Mid-South Ford Dealers, Shelby's Trio Partner with F&M Bank Arena

6,000 Seat Home to Austin Peay Basketball is Scheduled to Open in 2023

Clarksville, Tenn. (May 13, 2022) - F&M Bank Arena announced today that Mid-South Ford Dealers and Shelby's Trio have joined as founding partners of the new arena in Clarksville. F&M Bank Arena is currently under construction and scheduled to open in 2023 under Sabertooth Sports & Entertainment (SS&E) management.

"We are thrilled that Ford and Shelby's Trio have elected to join F&M Bank Arena as founding partners," said Danny Butler, Vice President and General Manager of Ford Ice Centers and Project Manager for F&M Bank Arena. "We are excited to grow our relationship with Ford at the ice centers, which started in Antioch in 2014 and continued with Bellevue. Shelby's Trio and the Maynard family are dedicated leaders in the Clarksville community, and we are looking forward to both long-term partnerships."

F&M Bank Arena's primary tenant will be Austin Peay State University, whose men's and women's basketball teams will call the facility home. The arena's main arena bowl will also be able to add an ice surface, giving it the ability to host hockey tournaments and attract larger on-ice events or competitions much like the existing Ford Ice Centers in Antioch and Bellevue.

"The Mid-South Ford Dealers are thrilled to continue the tradition of supporting the Ford Ice Centers in our local communities to include the Ford Ice Center in Clarksville," said Casey Jenkins, Chair of the Mid-South Ford Dealer Association and Owner of Jenkins and Wynne Ford in Clarksville. "This center will greatly impact Clarksville and surrounding communities for generations to come and we look forward to the growth and activity this opportunity brings with it."

"Shelby's Trio, Trio Hospitality and the Maynard family are pleased to enter this long-term relationship with SS&E and Austin Peay State University at F&M Bank Arena," said Joe Maynard, a long-time business leader in the Clarksville community and the owner of Shelby's Trio and Trio Hospitality. "My wife, Cathi, and I are excited for the opportunities this relationship offers in terms of community enhancement and growth for downtown Clarksville. We look forward to many years of the partnership."

Ford Ice Centers will offer a variety of learn-to-skate programs at F&M Bank Arena, continuing its mission to expose and grow hockey to more Middle Tennessee residents. F&M Bank Arena will hold approximately 6,000 fans for concerts, 5,500 for basketball games and 5,000 for hockey games.