NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Landing a Major League Soccer franchise in Nashville is the aim of a new group of business and political leaders including former Democratic Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen and former Republican U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist.

The Nashville MLS Organizing Committee has been assembled by Bill Hagerty, a former state commissioner of economic and community development, and Will Alexander, the son of U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander.

The group also includes the heads of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans and NHL’s Nashville Predators, along with the leaders of several businesses based in the Nashville area, including Nissan North America, Ryman Hospitality Properties and Dollar General.

Hagerty says that Nashville’s “diverse and growing population, vibrant economy and passionate sports culture make it an ideal fit for the MLS.”