No more wondering whether people are talking about Kodak or Knoxville when it comes to the Smokies’ stadium: The city’s new stadium, scheduled to open in April 2025, will be called Covenant Health Park.
The Double-A Chicago Cubs affiliate announced the naming rights deal Aug. 27, which will put the East Tennessee health care network’s branding front and center at the nation’s newest minor league baseball stadium, which will play its first game on April 15.
Knoxville-based Covenant Health is made up of multiple hospitals and a network of physicians across 25 counties.
The baseball team plans to adopt a new name for the 2025 season, dropping “Tennessee” in favor of the more low-key “Knoxville Smokies.”
The team last played in Knoxville under the name Smokies from 1993 to 1999 before moving to Kodak. The team’s previous Knoxville home, Bill Meyer Stadium, was demolished in 2003.
Smokies season tickets will be on sale through the 2025 season at the new stadium.
Last week, another team also officially announced that they will call the new stadium home: One Knoxville SC, which will begin playing in the new stadium in 2025. The professional soccer team, which has previously played its home games at Regal Soccer Stadium on the campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is now accepting season ticket reservations at oneknoxsc.com.
The stadium will seat about 6,600 people, according to Doug Kirchhofer, CEO of team owner Boyd Sports Co. Stadium features include a party deck, a scoreboard in the shape of the state of Tennessee, a revival of the Old City water tower and a year-round concourse.
The project also includes adjacent residential units overlooking the field, an expansive public plaza and exterior-facing shops and restaurants.
This is the second stadium naming rights deal signed in Knoxville this month. Knoxville-based global energy company Pilot has secured a sponsorship deal with the Tennessee Athletics to retain the name of Neyland Stadium for the next 20 years.
