The Big Sport Show is bringing a two-day card collectors and autograph event to Knoxville, Tennessee, with a weekend built around sports cards, memorabilia, vendor tables, and scheduled athlete appearances. The show is designed for collectors who want more than a quick browse: there are admission tiers, autograph opportunities, premium ticket options, and a guest lineup that leans heavily into baseball, football, basketball, and Tennessee sports nostalgia.
Hosted at World's Fair Exhibition Hall in downtown Knoxville, Big Sport Show has the kind of venue footprint that fits a larger collector weekend. The hall is tied to the 1982 World's Fair site, sits near hotels and restaurants, and gives visiting collectors a practical home base for making the show part of a broader downtown weekend.
A Full Day of Cards & Collectibles
For collectors, the core draw of Big Sport Show is the chance to shop in person. The event is promoted as a card collectors and autograph show, so sports cards should be the center of the floor, with dealers, cases, boxes, signed items, photos, memorabilia, and mixed collectibles likely to be part of the experience depending on each vendor's setup. Vendor tables are advertised as starting at $65, which suggests the organizer is actively building a dealer floor around both buying and selling.
This is the kind of show where in-person browsing matters. Collectors can check corners and surfaces under real light, compare raw cards against graded examples, look through bargain boxes, and talk directly with sellers about pricing, trades, and player runs. With a Knoxville venue and a guest list that includes Tennessee connections, the show should also appeal to collectors chasing local favorites, Vols alumni, Braves, Reds, Rangers, and football names with regional pull.
The ticket screenshot lists several ways to attend, including daily admission, a two-day pass, premium one-day and two-day tickets, a friends and family pass, and a VIP two-day ticket. The organizer also notes that tickets start at $15 and include free signers each day, which gives collectors a useful reason to compare ticket tiers before deciding how much of the weekend they want to spend at the hall.
More Than Just a Card Show
The autograph lineup is a major part of Big Sport Show. The official show page and screenshots list Dale Murphy, Tee Martin, Peerless Price, Jamal Lewis, Jermaine Copeland, Eric Davis, Chris Sabo, Ruben Sierra, Julio Franco, Jack Clark, Bubba Trammell, Tristen Keys, Savannah Bananas Dancing Umpire Vincent Chapman, John Rocker, and Chris Lofton among the announced appearances. Several are marked as designated signers, and the organizer says VIP or autograph bundle buyers can choose from three designated signers.
Friday-only names shown in the screenshots include Jack Clark, Bubba Trammell, and John Rocker, while Saturday-only guests include much of the larger announced lineup. Bubba Trammell is shown as a free signer, Jermaine Copeland is listed with one free autograph per person and an additional autograph price, and John Rocker's autograph/selfie/combo prices are marked TBA. The organizer also states that all guests and times are subject to change, so autograph-focused attendees should check the official event page close to show weekend before locking in plans.
For Tennessee football fans, the 1998 National Championship Team angle gives the event a clear local hook. Tee Martin, Peerless Price, Jamal Lewis, and Jermaine Copeland are all promoted with 1998 championship context, while Tristen Keys adds a current Tennessee Volunteers connection. Baseball collectors get a deep group as well, including Dale Murphy, Eric Davis, Chris Sabo, Ruben Sierra, Julio Franco, Jack Clark, Bubba Trammell, and John Rocker.
The venue information adds another practical layer. World's Fair Exhibition Hall is described by the venue as a 70,000-square-foot facility used for public shows, exhibitions, sporting events, and meetings. Downtown Knoxville offers restaurants, hotels, shopping, and live entertainment nearby, and the organizer notes that parking is free in city-owned garages, including Locust Street Garage, after 6 p.m. and on weekends.
A Show for All Levels of Collectors
Big Sport Show has several entry points depending on how you collect. A casual fan can buy a daily ticket, browse sports cards, and meet a favorite player without committing to the full weekend. A more serious autograph collector may want to review the posted autograph pricing, decide which items to bring, and compare the VIP or autograph bundle options against individual signer prices.
For card-first collectors, the show can be a good place to hunt for player collections tied to the announced guests. Braves collectors may look for Dale Murphy or John Rocker pieces, Reds fans may chase Eric Davis and Chris Sabo cards, and Tennessee collectors may bring cards, photos, programs, mini helmets, footballs, or jerseys tied to the 1998 Vols names. The show also gives collectors a chance to find unsigned cards on the floor before heading to the autograph area.
Families and newer collectors can approach the weekend more simply. Daily admission starts at a lower price point than VIP, and the friends and family pass gives larger groups another option to review. In-person shows are also easier for beginners because they can ask questions, compare examples, and learn what different card conditions, slabs, autographs, and display items look like in real life.
Because the organizer is still teasing more announcements and more free signers, Big Sport Show may continue to evolve before May. The best move for autograph-focused collectors is to treat the published lineup as a strong starting point, then confirm signer schedules, item rules, and pricing on the official site before the event.
Final Thoughts
The Big Sport Show is shaping up to be a strong weekend for collectors in Knoxville and the surrounding area, especially anyone interested in sports cards, autographs, Tennessee athletes, and regional hobby community. If you attend, let the organizer or other attendees know you found the show on Card Show Dex, and stay tuned for more upcoming events across Tennessee.
Keep an eye on the local lineup through the Knoxville card show calendar.