After analyzing over 2,000 communities over the last 20 years, The Sports Facilities Companies has predicted that the $39.7 billion youth and amateur travel sports and the $218 billion parks and recreation industries are colliding. They also predict that local government assets that are currently being operated by the parks department will require new models of operation and management to keep up with the demands of the private sector. With a 33% increase in the number of studies conducted for facilities from municipal clients, the evidence of the shift is already clear.

After Sand Mountain Park and Amphitheater’s first full year of full operation, they have brought in an estimated $23.2 million in economic impact. The park has not only generated increased revenue in the area, but also increased interest in the area by developers in the retail, hospitality, and entertainment industries. The increased revenue and interest was generated by the more than 100 events held at the facility over the past year including 62 sports tournaments, 11 concerts, and numerous community-oriented events. The park and the events that it held brought in more than 1 million unique guests and 1,750 teams from the all over the country.

Rocky Top Sports World has signed a 3-year deal with Big Shots Basketball Tournaments which will last through 2025. The facility currently hosts 2 Big Shots tournaments every spring and they will continue to do so. The tournaments attract 235 basketball teams of boys in divisions 10U to 17U that have brought in over $2.3 million in economic impact in previous years. In addition to high quality basketball tournaments, Big Shots also offers recruiting services and scholarships for those in attendance. And they also have a partnership with BALLERtv to livestream the tournaments for friends and families that can’t make it in-person. The next Big Shot tournaments at Rocky Top Sports World are the Rocky Top Tip-Off happening April 1-2 in 2023 and Rocky Top Mayhem which is held May 20-21 in 2023.