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ports is big business.
This is, perhaps, most
apparent through the enormous salaries and
lucrative endorsements that make the nation’Äôs
top athletes some of the wealthiest men and women
in the country.
Sports Illustrated
’Äôs latest tally puts boxer
FloydMayweather at the top of the heap. In 2012, May-
weather received $85million in sports-related income.
The second and third top earners, golfers Phil Mick-
elson and Tiger Woods, earned $60 and $56 million,
respectively.
In Knoxville, sports have a huge impact, too. Accord-
ing to a report published in January of this year by the
University of Tennessee Center for Business & Economic
Research, ’Äúthe total economic impact of the UTAD [Uni-
versity of Tennessee Athletic Department] on the state is
equivalent to $151 million in income, or over 2,900 jobs.
Additionally, the UTAD generates over $28 million in state
and local tax revenues.’Äù And the University is just one part
of the network of sports teams, gyms, and independent
athletes who live and thrive in Knoxville.
Fitness training can be a solitary pursuit of perfection,
but in many cases, these activities can also bring people
together, forming friendships and creating communi-
ties around a common love of the game. In our continu-
ing series on Knoxville businesses that create revenue and
keep our economy strong,
Cityview
looks at two businesses
that actively engage with the community’Äîinstead of only
doing business here: D1 Sports Training and Next Level
Training. In addition to what they contribute to Knoxville
economically, both of these businesses focus ondeveloping
the physical fitness of their clients’Äîand a community of
those who choose to train there.
Sept. ’Äì Oct. 2013
72
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER 201 3
Profiles by Connor Sears
Photography by Tyler Oxendine