Next major/mid-major professional sport to enter the Oklahoma City market will be?

[Laramie]

Which of these major/mid-major professional sports do you believe will be the next to penetrate the Oklahoma City market and why?



MLB: Major League Baseball

MSL: Major League Soccer

NFL: National Football League

NHL: National Hockey League

WNBA: Women's National Basketball Association

[Laramie]

I feel that Oklahoma City should attempt to lure Major League Soccer. The franchise fee is currently $10-$20 million and we could place a team in Wantland Stadium in Edmond which now has a seating capacity of 12,000. The stadium could be expanded and used until a new soccer-american football specific stadium with a seating capacity in the neighborhood of 25,000 to 50,000 could be built in Oklahoma City.

[theparkman81]

I feel that Oklahoma City should attempt to lure Major League Soccer. The franchise fee is currently $10-$20 million and we could place a team in Wantland Stadium in Edmond which now has a seating capacity of 12,000. The stadium could be expanded and used until a new soccer-american football specific stadium with a seating capacity in the neighborhood of 25,000 to 50,000 could be built in Oklahoma City.

I agree Laramie, I think it will be awesome if they built a soccer specific stadium down by the Oklahoma River, somewhere in downtown, or even the suburbs like Edmond or Norman.

[Of Sound Mind]

None of the above

[Dustin]

In the far, far, far away future, I would say the NFL

[jmarkross]

I predict the NFL will come here far sooner than anyone believes...

[jn1780]

If were talking about now, maybe major league soccer or WNBA(arena will be empty no matter what, thats just the way it is). I don't see OKC ever having baseball or football not in the next 50 years anyway.

[dmoor82]

Well,OKC's metro population right now is 1.3 million and the general rule is One pro sport for every One Million people.Based on that and current facilities I'd say OKC cannot support any of the other of the major 3(MLB,NFL,NHL)but MLS is a possiblity,Many college football stadiums in The Metro could host such a sport!Check back in about 10-20 years as OKC's population might be able to atleast host One other of the major four!

[OKCisOK4me]

I'm not voting because you didn't put 'none of the above' as an option.

[dmoor82]

^^That would also be a good option!We need to see how OKC supports The Thunder when they have multiple losing seasons!

[CaptDave]

MLS could work - a few years ago exhibitions were held and were well attended. It is thought that OKC/Edmond was very close to landing a MLS franchise but unfortunately an ownership group did not materialize as expected (Express Sports I think were presumed to have been the leading candidate).

One big advantage is the MLS and NBA seasons do not overlap too badly. The MLS Cup is played about when the NBA regular season begins. Personally my two favorite US leagues are NBA and MLS so I would be in heaven if OKC somehow had both!!

[HOT ROD]

I know OKC can support the NFL, it is not a question of whether OKC given how football crazy the city is. The key is we need an NFL specific stadium to make it happen. I have heard others who have said the same, that the NFL should do an expansion to add LA and 1-3 other spots (to keep the same divisions/leagues); and OKC was mentioned. I think it was on SSC or something, I don't remember, but I do recall thinking - yeah, OKC definitely could support the NFL attendance wise and with the rise of corporate and if the NFL team was owned by Bennett, I definitely think it all could work.

I know there are those who say OKC could support the MLS, which is probably true. But are there really enough foreign transplants, with money, to make MLS a reality? I know OKC area has enough people to support OU, OSU, and NFL; and I believe that the NBA is so different, that the city could continue to do well with it - albeit probably quite stretched to do both majors and the two schools (not to mention OCU, SMU, and UCO).

But MLS is sort of a niche league to me, and while OKC does have a lot of immigrants, do they have money/interest in an OKC futbol team to make it work? not so sure.

I do agree, if OKC can become 1.5M metro, the corporate base continues to expand/get richer, and the ownership of pro teams continues with Bennett and the same club - then NFL is a given as long as the team does not permanently play at OU's Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium. I hope MAPS IV has an NFL 60,000 seat luxury stadium as its signature project, alongside greatly expanded transit (Commuter Rail, Expanded Streetcar, and local and commuter bus).

[betts]

Better to support one team well than two teams mediocrely. I'd like to have the NFL here, but I'm not sure if Jerry Jones has enough clout to keep that from happening eventually. LA is going to get their team, and we're probably going to have to get in line behind other cities that are growing as fast or faster and don't yet have a second team. Portland and San Antonio come to mind.

[Achilleslastand]

I cant see OKC supporting a NFL team and pulling in 50,000 fans or more each week for 16 weeks. Plus a lot here support the cowboys and the chiefs.

[Snowman]

I don't have a link but their was an article recently about how their are 3 or 4 teams likely move if their were NFL caliber stadiums for them elsewhere, as much as half of small market teams income comes from the NFL's national TV rights anyway and most cities in the top 100 most populated list would not have a problem filling the seats with an average team. Though would be at somewhat of a disadvantage to the bigger market teams like New York, Dallas, Chicago and if LA get a team would have more chances to sell merchandise, squeeze in a few more fans and charge higher prices per ticket.

[betts]

I cant see OKC supporting a NFL team and pulling in 50,000 fans or more each week for 16 weeks. Plus a lot here support the cowboys and the chiefs.

It's actually 8 home games. I actually don't think we'd have any trouble filling an NFL stadium, although it is possible an NFL team could affect attendance at OU, OSU and Thunder games, especially in down years for any of them. I supported the Mavericks before the Hornets and Thunder came. The minute we had our own team I forgot about the Mavs in a heartbeat. I suspect the same thing would happen with an NFL team. I just think that it's unlikely we get an NFL team anytime in the near future, unless we become the hot new place to live, and I'm not talking about the weather.

[BDK]

MLS by far makes the most sense with the lower cost of entry and the lower attendance expectations. It'd be smart to buy in early as MLS will certainly overtake at least the NHL, and possibly MLB in popularity. NFL makes zero sense in Oklahoma City with the smaller population and proximity of OU and OSU. Honestly, with a population increase, the NFL would make more sense in Tulsa than Oklahoma City.

[Jersey Boss]

Lacross would be a natural fit.

[metro]

Lacross would be a natural fit.

I think we have a lacrosse team, not sure if it ever materialized though

[jn1780]

Aside from poor demographics,the current trend is to build ridiculously expensive football stadiums. Oklahoma doesn't have the money to build a stadium that can compete unless someone like Jerry Jones comes to town.

[ljbab728]

Aside from poor demographics,the current trend is to build ridiculously expensive football stadiums. Oklahoma doesn't have the money to build a stadium that can compete unless someone like Jerry Jones comes to town.

Oklahoma has the money. It's just that those who have that money don't have the same mentality of Jerry Jones. And that could be a good thing. LOL

[Bill Robertson]

Baseball - You have to have an average attendance of about 30,000 for 81 home games. Games overlap basketball season. I don't see this happening in the anywhere near future.

Soccer - I don't know enough about to even guess.

Football - Need a new 100,000 seat stadium. Any new stadium anywhere will have to be on par with Jerry-World. You have to keep up with the Jones's (no pun intended). Season would overlap basketball and college football. I don't see this happening in the anywhere near future.

Hockey - Too many NHL teams say they're in trouble. League will contract before it expands.

WNBA - Seriously? It's a miracle the league even exists. The NBA keeps pumping money into something that loses lots of money every year. They'll get tired of that eventually.

[lasomeday]

I think soccer has exponential potential for the US market. I don't see a lot of overlap in the customer base either. The soccer crowd is very loyal and will drive to see a game. I hope we get a team in the next 8-10 years. I don't see it happening any earlier economically speaking. It would be a bit too far reaching for the city before then unless we see a population boom like Austin, which isn't totally out of the question.......

[Laramie]

I think soccer has exponential potential for the US market. I don't see a lot of overlap in the customer base either. The soccer crowd is very loyal and will drive to see a game. I hope we get a team in the next 8-10 years. I don't see it happening any earlier economically speaking. It would be a bit too far reaching for the city before then unless we see a population boom like Austin, which isn't totally out of the question.......

Ture, the NBA season and MLS season aren't in conflict. Salt Lake City which has the same demographics as Oklahoma City is a good example of the MLS working in an NBA market.

If we spent $115 million on a soccer specific stadium in Oklahoma City we could ge more for our bucks than what they built in Utah. A $100 million could build a 30,000 - 35,000 seat stadium here.

Salt Lake City recently built a soccer specific stadium in suburban Sandy Utah:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Tinto_Stadium

Edmond is probably as comparable to Oklahoma City as Sandy is to Salt Lake City.

MLS could work in the Oklahoma City area.

[SoonerDave]

Agree with those who wanted a "None of the above" option.

While I think it actually might be the most likely prospect among those listed, I don't think MLB wouldn't get enough consistent attendance over 81 home dates. Sorry, but I've been hearing about how soccer is going to "explode" in US popularity since I was a kid, and it still isn't there yet. Can't imagine the city sinking $100+ million into a soccer-only facility, so that's a loser, too. No way we'd get the requisite 65K+ seat stadium only three hours away from Jerry World for any NFL consideration, so that's out. NHL is on shaky financial footing and will cut franchises before they expand, and the WNBA is an unqualified joke as a professional sports enterprise.

Sorry to sound like a "Debbie Downer," but I'm trying to be honest....I think an NFL franchise would be awesome in OKC, but I just don't see it ever happening.