Sports - Randy Boyd

An avid baseball fan, Randy owns or operates through Boyd Sports, LLC., the Knoxville Smokies, the Chicago Cubs’ Double-A Minor League Affiliate, as well as several summer collegiate baseball teams that make up half of the Appalachian League in Northeast Tennessee including the Bristol State Liners, Johnson City Doughboys, Greeneville Flyboys, Kingsport Axmen and Elizabethton River Riders.

BASEBALL

Randy has been a devoted athlete and sports fan all of his life.

His childhood dream of owning a baseball team became a reality in 2013 when the AA affiliate for the Chicago Cubs, the Tennessee Smokies, became available for sale. Randy and Jenny pledged to reinvest in the team and make upgrades to the facilities that draw families from all across East Tennessee every season. Now known as “America’s Friendliest BallPark,” you can find Randy and Jenny at many home games handing out signed baseballs to kids.

SMOKIES RETURNING TO KNOXVILLE

Randy has led the effort to build a new multi-use stadium in Downtown Knoxville.

In partnership with the City of Knoxville and Knox County, Randy and Jenny are providing land and private funding to build a new publicly owned, multi-use baseball stadium will connect East Knoxville with the Old City and downtown. The stadium will host the Smokies, concerts, festivals, football, and soccer. GEM Community Development Group, the private development partner to Boyd Sports, will undertake a major private development to complement the stadium.

With the stadium facilities and a public plaza as a gathering place, it is anticipated the stadium can host hundreds of events a year. GEM’s private development has attracted residential projects with restaurants and other entertainment and commercial uses. The project is expected to generate more than 3,000 local jobs.

Construction is underway and is anticipated to open in March 2025.

THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE

Randy became a Vol for Life at the age of 16 when he graduated from high school early and worked nights and weekends to pay for classes at the University of Tennessee.

Since graduating in 1979, he’s continued supporting not only academics at his alma mater, but also athletics, including football and baseball. Most recently, Randy and Jenny contributed $5.5 million to the track and field program to help the university open a state-of-the-art facility for student athletes.