The Dream that Built Knoxville’s New Stadium
Sitting across from Randy Boyd in his downtown Knoxville office on a brisk winter afternoon, it was impossible to ignore the excitement in his voice as he spoke about the new Covenant Health Park. This wasn’t just a stadium to him—it was a dream decades in the making. And it was a dream that began not with blueprints and budgets, but with a boyhood love for baseball.
“I lettered in five sports,” Randy said with a chuckle. “You could say I was mediocre at more sports than most people knew how to play, but baseball wasn’t one of them.”
Though he never excelled as a player, baseball still captivated him. As a traveling businessman, he often found himself in cities with major league ballparks, and over time, he visited nearly all of them. What stood out to him was not just the game itself, but the atmosphere—the way a ballpark embodied the character of a city and brought people together.
That idea stuck with him. He would muse from time to time about owning a professional baseball team, but that dream seemed to hover out of reach, until it occurred to him that a minor league team might be the answer. When he casually mentioned to Jimmy Haslam, then-owner of the Knoxville Smokies, that he’d love to own a team one day, he had no idea it would set the wheels in motion for something much bigger.
The Business of Baseball
Years later, when Haslam bought the Cleveland Browns and decided to sell the Smokies, Randy jumped at the opportunity. It was an investment, but not just in a baseball team—it was an investment in Knoxville’s future and a way to give back.
“This was a fairly small investment relative to everything else I had going on,” Randy said. “People shouldn’t invest in baseball to get rich. You invest in baseball because of what it does for the community.” When Randy purchased the team it was still in Kodak and would remain there for several years, until the upcoming end of the lease made it clear it was time to consider returning to downtown Knoxville.
Doug Kirchhofer, the Chief Executive Officer of Boyd Sports, has been a key figure in making the move back to Knoxville happen. “This project is more than baseball,” he said. “It’s about economic development, job creation, and reconnecting downtown Knoxville with East Knoxville.”
The move from Kodak to downtown Knoxville was driven by an understanding that the team’s real fan base was largely in the city. Data showed that most attendees were already coming from Knox County or further west. By returning to the heart of the city, the Smokies weren’t just finding a new home, they were returning to their roots.
The Vision Takes Shape
The planning process began in 2018. This wasn’t just about a stadium—it was about revitalizing an entire district. The location, historically known as “The Bottom,” held significant meaning. It had been a vibrant African-American neighborhood before urban renewal projects displaced many residents. Randy and his team were committed to honoring that history while ushering in a new era of growth.
Mohamed Abbas, the construction project manager from Denark Construction, played a pivotal role in bringing the vision to life. “We had to build a stadium over an active creek,” he said. “It was a heavily regulated brownfield site with significant historical elements. The amount of underground infrastructure work alone was monumental.”
Despite the challenges, the project remained on schedule. The stadium was completed 60 days ahead of the projected timeline—a rare feat in commercial construction.
A Community Hub, Not Just a Stadium
Covenant Health Park is much more than a ballpark. It’s a multi-use entertainment venue designed to host soccer games, concerts, corporate events, and community gatherings. One Knoxville SC will also call it home, making it one of only a handful of stadiums in the country designed for both baseball and soccer.
Key innovations include a retractable pitcher’s mound—one of only five in the world—and seating designed to maximize social interaction. “People come to baseball games to socialize,” Randy explained. “We designed this stadium with a variety of seating options, from suites to club seats to outfield porches, to make sure it’s an experience for everyone.”
Jenny Boyd, Randy’s wife and owner of Boyd’s Jig and Reel in the Old City, has witnessed the transformation firsthand. “The Old City has always been a unique part of Knoxville,” she said. “Now, with the stadium, it’s finally getting the attention it deserves.”
Her business has already seen an increase in foot traffic, and she anticipates even greater changes once the stadium opens. “It’s bringing people together in a way we’ve never seen before. We’re seeing more restaurants, more families, more life in this part of town.”
The Economic Ripple Effect
The economic impact of the stadium extends far beyond ticket sales. Developers have already committed over an estimated billion dollars in new investments surrounding the stadium, including condos, apartments, and retail spaces. This influx of development is expected to create thousands of jobs and further invigorate downtown Knoxville.
“The stadium is a catalyst,” Doug said. “It’s sparking investment that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.”
One way this already happening is through the construction process. Denark Construction made a point to prioritize inclusion opportunities in subcontracting. “We had a side goal,” Mohamed said, “of trying to make sure that minority and woman-owned businesses in town that [might be] too small to bid on a project of this size has the ability to bid on one in the future.”
A Historic Homecoming
One of the most touching aspects of the project has been honoring Knoxville’s baseball history. Bronze statues commemorating legends from both the Knoxville Smokies and the Knoxville Giants have been installed around the stadium. “This stadium is about more than just the future,” Randy said. “It’s about celebrating the past and recognizing the players who paved the way.”
As the finishing touches are placed on the stadium, anticipation builds for opening day on April 15th. Season ticket sales have already surged by 500%, and demand continues to grow. The excitement is palpable.
For Randy, this moment is the culmination of a lifelong dream. He and Jenny, equal partners in this endeavor, have poured their hearts into making this stadium a reality. “This isn’t about Jenny and I,” Randy insisted. “It’s about Knoxville. It’s about building something that will last for generations.”
As the sun sets over downtown Knoxville, casting a golden glow on the new stadium, the words from an iconic film come to mind: If you build it, they will come.
On April 15th, as thousands of fans flood into Covenant Health Park, those words will ring true.
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