One Knoxville SC to return to Covenant Health Park champions in home opener

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - One Knoxville Sporting Club will return to Covenant Health Park Saturday champions of USL League One when they play Forward Madison. It’ll mark the first time Knoxville soccer fans get to see the club play a match at home since the historic win in November.

The team that takes the field Saturday will be different from the one owner Drew McKenna brought together in 2021, when the club kicked off. One Knoxville SC has spent the last five or so years finding its way not just to the top of the USL1 table, but to a place to call home. The team saw play on fields made for the wrong kind of football, starting its first ever season at Austin-East High School before moving to Maryville College’s campus and making Regal Stadium at the University of Tennessee its semi-permanent home.

Previous Coverage: HISTORY MADE | One Knox wins club’s first ever playoff title

That journey also saw growth for the team, stopping up a level in the U.S.’s soccer pyramid from pre-professional USL2 to the current level of USL1. It’s a point of pride for the franchise, which mentions the early series of club wins in its history.

“The transition to full-time professionalism represents our growth and determination to be a lasting presence in the American soccer landscape,” the club’s website reads. “With a commitment to excellence, player development, and community engagement, we are proud of where we’ve come and excited for what the future holds.”

One Knoxville will face Forward Madison at 7 p.m. Saturday. The team is coming off a 3-2 win at Westchester Soccer Club’s New York stadium.