Memphis 901

Memphis had a baseball ground, a former U.S. international goalkeeper and no soccer stadium. Tim Howard, a minority owner and the club's Sporting Director, joined Trinity Sports Holdings, led by principal owner Peter Freund, in building a United Soccer League (USL) Championship side. Memphis 901 FC was announced on 8 January 2018 and played its first season in 2019. The name was the city's area code, and the navy and red carried the blues of Beale Street, with white and gold picked out from its neon.

The plan was always to leave AutoZone Park, a baseball stadium that holds about 10,000 for soccer. The club wanted a purpose-built ground on the site of the former Mid-South Coliseum, but the funding never came.

The best season was 2022. Memphis finished second in the Eastern Conference and reached the conference semifinals. Nighte Pickering, the youngest professional the club ever signed, also played for it. The fixtures that drew the most attention were against Birmingham Legion, the "Southern Harm Derby", and against Nashville SC, the "Tennessee Derby". In the U.S. Open Cup the run ended in the round of 32 in both 2023 and 2024.

On 13 November 2024 the club ceased operations, having failed to secure a long-term stadium or public money. Its USL Championship franchise rights passed to Santa Barbara Sky FC, owned by Peter Moore, which is due to enter the league in 2026. In six seasons Memphis won no league or cup title, and it never got its own ground.