Bristol Motor Speedway will host a regular season Major League Baseball (MLB) game between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds in August 2025.
Coined the “MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol,” officials from Major League Baseball, Speedway Motorsports, and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee were on hand for the announcement on Friday morning at the racetrack. It will be the first National League/American League game ever played in Tennessee.
“Major League Baseball is excited to deliver a special game at Bristol Motor Speedway, a unique setting that sports fans will remember forever,” said MLB’s Commissioner of Baseball, Robert D. Manfred, Jr. “The Reds and the Braves form an ideal matchup because of their dynamic talent and the proximity of their markets. We look forward to celebrating our game with a wide array of fans, both on and off the field throughout the weekend, and highlighting the rich traditions of sports, music and community in Tennessee and across the region.”
Bristol Motor Speedway’s president and general manager, Jerry Caldwell said: “We are thrilled to partner with Major League Baseball to bring the Speedway Classic to the ‘Home of Big Events’ on August 2, 2025. There is deep baseball history in Bristol and around this area, long acknowledged as the heart of the Appalachian League. In addition, Bristol’s location makes it the perfect ‘meet in the middle’ destination for a showdown between these two beloved clubs. It’s only appropriate for the World’s Fastest Half-Mile to showcase this game where the talented athletes will be on display in a venue that’s reputation was built on speed and high performance.”
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1428]
Fox Sports will be the broadcast partner. The game will be considered a Cincinnati Reds home game and the two teams will play each other in Cincinnati on Thursday, July 31 and Friday, Aug. 1 before heading to the speedway.
The infield of the half-mile racetrack will be converted to a baseball diamond to host the teams on Saturday, Aug. 2.
Bristol Motor Speedway is familiar with hosting non-NASCAR events over the years. The “Battle at Bristol” featured the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech in a regular-season college football game in the infield of the racetrack in 2016. The game set an NCAA football record with 156,990 fans.
MLB is also no stranger to bringing its events to new places. In 2021 and ’22, MLB held a regular-season game, MLB at Fields of Dreams game, next to the location where the popular 1989 movie was filmed. Earlier this year, Rickwood Field, which hosted Nego League games, held a regular-season game between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants.
Those who are 2024-2025 ticketholders at Bristol Motor Speedway and season ticket members of both the Braves and Reds will have access to the pre-sale event September 16. The general public sale begins in early December.