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Kids compete at the Epic Sports Park in Provo in an undated photo.

Courtesy Provo City

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The Epic Sports Park is pictured Aug. 29, 2025, in Provo.

Jacob Nielson, Daily Herald

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On Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, Provo City leaders and officials held a grand-opening celebration for the new Epic Sports Park.

Courtesy Provo City

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The Epic Sports Park is pictured Aug. 29, 2025, in Provo.

Jacob Nielson, Daily Herald

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Provo City built the Epic Sports Park with two goals in mind: Generate economic development and solve field shortage issues for local teams.

Approaching the end of the event center’s first full summer, Provo Parks and Recreation Director Doug Robins believes the city hit on both those marks.

“In the past year, the Epic Sports Park has really become a powerful engine for sports tourism economic development,” Robins said. “We’re now attracting teams and families from across the entire region and even the nation.”

The completion of Phase 1 of the Epic Sports Park in west Provo last year delivered 15 natural turf grass fields capable of accommodating soccer, football, ultimate frisbee, rugby and lacrosse, among other sports.

When it first opened last September, Robins said a pair of fall regional tournaments brought in $3.5 million in local economic impact, citing Utah Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau data.

This year, Robins said the field hosted five national tournaments and eight local events through August and generated $12.5 million in local economic impact, with 15,000 hotel room nights in the valley.

That figure is expected to grow next year.

“In 2026 we’re negotiating right now, but we can almost confirm that we will be the host site of one of the largest and most sought-after soccer tournaments in the country,” Robins said. “So the projections for next year will increase to $20.5 million in local economic impact and a staggering 38,000-plus hotel room nights.”

The fields weren’t just booked out for tournaments throughout the spring and summer, though. Robins said the Epic Sports Park was able to cater to more than 300 local teams who, prior to the Epic Sports Park, were competing for a small number of fields across the city.

This year, he said there was plenty of field space to go around and local teams clocked nearly 6,000 hours of playing time.

“We’ve had a lot of great feedback from our local residents who have used the fields, and they’re just really amazed at the high quality that they get to play on,” he said. “We’ve got a user-friendly online reservation system that makes it easy for our local teams and event organizers to book fields efficiently.”

The new fields have kept the parks and recreation department busy, as it handles field maintenance duties such as irrigation and mowing, while running the rec sports leagues.

Robins said existing staff members have handled the increased responsibilities, and that field rental charges are meant to maintain and manage field operation.

“Our intent from the very beginning was such that this facility would be a self-sufficient operation and not be a burden to taxpayers,” he said. “So far, we’ve been able to deliver on that, and we will in the future as well.”

Still in the works is Phase 2 of the Epic Sports Park, which will involve five remaining fields on the southwest corner and dozens of pickleball courts.

Robins said the city is working on a funding plan to complete it.

“We’ve enjoyed funding participation from the federal government, as well as Utah County and Provo, and we’re looking forward to working with our partners to finish the park over time,” he said.