One Knoxville SC
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One Knoxville SC
WE ARE ONE KNOX
Club History
For Knoxville, By Knoxville
One Knoxville Sporting Club kicked in February 2021 by 5 Knoxvillians looking to bring a missing piece of Civc Furniture to the city - Pro Soccer.
One Knox does not exist just to win games - though that's important. We are here to be an active member in building the future of Knoxville.
In March 2023, we will play our first professional game. In May 2123, we will all be gone but One Knox will remain a civic mainstay for our great city!
Brand Unveil
A Crest for Knoxville
On August 19th, 2021, One Knox unveiled it's crest to a sold-out audience at The Mill & Mine. We were focused on branding the club in a way that connects not just with those who love soccer but connects with those who love Knoxville.
Reaction has been very positive. Over time, we hope this crest comes to signify a successful pro soccer club and, more globally, a city on the rise nestled in the Smoky Mountains.
Vision, Mission, and Values
One Knox Vision
We envision a moment in the future where Knoxville is America's Premier Soccer City.
One Knox Mission
Our mission is to build a Knoxville where every child is provided the access and aspiration to pursue soccer.
One Knox Values
- Together Through Soccer
- Building with Knoxville
- In Service of Crest
- The Goal is Growth
GROWTH OF THE GAME
Sport of the future
Soccer has long been the 'Sport of the Future' but data is just now supporting its arrival. Youth soccer involvement has never been higher. The Internet Generations (Millennials, Gen Z and Gen A) disproportionally favor soccer compared to their predecessors. Soccer is on pace to be America's 2nd favorite professional sport by 2050.
Strong and Stable Businesses
MLS viewership, team count (30), expansion fees ($325M), and payroll are at all-time highs and growing. USL has brought structure and stability to the lower leagues with 150+ clubs across 3 competitive levels. And the US will host World Cup 2026.
Our Demographic
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Coach Mark McKeever
Mark joined One Knox as our inaugural head coach. Originally from Scotland, Mark emigrated to the US in 1997.
Prior to his move into the pro ranks with One Knox, Mark spent 8 seasons in USL League 2. His accolades include the 2021 National Championship and Coach of the Year award.
Mark also spent the last 17 years at Young Harris College guiding them from NJCAA to the top of NCAA Div II.
2022 Season
- Competed in USL League 2, USL's pre-professional league
- Finished the season South Central Division champs with a 13-3-1 record. Advanced to National Quarterfinal.
- Hosted games at four separate venues on 'Road Show' tour
- 890 season ticket holders, 1,705 average attendance
- Sold 130% of available seated capacity
- Would rank 6th (of 11) in USL League 1 2022 attendance
COMMUNITY GROWTH
After 16 pre-professional games, our communities are...
- Social Community - 13,000
- Email Listserv - 4,736
- Adult Rec Community
- 66 teams
- 1,300 adult players
- Soon to announce One Knox Youth - a merger of two existing local youth soccer clubs
- ~70 teams
- ~1,200 youth players
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USL League One
US Soccer Pyramid
USL League Two was One Knox's home for the 2022 season and represents the fourth tier of the US Soccer Pyramid. It is a semi-professional league that caters to college athletes during their summer break. One Knox had just one FTE in 2022.
USL League One is the third tier of the US Soccer Pyramid and will be One Knox's home in 2023 and beyond. Knoxville is a League One-sized market. Typical non-technical staffs range from 8-12 FTE's.
USL Championship, the second tier of the Pyramid, is a partner league. Incorporating performance-based promotion between League 1 and Championship is being discussed.
lEAGUE ONE
Growth
Elevation to League One includes significant new business and sporting opportunities:
- All League games, home and away, streamed on ESPN+
- National 32 game schedule vs. regional 14 games
- Inclusion in American soccer's most historic soccer tournament - the US Open Cup
2023 Season
- Participate in USL League One
- 32 game national regular season schedule
- US Open Cup auto-qualification
- Regal Soccer Stadium
- Partnering with UT Women's Soccer to play home games at Regal Soccer Stadium in 2023 and 2024
- ~3,000 seat capacity
- Full stadium catering offerings including beer license
- Ticketing Projections
- 2,300 avg attendance
- $23.70 average ticket price
- Cheapest non-discounted ticket - $15
- 16 home games
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Community
Together through Soccer.
Austin-EAst Senior Night
After a series of tragic events, Austin East Boys Soccer saw its last two home games of the 2021 season cancelled by their opponents because of a perceived security threat.
With UT's help, One Knox was able to reschedule AE's Senior Night at Regal Soccer Stadium. What transpired turned an unfortunate cancelling into a community embrace of the AE community during a tragic moment.
Mini Pitch
Access to spaces suitable for soccer is one of the major reasons the game is less popular in East and North Knoxville. While full soccer fields are tough to fit into urban environments, mini pitches (pictured here) fit very well.
Through partnership with the City and County, we look forward to bringing a number of these assets to life in underserved communities.
Adult Rec
- Operating Adult Rec business supporting 60+ teams and over 1,000 players
- $0 'acquisition' of largest Adult Rec organization in Knoxville spurred growth
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2023 Season
- Inaugural League One season
- One Knoxville will bring professional soccer to Knoxville for the first time ever.
- Club is built to balance aggressively pursuing success on and off the field while operating at break even financials.
- One Knoxville Youth Club
- Entering youth soccer space by merging two existing, local youth clubs under the One Knox brand.
- Will build a club that offers a place for all to play regardless of ability. Will work to remove financial barrier through scholarship, partnership.
- Existing clubs represent 60 teams, ~1,300 players
2024 Season
- USL W League
- Adding a Women's side is a major club priority both because of the business opportunity as well as the importance of providing a product for local girls to aspire toward.
- Training Facility
- The club will need a home of it's own for training and offices
- Pursuing a training facility through partnership with the City of Knoxville that would allow continued pursuit of sporting excellence with a focus on community
- U19 Boys & Girls Academy
- Full, three season participation in USL Academy
- Training facility allows for proper infrastructure for year round academy programming
2025 Season
- Old City Stadium
- Term sheet in place for subtenancy at new 7,000 cap mixed-use downtown stadium
- 12 Suites, 2 Party Decks, soccer specific locker room/facilities, $200M private development stadium district
- Transformational revenue generation opportunity without significant capital investment
- Promotion & Relegation
- USL has stated a desire to implement Promotion and Relegation before 2026
- Creates a pathway to the highest level of USL
2026 Season
- World Cup Basecamp City
- Knoxville's central location, high-end hospitality offerings, and One Knox training facilities make for a competitive bid to host one of the 48 Federations competing in the 2026 World Cup
- Early discussions about a Civically-backed bid have begun with the Mayor's Office
- Leveraging the World Cup
- Hosting the World Cup will be an American Soccer inflection point and One Knox will look to lead all local World Cup activation before, during, and after the tournament.
2027 Assessment
We believe the five years between 2022 and 2027 will bring major changes to soccer in America and soccer in Knoxville. In early 2027, we plan to:
- Assess American soccer and One Knox landscape.
- Consider next steps, including:
- Reinvestment in facilities
- Player development as business model
- Partnership investment
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Partnership
Partnership Details
- Presenting Partner of the 'Guests of the Game' program
- One Knox to work with majority Black and Hispanic organizations across Knoxville to offer a free program for kids to enjoy a One Knox game
- 15 kids per game will enjoy a free game ticket, meal voucher, feature on jumbotron, & on-field access postgame to meet players.
- Celebrating TVA's 90th anniversary
- One Knox to create a 'Happy Birthday, TVA' video with players and coaches wishing TVA a Happy 90th Birthday. To be released on date best suited for TVA's needs
- 25% discount on all group ticketing purchases
- Package Price - $20,000
- TVA Price - $17,500
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