I know this Substack is mainly focussed on tactics but t I am surprised on why Knoxville doesn't draw more fans. TN is proving to be wildly enthusiastic about soccer, which has arguably become the #2 most popular sport, with wild crowds in Nashville and Chattanooga. Knoxville is 3 and 2 hours away from those cities so should be able to draw its own crowds. Perhaps the lack of a soccer-specific stadium may take some of the blame.....?
They just announced a new venue for next season (https://www.oneknoxsc.com/news/2024/08/22/boyd-sports-and-one-knox/) and the word is that it’s much better in terms of location. It can be deceptively hard to do well in a college town as well - people already have those set loyalties in terms of fandom. Coming onto the scene after Nashville happened in MLS couldn’t have helped either, just given how people look down on “minor leagues.”
I see that it's still a baseball venue, which leads to a less intimate atmosphere. But hopefully the new venue is more central, within the community, and with additional community and sponsorship opportunities that are not available in the old college venue....
I know this Substack is mainly focussed on tactics but t I am surprised on why Knoxville doesn't draw more fans. TN is proving to be wildly enthusiastic about soccer, which has arguably become the #2 most popular sport, with wild crowds in Nashville and Chattanooga. Knoxville is 3 and 2 hours away from those cities so should be able to draw its own crowds. Perhaps the lack of a soccer-specific stadium may take some of the blame.....?
They just announced a new venue for next season (https://www.oneknoxsc.com/news/2024/08/22/boyd-sports-and-one-knox/) and the word is that it’s much better in terms of location. It can be deceptively hard to do well in a college town as well - people already have those set loyalties in terms of fandom. Coming onto the scene after Nashville happened in MLS couldn’t have helped either, just given how people look down on “minor leagues.”
I see that it's still a baseball venue, which leads to a less intimate atmosphere. But hopefully the new venue is more central, within the community, and with additional community and sponsorship opportunities that are not available in the old college venue....