamic conversation exploring the importance of music for athletes, teams and regional fan communities. Players from Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball, back in Nashville for AU’s 5^th season, will share how their personal and athletic musical profiles are amplified on and off the court, reveal behind-the-scenes moments where music and sport have intersected in their lives and careers, and examine how official team DJs curate the sounds and rhythms for players and fans.

Join us before the event, beginning at 5:30 pm, for special after-hours at the Museum, featuring FREE admission, guided tours and light bites and drinks for purchase.

Sporting Soundtracks is part of Playing Beyond the Field, a free, three-part series exploring the historic relationship between music and sport, with a particular focus on Nashville’s robust African American musical and sporting legacies. Curated by the co-directors of The Sound of Victory, Courtney M. Cox and Perry B. Johnson, Playing Beyond the Field is organized in collaboration with the Vanderbilt Sports & Society Initiative and the National Museum of African American Music.