NFL in OKC

[Laramie]

I agree that OKC should not have an NFL team, but it is a stretch IMO to say that they couldn't support another professional team. OKC and Tulsa are close enough that any professional team in OK can draw support from both cities. If people are willing to drive from Tulsa to OKC for a Thunder game on a weeknight and then turn around and drive back, they would definitely make the trek for a game in the middle of the afternoon on a weekend. The two combined metros would add up to be in the neighborhood of 2.3 million people. This is bigger than a market like KC, where I'm from, which is a lot more isolated and the only real city that is close enough that people drive in for games on a consistent basis is Topeka (about 250,000 people). And KC has the NFL, MLB, MLS, and Nascar. The fact is that people in the middle of the country LOVE sports. How many metros of 5 million plus on the coasts have stadiums that are empty on a consistent basis? Short answer, lots. ~2 million people is all you need to support multiple franchises. Look at KC, Cleveland, Cincinnati, etc. Central OK could definitely support another professional team, but that doesn't mean that it should. I'd rather just continue to enjoy what we have.

Let's see what we can do with this Thunder franchise heading into 2016-17 and how the USL-Pro (2014) and NASL soccer (2015) will do and we should have a good grasp on where we want to go from here. MLS soccer would be our next goal among the five major leagues (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS):

We have enough disposal income in our area now to support MLS: Could Your City Give a Sports Team a Good Home?

OKLAHOMA CITY-TULSA, the NFL is within our grasp since there is a 150-mile radius to determine the NFL market which would encompass Oklahoma's two largest metropolitan areas.

Oklahoma City has $49 ($34 million for NBA) with $15 million available, Tulsa has $38.3 million available; that's $53.3 million availabe for the Tulsa-Oklahoma City areas. Oklahoma City would be more likely to get an NFL stadium built within the next ten years...

[betts]

Somebody who is fairly well connected today told me this is really a possibility. They said that the discussed location for a stadium is the cotton gin. But, he said, people will likely be watching the mayoral election very closely, as were Shadid mayor a push for an NFL stadium is unlikely.

[OKCretro]

The ship has sailed for a mls franchise.

No way we get a nfl team either... Best chance would be to get like the A's in mlb

[Mississippi Blues]

The ship has sailed for a mls franchise.

No way we get a nfl team either... Best chance would be to get like the A's in mlb

Why has the ship sailed on the MLS?

[OKCretro]

They have added I think 5 in the last 3 years and are adding 3 more. One in Miami (beckham's) one in Orlando and another I believe in NYC. Any articles of expansion never mention okc

[Mississippi Blues]

They have added I think 5 in the last 3 years and are adding 3 more. One in Miami (beckham's) one in Orlando and another I believe in NYC. Any articles of expansion never mention okc

MLS is a growing brand & the MLS seems to have some sort of an interest in OKC. I don't think the ship has sailed entirely, but I don't think it's going to happen for awhile if it does happen.

[Snowman]

The ship has sailed for a mls franchise. ...

Soccer at this point is not really like most US major leagues, unless something drastically changes it should be able to expand more than them. It is not even comprised of the majority of the best in the world which the practice of drawing various teams created the draft systems in the other leagues to keep cost low enough to be profitable and TV revenue is not even close to the size of the others which is the leading reason there is little incentive to expand in other leagues. Even at the most recent franchise fees of near a billion dollars in the NFL, the drop from adding that team looses existing owners enough of a percentage of TV revenue that a few years later they lost money and will continue to indefinitely verses just keeping the status quo. In some ways the business model of the highest tier soccer teams in the US is more like a higher tier minor league. That may change with increased popularity and it they can negotiate better TV contracts over time.

[OKCretro]

a mls expansion article.
No mention of okc being even a canidate....

David Beckham said to be planning 75,000-seat soccer stadium in Miami - chicagotribune.com

[CaptDave]

No thanks - unless some changes are made to the Congressionally sponsored racket they have used to take advantage of everyone associated with them.

National Freeloader League - Patrick Hruby - POLITICO Magazine

[Snowman]

No thanks - unless some changes are made to the Congressionally sponsored racket they have used to take advantage of everyone associated with them.

National Freeloader League - Patrick Hruby - POLITICO Magazine

It is not like they are alone, there is a site that does notes on all the major pro teams and unusually large minor and college subsidy propositions/awards at Field of Schemes | sports stadium news and analysis, baseball even go itself an anti-trust exemption

[Laramie]

It is not like they are alone, there is a site that does notes on all the major pro teams and unusually large minor and college subsidy propositions/awards at Field of Schemes | sports stadium news and analysis, baseball even go itself an anti-trust exemption

Good article with a lot of things we need to analyze as a country moving forward. In all fairness, the NFL is not the only example of inconsistencies and preferences given to businesses and corporations.

The federal, state and overall tax system has flaws; they didn't occur overnight. Years of reform we be needed to refine our tax codes.

"Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ...as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.

[harp23]

I'm a baseball fan but the last professional sport OKC could support is MLB. I can't see OKC putting 30,000 plus fans in a stadium 82 times a year. On the other hand the NFL would be greatly supported in a football crazy state like Oklahoma. 70,000 fans, 8 times a year, no problem. Who would suffer the most, The Thunder.

Good article with a lot of things we need to analyze as a country moving forward. In all fairness, the NFL is not the only example of inconsistencies and preferences given to businesses and corporations.

The federal, state and overall tax system has flaws; they didn't occur overnight. Years of reform we be needed to refine our tax codes.

"Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ...as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.

[bige4ou]

Make a move now OKC while downtown momentum is at its highest!

San Diego Chargers commit to play 2015 at Qualcomm Stadium - ESPN Beta

[Jersey Boss]

Make a move now OKC while downtown momentum is at its highest!

San Diego Chargers commit to play 2015 at Qualcomm Stadium - ESPN Beta

Regardless, OKC is a weak TV market, and in addition has a relatively small corporate sponsorship base that is not very diversified. Add in the fact that the NFL would be competing with OU for football entertainment dollars and it is obvious that other markets like LA and SA are more attractive.

[Jersey Boss]

I'm a baseball fan but the last professional sport OKC could support is MLB. I can't see OKC putting 30,000 plus fans in a stadium 82 times a year. On the other hand the NFL would be greatly supported in a football crazy state like Oklahoma. 70,000 fans, 8 times a year, no problem. Who would suffer the most, The Thunder.

I think that OU/OSU football would be the biggest competition for the entertainment dollar, not the Thunder.

[adaniel]

This thread really needs to die. I love OKC but this is not happening and it would be a disaster if it ever did in the near term.

Look at it this way, the only other market to have both NBA, NFL, and a large NCAA fanbase with a primary MSA population under 1.5 million is New Orleans. Even if you want to add in population of nearby metro's (NO+Baton Rouge+Biloxi MS+Houma LA) you'd come around to around 2.85 million, which would still be MORE than if you added OKC+Tulsa+Lawton...which comes out to 2.67 million.

And note that this is a market where NBA struggles have been well documented; why do you think it would somehow be different for OKC?

[Plutonic Panda]

One thing I want to ask, what was the deal with the Oakland Raiders Plans a Field of Dreams in OKC article? It was written by the team? So were they serious?

[Laramie]

One thing I want to ask, what was the deal with the Oakland Raiders Plans a Field of Dreams in OKC article? It was written by the team? So were they serious?

Plutonic Panda, I don't think they were serious. Now, did they put bait on their hook to see if there was interest in using a city as a possible pawn? NFL cities do that all the time. The Houston Oilers did that with Nashville.

Oklahoma City has been on the NFL's radar in the past (post Thunder). OKC is in a transformation period to where the hunger for more big league sports will always exists whether we like it or not. Our city shows signs that the development & population 'BOOM' is right around the corner.

Are we (Oklahoma) capable of supporting NBA & NFL along with a strong presence in the college football world? Something would have to give.

My optimism tells me that as we approach 2020, let's not turn a blind eye to any possible offers. It can't hurt to nibble on the bait; although we're not quit ready to get hooked.

[Plutonic Panda]

I honestly think we can support it. Oklahoman's love football. That is fact. Well, I'm an Oklahoman(I think)--I was born in OKC and lived here most of my life--and I'm not all the big on sports, but I do like them and enjoy going to a game as a social experience. Has Oklahoma ever had NFL? I really do think it would do well here and not cannibalize off of the Thunder or a potential pro soccer team. I would however say that, that will be more true in 5-10 years if we explode, which I hope happens.

[Laramie]

Remember when we built the downtown arena (The Peake). Doubters said that we couldn't support the NHL. We exceeded expectations with the NBA.

Now, let's build that foundation of a stadium (start with a MAPS IV private/public partnership, 20,000-seat riverfront stadium) which could some day be a catalyst to bring in other options for sports.

[Paseofreak]

Someone rather well respected wrote a while back (perhaps in this very thread) that one of the key metrics used to evaluate the potential for a successful major sports organization in a given location is the community's capacity for corporate support of the team. They referenced a detailed study of The OKC market that indicated that the Thunder absorb about 80% of the market's corporate support capacity and I tend to believe that, given advertising and sponsorship I see on TV. If that's anywhere near true, we won't see NFL here for quite some time unless there is a massive corporate relocation from out of town.

[jn1780]

Someone rather well respected wrote a while back (perhaps in this very thread) that one of the key metrics used to evaluate the potential for a successful major sports organization in a given location is the community's capacity for corporate support of the team. They referenced a detailed study of The OKC market that indicated that the Thunder absorb about 80% of the market's corporate support capacity and I tend to believe that, given advertising and sponsorship I see on TV. If that's anywhere near true, we won't see NFL here for quite some time unless there is a massive corporate relocation from out of town.

Hockey is a good example of this. Corporate sponsorship left and went to the NBA when the Thunder came to town.

[Laramie]

Hockey is a good example of this. Corporate sponsorship left and went to the NBA when the Thunder came to town.

Hockey is a good example?

Barons arrived in 2010-11 with a half stepping organization. Which hockey team and what sponsorships? You're not referring to the CHL AA Blazers?

Blazers had sponsors on the level of Walker Stamp, Chuck House Steaks, Express Personnel (legit large corporation) etc...

No local TV contracts for hockey on the AHL or CHL level. The old CHL (post 1990s) is now history. Tulsa & Wichita are now in a new league.

[traxx]

Regardless, OKC is a weak TV market, and in addition has a relatively small corporate sponsorship base that is not very diversified. Add in the fact that the NFL would be competing with OU for football entertainment dollars and it is obvious that other markets like LA and SA are more attractive.

I know LA always gets brought up by the "pundits" on ESPN but I just don't think an NFL team in LA is a must. Yeah, LA has a huge TV market, but what does that matter if no one there cares? LA has always been apathetic about football. I would say that they're at least a good basketball town, but last season everyone jumped off the Laker bandwagon and got on the Clippers bandwagon. Out there, it's about being seen. And with no Koby and a bad season, the Lakers weren't getting that much TV time and not many highlights on ESPN.

To me, SA makes a whole lot more sense for an NFL team than LA. They strike me as a city like Cleveland or Washington who shows up and roots for their team whether they're contenders or not.

[Dubya61]

To me, SA makes a whole lot more sense for an NFL team than LA. They strike me as a city like Cleveland or Washington who shows up and roots for their team whether they're contenders or not.

I've often heard that SA is really what the NFL wants as a stepping stone into Mexico City. The logistics of that doesn't quite ring true to me, but I've also never investigated it.