New State Fair Coliseum

[Plutonic Panda]

It looks like it can be added in the future, right? Just like the video massive screen they had showed.

[bombermwc]

It's really unfortunate that they reduced the size so much. It's really the same size as Union High School's UMAC. That's depressing.

Now it will probably loud AF when it comes time for state basketball though. With that low roof, it's going to be an even louder Loud City.

Maybe they'll pull a Ghalagher Iba when they expand it one day. LOL.

[_Kyle]

I'm curious what the updated seating capacity is.

[bombermwc]

I believe it said above that its only like 5k and maybe a little more for basketball. Far smaller than the old arena. Now it wasn't full for most events, but this will be busting at the seams.

[Pete]

The fixed seats are 5,500 and capacity can be expanded to 9,000 for sporting events.

[SEMIweather]

Yeah, hopefully expanding to 9,000 for sporting events is relatively straightforward because there were just about that many people in the Big House for the Douglass/Weatherford 4A State Championship last year. And I’d say pretty much all of the state title games have at least 5,000 people in attendance.

[Pete]

Norick arena can hold almost 11,000, so this won't be much smaller.

[HOT ROD]

Norick was permanent 11K though, right.

[Laramie]

Going to miss the Norick State Fair Arena. The All College (basketball) Tournament was moved from the Municipal Auditorium in 1965 to the fairgrounds and the NFR started it run in OKC. The Oklahoma City Blazers played there until we opened the Myriad Convention. Our very first two arenas following the Stockyard Coliseum will probably be demolished sometime in 2026.

It will be a sad time in the name of progress.

[Jeepnokc]

Going to miss the Norick State Fair Arena. The All College (basketball) Tournament was moved from the Municipal Auditorium in 1965 to the fairgrounds and the NFR started it run in OKC. The Oklahoma City Blazers played there until we opened the Myriad Convention. Our very first two arenas following the Stockyard Coliseum will probably be demolished sometime in 2026.

It will be a sad time in the name of progress.

Didn't realize there was a coliseum at the stockyards so I googled. Also didn't realize we had a hockey team as far back as 1926

https://icehockey.fandom.com/wiki/Stockyards_Coliseum

[Dob Hooligan]

Didn't realize there was a coliseum at the stockyards so I googled. Also didn't realize we had a hockey team as far back as 1926

https://icehockey.fandom.com/wiki/Stockyards_Coliseum

I thought the Stockyards Coliseum was around until 1970-ish? My dad dropped a buddy and I there to watch pro wrestling around 1968. We were about 10. Sure a lot different than what was recorded at WKY Studios. Blood, sweat, cussing, toothless screaming people. And that was in the stands.

[Laramie]

I thought the Stockyards Coliseum was around until 1970-ish? My dad dropped a buddy and I there to watch pro wrestling around 1968. We were about 10. Sure a lot different than what was recorded at WKY Studios. Blood, sweat, cussing, toothless screaming people. And that was in the stands.

Yes I remember those stands, some of the fans who attended the Friday night wrestling matches worked in Packingtown for Armor & Company. The new State Fair Coliseum is almost a
clone of the old Stockyards Coliseum.

The last bus (Exchange Avenue) that departed the coliseum left at 11 p.m., for main street downtown. Several times we missed that bus and a group of six of us had to walk home from the coliseum across the Exchange Avenue Bridge to the Page-Woodson area. Very dangerous for teenagers walking home from 11 p.m. to 12 midnight.

[borchard]

Going to miss the Norick State Fair Arena. The All College (basketball) Tournament was moved from the Municipal Auditorium in 1965 to the fairgrounds and the NFR started it run in OKC. The Oklahoma City Blazers played there until we opened the Myriad Convention. Our very first two arenas following the Stockyard Coliseum will probably be demolished sometime in 2026.

It will be a sad time in the name of progress.

I remember in 92-94(?) The Blazers had to play several games every year at the FG Coliseum due to Indoor Fun Fair? And I remember learning VERY early to NEVER sit behind the goal in the north end of the arena. It was elevated higher than the same area at the Myriad, and as such it was a launch pad for errant, or blocked, slapshots. I know I saw at least (3) people get absolutely nailed. It was the same thing when I went to a game in Memphis at Mid-South Coliseum.

[iMAX386]

Has there already been talk about how the "K"in the "OKC" on the exterior looks dumb/ugly? They couldn't match the width/kerning of the O and the C? It looks so cheaply done.

[scottk]

Has there already been talk about how the "K"in the "OKC" on the exterior looks dumb/ugly? They couldn't match the width/kerning of the O and the C? It looks so cheaply done.

Didn't the budget on the new fair ground arena get cut back from $126 million to about $82 million?

What was initially promised or shown in renderings, including signage and exterior architectural features, was significantly cut back. The building will be new and an improvement over the 55 year old Norick Arena in regards to operational logistics, but it seems a lot like the original Ford Center that was built bare bones to get it up and running in the budget available.

The seating capacity will be very similar to the Chisholm Trail Expo Center in Enid, which seats around 8,000 and is designed to accommodate horse shows much like this.

And I think that is where I am at on the project, it's the type of facility you would expect in a town the size of Enid, Joplin, or Salina, KS. Not really in the 20th largest city in the country.

I know we will have a grand new NBA arena a few miles east of this, but I think a lot of us were expecting so much more.

[Laramie]

I remember in 92-94(?) The Blazers had to play several games every year at the FG Coliseum due to Indoor Fun Fair? And I remember learning VERY early to NEVER sit behind the goal in the north end of the arena. It was elevated higher than the same area at the Myriad, and as such it was a launch pad for errant, or blocked, slapshots. I know I saw at least (3) people get absolutely nailed. It was the same thing when I went to a game in Memphis at Mid-South Coliseum.

Yes my friend, I remember the old Mid South Coliseum where OCU had many battles with Memphis State, where the Chief's (now Stars) black players were called the 'N' word from the crowd repeatedly despite the objections of Coach Abe Lemons.

Also listening to John Brooks 'Voice of the Blazers,' he made Matt Pinto's assault on the officials look like love taps, more like a slap on the risk.

You're correct about sitting behind that goal end zone area, witnessed seeing a man get hit by a puck that--his head swell from an eye shiner that would have caught attention of envy from the 'Creature of the Black Lagoon.'

Unfortunately, the new State Fair Coliseum will be so booked when it opens, there will be no room to have an ice plant for ice hockey. Now the ice shows that will be apart of the
Coliseum are temporary to support the 'Ice Capades' and not a standard ice rink--no skating at the SFC.

I'll go so far as to say the old Stockyards Coliseum would be heavily booked if it were here today. Fort Worth has its 14,000 seat Dixie's Arena and Will Rogers 5,000-seat Coliseum and still maintains the Historic 5,000 seat Cowtown Coliseum and Tarrant County 12,500 seat coliseum (Tarrant County convention center & coliseum complex).
.

To stress how 'greedy' Dallas-Arlington part of the Metroplex, there's NFL, MLB, NBA & NHL and no major sports franchises in Fort Worth. MLS is in Frisco. In Minnesota twin cities, Minneapolis hosts NFL, MLB & NBA and St. Paul hosts NHL and MLS.

That's why I wanted to see NHL in Tulsa with NBA and MLS in OKC. Still give prompts to T-town being able to support NHL with an NHL arena and part of the OKC-TUL combined viewership which boasts over 1.4 million TV households.

[Pete]

Didn't the budget on the new fair ground arena get cut back from $126 million to about $82 million?

What was initially promised or shown in renderings, including signage and exterior architectural features, was significantly cut back. The building will be new and an improvement over the 55 year old Norick Arena in regards to operational logistics, but it seems a lot like the original Ford Center that was built bare bones to get it up and running in the budget available.

No, the MAPS that was voted on showed $63 million plus another $25 million to come from the hotel tax.

As with every single project managed by the city, they severely under-budgeted and had to cut way back on what was actually built and/or move money from another budget to cover the shortfall.

Besides big cutbacks to the coliseum itself, there was originally to be a connector to the super barn, but that got completely axed.


Nobody ever really understands this type of massive change because the city refuses to report against original budgets and promised scope. They just change things as they go and never discuss how far they missed the original mark, and therefore there is no learning or accountability, which means we keep repeating these big mistakes.

Just this week, they announced massive cutbacks on the Palomar facility.

[Laramie]

Pete, are the city's hotel-motel dedicated room taxes being channeled to support the State Fair Coliseum. . .

[Pete]

Pete, are the city's hotel-motel dedicated room taxes being channeled to support the State Fair Coliseum. . .

The state fairgrounds get a dedicated percentage of the city-wide hotel/motel tax.

[scottk]

No, the MAPS that was voted on showed $63 million plus another $25 million to come from the hotel tax.

Pete thanks for the clarification.

I was getting information from here, which led to the discrepancy.
https://shorturl.at/FWqZj

On a related note, I found it interesting that the Kia Forum in Los Angeles which was opened about the same time as the current State Fair Arena, is still open, and from the outside looks like a bigger version of Norick Arena. Obviously, the Kings and Lakers moved to Staples Center/Crypto.com Arena in the late 90's, but the arena there still has function. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kia_Forum

[Pete]

The Forum is much bigger and has undergone several major renovations.

I suspect it will eventually come down but for now they'll need it for the Olympics in 2028.

[ditm4567]

What is the plan for The Big House? I had heard that one of the main wrecking companies in town won't even bid on the demo because of how close they built the new arena--even after multiple people told the planners it was too close.

[gjl]

I just hope they make the fair entrance there where you don't have to walk all the way down to the back of the horse barns and go through them to enter the fair by the time it opens this year. It has been like that for the last two years.

[Rover]

What is the plan for The Big House? I had heard that one of the main wrecking companies in town won't even bid on the demo because of how close they built the new arena--even after multiple people told the planners it was too close.

Not sure I understand their reluctance if they are at all competent. Demo of adjacent buildings happen all the time.

[Laramie]

Not sure I understand their reluctance if they are at all competent. Demo of adjacent buildings happen all the time.

Agree, there will be companies that will bid on demo of this project. Bidders are bonded.