top of page
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram

Covenant Health Park – One Knoxville SC

  • Writer: David Welch
    David Welch
  • 3 hours ago
  • 6 min read

Photos by David Welch, Stadium Journey


Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00

Covenant Health Park 500 East Jackson Boulevard Knoxville, TN 37915


Year Opened: 2025

Capacity: 6,355


Old City, New Home

One Knoxville Sporting Club started on the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid. Competing initially as Knox Pro Soccer, the club played its early seasons at Regal Stadium on the University of Tennessee campus. After two years of building momentum, they stepped into the professional ranks by joining USL League One for the 2023 season.


The next major leap came in 2025 with the opening of Covenant Health Park, a new stadium shared with the Double-A Knoxville Smokies and positioned at the center of a growing mixed-use district.


One Knox has also built out a full development pipeline; Two Knox competes in the USL Academy summer league and the USPL fall league, and 2025 saw the addition of a women’s team in the USL W-League. Together, these programs strengthen the club’s footprint and help cultivate a loyal, citywide supporter base.

 

Food & Beverage   5

Food and drink options are abundant throughout Covenant Health Park, with a strong mix of stadium classics and local flavor.


Forks on First anchors the main concourse with burgers, hot dogs, and chicken tenders, including standouts like the Smoky Mountain Burger topped with bacon, pimento cheese, crispy onions, and BBQ sauce. Coop 865 leans into Southern comfort with chicken and waffles, chicken mac & cheese, and a Nashville-style hot chicken sandwich, while Knox Smoque adds a barbecue lineup of pulled pork, brisket, mac & cheese, fried pickles, and kettle chips. For fans after something fried and indulgent, Ballpark Bites serves mozzarella sticks and loaded “Rocky Tots,” while Barley Me Pizza delivers fresh slices nearby.


ree

Additional carts around the stadium round out the selection with tacos, cheesesteak, and specialty hot dogs.


Self-service drink refill stations help keep lines short – a small but effective improvement that more stadiums should adopt.


The craft beer scene is the real standout at Covenant Health Park, however. Alliance Brewing, Schulz Brau, Ebony & Ivory, and Uxl Beer Co. lead a deep lineup of local options, joined by Iron Forge Brewing’s Smokies-branded Light Lager and offerings from Gatlinburg Brewing. Altogether, fans can choose from roughly 50 beers across nearly 20 regional breweries, plus canned cocktails, seltzers, and wine.


Lastly, two full-service bars complement the concourse – The Backstop behind home plate has mixed drinks, while Modelo Watering Hole in right field offers a lively, social spot throughout the match.

 

Atmosphere   4

Covenant Health Park sits within a developing mixed-use district, flanked by apartments and condominiums, with plans for restaurants and retail to fill out the surrounding area in the future.


As expected with a baseball-first design, the stadium presents a few challenges for soccer. Lower-level seats offer excellent proximity to the action, but fans along the near touchline may have to turn slightly to track play toward the closest goal. In addition, some of the group areas that work well for Smokies games do not translate as fully for soccer, leaving portions of the stadium’s amenities underutilized on match day.


The Tennessee-shaped scoreboard is a fun, uniquely local feature. It delivers a clean live feed along with score and clock, but its baseball-oriented layout, without broader match stats, can feel sparse for soccer and a little out of place.


Despite these quirks, the One Knox atmosphere at Covenant Health Park remains enjoyable. The design limitations are noticeable but never significant enough to detract from the overall experience. Other than some difficult sightlines, the only other knock on the stadium’s use for soccer is that it lacks branding that would make it feel more like a home for the soccer team. It is a small detail, but it does not overwhelmingly impact the actual enjoyment of the match.


ree

 

Neighborhood   5

The area directly around Covenant Health Park is still a bit of a work in progress that is slowly coming together. Apartments beyond left field and the Delaney Condominiums in right are nearing completion. Additional spaces accessible from outside the stadium are expected to become retail and restaurants.


The stadium is within walking distance of Knoxville’s Old City district, known for its vibrant bar and restaurant scene, as well as the nearby Market Street neighborhood, which offers excellent dining options and hotels. The area is also known for its nightlife, which should still be bustling following a game, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. One of the top barbecue restaurants in the area, Barrelhouse BBQ Smokehouse, is a popular spot for One Knox supporters.


Other nearby attractions enhance the experience of a game day visit. The University of Tennessee is less than three miles away, making it easy to catch a college baseball or softball game. The Knoxville Ice Bears of the Southern Professional Hockey League may also be in season, while for basketball fans, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame is just down the road.


Knoxville was also home to the 1982 World’s Fair – probably nothing celebrates The Fair more than the 266-foot tall Sunsphere on the grounds of World’s Fair Park. The neighboring Knoxville Convention Center is also home to the World’s Largest Rubik's Cube.


The area just north of Covenant Health Park does feel a bit concerning, so having a bit of a heightened sense of awareness if heading in that direction might be advisable.

 

Fans   3

One Knox is among the better-supported clubs in League One, drawing more than 3,000 fans per match. However, while the crowd maintains a steady buzz throughout the game, it rarely reaches the level of an intimidating home-field advantage. The club’s supporters group, The Scruffs, is modest in size, and their chants come in waves, energized at moments, quieter in others, but are always present.


Overall, the One Knox fanbase shows up consistently and engages when the action demands it, especially on big plays. Still, the atmosphere leans more social than fervent; the stands tend to hum rather than roar. The support is solid, but doesn’t have quite the relentless, high-energy environment some other clubs in the league generate.


ree

 

Access   3

Weekday matches at Covenant Health Park can be difficult to reach, as traffic on the highways into Knoxville and on the surface streets near the stadium slows significantly around rush hour. Arriving early is almost essential to avoid missing the kickoff.


Parking close to the stadium is limited, with much of the on-site space reserved for accessible use. The city-operated garages at Sumner Place, Langley, Locust Street, and Market Square offer $7 parking and a free shuttle to and from the stadium, though the convenience varies. Alternatively, less publicized but often closer are several privately operated lots throughout the Old Town district, which provide additional parking options.


The main entrance sits at the corner of West Jackson Avenue and Patton Street, with secondary gates along West Jackson. The concourse wraps fully around the stadium and is wide and easy to navigate, though certain sections sit noticeably farther from the field.

 

Return on Investment   5

One Knox tickets routinely come in under $20, right in line with the league average. Parking prices swing based on how close you want to be, with the official $7 garages offering value but requiring a bit of extra walking or a shuttle ride. Inside the stadium, concession prices match what you would expect for League One: fair, if not memorable. Taken together, the full cost of attending a One Knox match lands on the affordable end, especially for a club with this level of support.

 

Extras   3

The Chick-fil-A Kids Zone is a large children’s play area tucked beneath the apartments that form one of the stadium’s exterior walls. It is a genuinely helpful feature for families, and an easy place for parents to take their kids when staying in their seats gets tough.


One Knox also does well in creating personal moments between the club and its supporters, especially younger fans. After the final whistle, players celebrate with The Scruffs before circling the field to offer high-fives, photos, and autographs. It is a small club tradition that goes a long way in making the experience feel welcoming and connected.


ree

One Knox and its players do a wonderful job creating a bond with their fans in a way only soccer clubs can; it almost seems as if the players don’t leave the field until every fan, young and old, has had an opportunity to get a picture taken or get some kit signed.

 

Final Thoughts

The move to Covenant Health Park gives One Knox a facility with far more fan comforts than most League One venues, both inside the facility and throughout the developing neighborhood around it – it is a clear upgrade in overall amenities to their prior home.


Still, the baseball-first design introduces a few unavoidable quirks; chiefly, the uneven sightlines and some oddly angled views of the pitch. Even with those drawbacks, though, the matchday experience remains one of the better ones in the league, offering a polished environment that stands out at this level.

Comments


Commenting on this post isn't available anymore. Contact the site owner for more info.
bottom of page