KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – They say the best things in life come to those who wait.  

One Knoxville SC was forced to wait until its sixth game of the 2025 USL League One season to play its first home match, as it welcomed USL Championship side FC Tulsa into its new home at Covenant Health Park next to Knoxville’s Old City in the USL Jägermeister Cup. 

As the club began its third season in League One, One Knox moved across town from the University of Tennessee’s Regal Soccer Stadium, where the club had a 9-10-8 record across two seasons in league play. One Knox christened the brand-new stadium, which it shares with the MiLB’s Knoxville Smokies, with a dramatic shootout victory over its higher-division opponents.  

For the team, which made its first League One Playoffs appearance last season, creating a home field advantage would be imperative to achieve the success it was aiming for.  

“[Head Coach Ian Fuller] made it very clear that he wanted to be the best team in the league and he wasn’t afraid of saying that and having that out there in our environment,” said One Knox defender Jordan Skelton. 

While the team grew into its boots during its first year with Fuller at the helm, consistent results in the beginning of the season were something they had to fight for, putting together just one winning streak of at least three games in the first four months of league play.  

“Moving into a new stadium, it takes time to feel comfortable,” said Fuller. “It takes time to build that fortress. I’ve been lucky enough to open a few stadiums, and I knew it was going to be a challenge for us to feel that, but the only thing that changes that is performance. We were able to perform better and better, without losing, though maybe not always getting the results we were hoping for.” 

“We had a blessing and a curse last year at Regal because everybody loved coming here,” said Skelton, who was recently named the 2025 USL League One Defender of the Year. “Because it was one of the best fields in the league, whereas I think now teams come to Knoxville and don’t like playing here because it’s not comfortable. It’s not the perfect environment, which is exactly what we love is the fact that people come here and don’t like being here.” 

The Englishman who wears the captain's armband for One Knox says the team looks to be aggressive and set the tone, hoping to match the energy their fans bring and keep the opponent on its toes. 

Skelton and Lewis both started in One Knox’s first professional match, a 2-1 victory over Lexington SC in March 2023. Now, the pair will each make their 88th league appearance for the club, having this week being named the 2025 USL League One Defender and Goalkeeper of the Year, respectively, as One Knox hosts Spokane Velocity FC in the 2025 USL League One Final on Sunday (5 p.m. ET | CBS Sports Golazo Network). 

“To get it at home in front of the fans would just be such a fantastic way to pay them back for all the support we’ve been receiving over these last few years and give them something to be excited about,” said Lewis about the chance to lift a trophy on home field for the second time this season. 

As Fuller and his coaching staff help prepare their squad for the Final, they recognize Spokane will provide a tough test as a team returning to its second consecutive Final. At the same time, they remain focused on their own style of play, which is what got them to this point. Having a high level on and off the ball throughout the match will be key for One Knox to end its first year undefeated in its “fortress” at Covenant Health Park. 

“There were moments and glimpses of a complete performance. We still haven’t done it over 90 minutes; I would love for it to happen in the Final.”