Advocates for Women in Sports: Visit Knoxville
About Visit Knoxville Sports Commission
The Visit Knoxville team offers hands-on white-glove service to event organizers. Once an event is booked in Knoxville, the team provides an array of services to ensure its success, ranging from hotel booking to event promotion. Visit Knoxville also partners with the Knoxville Convention Center to transform their space into courts for volleyball and basketball events, among others. “We do the whole 9 yards with them. We are hands-on in terms of our services,” Caleb Wilson, Sports Sales Manager says.
Mission
The Visit Knoxville Sports Commission, established under Visit Knoxville in 2016, is responsible for bringing tournaments and sporting events to Knoxville and Knox County. Named Sports ETA’s 2019 Sport Tourism Organization of the Year (Population Under 500K), the Visit Knoxville Sports Commission has had the honor of hosting top-tier events including the Sports ETA Symposium, USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships, USA Swimming TYR Pro Swim Series, and the largest BASSMASTER Classic in B.A.S.S. history. Visit Knoxville, a 501c3 organization, is the official Convention and Visitors Bureau for Knoxville and Knox County. For more information, visit sports.visitknoxville.com.
Women’s History & Women in Sports
Tennessee provided the 36th deciding Vote to gain 3 quarters majority to ratify the 19th Amendment. This position of TN was the result of the urging of an East Tennessee woman to her son, who was a member of the TN General Assembly. Two memorials honoring this unique part of Tennessee history are in the heart of downtown Knoxville – the Burn Memorial and the Tennessee Woman’s Suffrage Memorial. Knoxville is huge for women’s sports. The city is home to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, the only venue of its kind dedicated to honoring all levels of women’s basketball. Here, check out the world’s largest basketball, the Hall of Honor featuring all inductees, and even play on 3 basketball courts.
Featured Facilities
Knoxville Convention Center – The Knoxville Convention Center boasts over 500,000 square feet of flexible space used to host all types and sizes of sporting events. The Visit Knoxville Sports Commission frequently uses the exhibit halls of the Convention Center as a venue for sporting events. Visit Knoxville owns over 70,000 square feet of sport court tile, which can be formed to create 15 basketball courts & over 20 Volleyball Courts for event organizers. This facility is home to nearly 20+ Sports Commission-sponsored events per year and is an excellent host facility for all types of events.
Baker Creek Preserve – Knoxville is well known for its so-called “Urban Wilderness” which features over 50 miles of trails just miles from Downtown Knoxville. One of the most unique venues within the Urban Wilderness is Baker Creek Preserve. This multi-use area offers bike pump tracks and loops used for bmx-style jumps, paved natural trails for mountain-bike racing and trail running, as well as the regions only double-black diamond downhill trail, Devil’s Racetrack. The opportunities for great outdoor events are endless at this 100+ acre venue.
Knoxville Civic Coliseum & Auditorium – As a companion of the Knoxville Convention Center, this unique facility offers a 6,000+ spectator capacity arena with a 106’ x 198’ arena floor as well as a 2,500+ capacity auditorium used for shows and performances. The Knoxville Civic Coliseum & Auditorium is home to the Knoxville Ice Bears of the Southern Professional Hockey League, and welcomes many sporting events each year like cheer & dance, hockey, weightlifting, etc.
Notable Events
SEC Swimming & Diving Conference Championships
The 2022 Southeastern Conference Swimming & Diving Championships were successfully held in Knoxville, TN at Allan Jones Aquatic Center from Feb. 15 – 19, 2022. Top athletes from 14 SEC-member schools competed in a variety of events to earn the title of Conference Champions and prepare for NCAA Championship events. The University of Tennessee women’s team won their 3rd SEC title in three years in women’s swimming & diving, and the University of Florida men’s team won their 10th consecutive SEC title. Located on the University of Tennessee campus, the Allan Jones Aquatic Center features a 50-meter competition pool and is one of the nation’s top swimming and diving facilities.
2022 Visit Knoxville Open
Holston Hills Country Club in Knoxville, TN will play host to this year’s Visit Knoxville Open from May 9 – 15, 2022. This Korn Ferry Tour event will provide the opportunity for hopeful golfers to earn critical points toward earning their official PGA Tour Card. Last year’s Champion, Greyson Sigg, clinched his PGA Tour qualification with his victory in Knoxville.
2022 USA Cycling Pro Road, Time Trial, and Criterium National Championships
USA Cycling returns to Knoxville, TN to crown another round of National Champions. This event features top cyclists from around the world spinning through the streets of Knoxville in a variety of races from Jun. 23 – 26, 2022. This is the fifth year that Knoxville will host the U.S. Pro Road and Individual Time Trial Championships. Knoxville is the perfect host city for these events, with the race routes going through the scenic downtown and crossing the Tennessee River along Gay Street Bridge.
Things to Do
Tour the local breweries – Knoxville is home to a plethora of local breweries. Visitors can access an Ale Trail Passport, an exciting and interactive way to explore the ins and outs of the local brewery scene. Simply visit any of the 20+ breweries on the Ale Trail, order some beer, and ask your bartender to stamp your passport. If you fill your entire passport, visit the Knox Brew Pub for a reward! Here is the complete list of stops on the trail.
Go to Dick’s House of Sport – One of only two in the country, Dick’s House of Sport in Knoxville is an all-in-one sports and retail experience. The center features a House of Cleats with 400+ types of cleats, Golf Pro Shop, batting cage, 40-foot climbing wall, and an impressive 25,000 square-foot outdoor Olympic-grade track and turf field. Shoppers are welcome to try out new equipment with an employee on The Field before purchasing. Whether you’re looking for new swag or just want to witness this unique space, be sure to stop by while you’re in town!
Explore the outdoors – Knoxville is surrounded by stunning natural attractions. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is just over an hour’s drive from Knoxville and features breathtaking vistas and wildlife. On the Tennessee River, lots of local organizations offer paddle boarding and swimming events.
Check out the Sunsphere – The Sunsphere was built to be the theme structure for the 1982 World’s Fair hosted in Knoxville. This 26-story structure stands among global iconic structures built for World’s Fairs, including the Eiffel Tower built for the 1889 World’s Fair. In the Sunsphere, the 4th floor observation deck boasts 360-degree views of the city, the Smoky Mountains and Tennessee River. The Sunsphere is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2022. Be sure to explore this iconic structure and marvel at its magnitude.
Travel Tips
Knoxville is within a day’s driving distance from two-thirds of the population of the U.S. east of the Mississippi River. For those flying in, McGhee Tyson Airport is only 14 miles from downtown Knoxville and can connect travelers to many major airports. Downtown Knoxville alone has over 1,000 hotel rooms available. Newly opened in February, a renovated Marriott in downtown Knoxville connects to the Knoxville Convention Center. The opening coincided with the 40th anniversary of the World’s Fair and offers a modern look and feel for the rising number of tourists staying in Knoxville.
Testimonials
“Working with Visit Knoxville has been a true partnership. Relocating the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge (MACC) in May 2021 to Knoxville, TN was a huge endeavor, but we were able to successfully execute a safe and professional competition. There were constant challenges and obstacles in the way, but we were able to collaborate and find solutions. The MACC is excited to return to Knoxville on May 27-29, 2022 and continue building this momentum at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum.”
Wilson Pak, Event Director of the Mid-Atlantic CrossFit Challenge
“The team at VKSC is by far one of the best host committees B.A.S.S. has worked with over the years. I am very impressed with how much their team is willing and able to assist us at every turn. Our event has a wide variety of components and events spread throughout the city. Knowing that I can call anyone at VKSC with any issue gives us a huge comfort, especially while planning an event not in our own market. We have become great friends with everyone and look forward to working with them for many years to come.”
Eric Lopez, Director, Events and Sponsorship Activation B.A.S.S
To learn more or to book your next event today, head to Visit Knoxville’s Playeasy profile here!
Visit Knoxville Sports on Social Media
Visit Knoxville on Social Media
