In the future will Tulsa have pro sport's?

[rod4soonrs]

I'd like to see the NHL here in the state, but KC will get a team before we will.

[Oil Capital]

I'd like to see the NHL here in the state, but KC will get a team before we will.

Yea, and there are others that are far more likely before Tulsa.

[Laramie]

OKC could support an NFL team but the league would never allow it, all they care about is TV market size to maximize the television revenue. With the current mindset if the NFL brass Jacksonville will probably move to LA in the very near future. When the last expansion happened Houston was chosen over LA because of the stadium situation, Houston could get one quicker and they were still a Top 10 TV market, so that was deemed a more solid option.

Good call! You're very knowledgeable about the NFL's situation. I'm not so sure that Carolina (Charlotte) was a good media choice; however, with Raleigh and Greensboro nearby they do possess a pretty sizeableable market; the NFL looks at a 100-mile radius.

Charlotte has the NBA and Raleigh has the NHL and since the NFL arrived in Charlotte it has certainly had its impact on the NBA.

[Laramie]

Thats what I was thinking about the NHL! they would also draw from OKC's market!I would drive to Tulsa afew times per season too see a NHL team!but you can bet they would be named the Tulsa ????? and not the Oklahoma ?????

I don't think that Tulsa could pull off what Oklahoma City did using Oklahoma City in its NBA name.

Oklahoma City favors the state's name, Tulsa would have to use "Oklahoma,"
I doubt very seriously that if Tulsa were able to land an NHL franchise the league would approve "Tulsa" in it's name.

When Oklahoma City bidded for an NHL franchise in 1997, it was later determined that the team was to be called the Oklahoma RedHawks! Columbus, a larger market was looked favorably upon when Nationwide Papers (Columbus) stepped in an agreed to majority funding of their facility, even though Columbus voters had defeated a measure to build an NHL-ready arena.

We were one day from obtaining an NHL franchise for Oklahoma City. Just think, the Oklahoma City Thunder would not have existed today if it wasn't for Columbus securing the NHL's 6th expansion franchise that year.

...now you know, the rest of the story!

[Floyd]

Assuming, in a fantasy world, that Tulsa had investors willing to move an NHL franchise, and the league approved the move . . . they would have no say on the name.

David Stern himself pushed "Oklahoma Thunder" but Clay Bennett and Mick Cornett were having none of it.

[okcpulse]

Guys, forget what the Thunder should have been called. Just forget it and move on. It was the owner's desire to have Oklahoma City in the name, it was approved by the NBA which means Stern was obviously okay with it, and the rest is history.

[DM1031]

I would drive anywhere in the state to support an Oklahoma NFL team

[Laramie]

I would drive anywhere in the state to support an Oklahoma NFL team

Amen, my brother!

[Laramie]

I can see why the BOK would welcome WNBA, but as for the City as a whole, I think it's stupid, when they have a good chance at landing an NHL team within the next few years. Don't think NHL will consider if WNBA is in town, I know it's apples to oranges, but if they weren't sure of OKC supporting WNBA AND NBA, then no way Tulsa is getting an NHL team with WNBA.

One good thing about the WNBA, the season doesn't overlap with the NBA.

Tulsa should be pushing for an NHL franchise, they would draw from the Oklahoma City base just like the Thunder has drawn from the Tulsa base.

The BOK Center would be among the smaller NHL arenas.

I know the seating capacity is 17,900 for basketball. I know that anything under 17,000 is going to be small for an NHL arena

[bombermwc]

I agree that the NHL is the best fit, but the question will still remain on whether or not the league will ever get there. I see NHL working much the same way as NBA did for OKC. Someone from Tulsa is going to have to buy a franchise and get it moved. I'm not sure that there are any team out there for sale right now that would get the approval to move. Remember what just happened with the Coyotes? If they didn't move up to Canada (edmonton is bigger than OKC...and it's freaking Canada for hockey's sake), then Tulsa doesn't stand much of a chance right now.

Give it a few years and the dynamics of the league can change and a new oppourtunity may arrise. How many people saw the NBA moving here back before Katrina???

[Laramie]

I don't look for the Predators to survive in Nashville or the Mighty Ducks in Anaheim very long. The BOK Center in Tulsa can seat up to 17,100 for hockey, for a team to survive in the NHL in Oklahoma; they would probably need to average no less than 14,000.

I really believe that the NHL could do comparably well in Tulsa as the Thunder is doing in Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City has had an NBA team for three years now, here are the attendance figure for each of those years:

Source: [ESPN NBA Attendance]

NBA Attendance - National Basketball Association - ESPN

2008-09 . . . . . 18,693 Oklahoma City Thunder

2006-07 . . . . . 17,833 New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets

2005-06 . . . . . 18,168 New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets

The fans are getting hungry for more professional sports and anything that comes to Oklahoma City or Tulsa will have State support.

The renovations of the Ford Center will bring maximum capacity to around 18,150; around the year 2012, I predict that there will be a new MAPS proposal to build an arena capable of seating 21,500 to be completed around 2014 or 2015 in time for Oklahoma City's 125th birthday.

[Watson410]

[B]
The renovations of the Ford Center will bring maximum capacity to around 18,150; around the year 2012, I predict that there will be a new MAPS proposal to build an arena capable of seating 21,500 to be completed around 2014 or 2015 in time for Oklahoma City's 125th birthday.

Your joking right? Please tell me your just kidding!

[Laramie]

My dear Watson.

You should know me by now that I'm an optimist. I predicted back in 1995 (Oklahoma's Own forum/OKCTalkback forum) that one day Oklahoma City would be awarded an NHL or NBA franchise when everyone-else thought I was joking or out of my mind. People said that there way no way we could support major league sports.

In 1997 we were in the NHL expansion derby. Today, we're in our second year of being an NBA city.

Visit the TulsaNow forum, I predicted that the WNBA Seattle Storm would be located there instead of coming to Oklahoma City. Unfortunatly, PBC sold the team to Seattle investors.

Yes, I'm an optimist and I admit that I do get carried away...

And to answer your question, no, I'm not joking or kidding. I really feal that we are at least three years aways from winning an NBA championship and this town will be ready to build a bigger arena or find a way to expand the Ford Center.

[Watson410]

while you may be on the right track, I SERIOUSLY don't see them building a new arena or upgrading the Ford Center 3 years after the current $100 million renovation is complete. The taxpayers would never pay/vote for it! Maybe in 8-10 years but not 3 years.. You could be right about one thing though... I could see them building a Multi-Use Stadium that holds around 60,000ish that could be added onto later if needed. OKC could build the stadium to help lure in a NFL or MLS team, similar to how they did with the FC. Until OKC gets a permenant tenant for the stadium they could use it for many things.. concerts, high school state games, monster truck races, NCAA bowl games, exhibition MLS or NFL, supercross, etc, etc... The list goes on and on for it's possible uses.

[hoya]

I don't think any big league is going to look anywhere in Oklahoma for the next ten to fifteen years. They want to see how we do with the Thunder. If we are consistently in the top half of the NBA in attendance, and the Thunder is able to operate profitably for the next 10+ years, then you'll start getting unhappy teams threatening to move here.

Forget MLB, their financial structure makes it virtually impossible for them to move here.

I once read that the NFL could put a team at the North Pole and leave a 65K seat stadium sitting empty and make a profit. That's how good their TV revenue sharing agreement is. But the NFL is in such a strong position, and there are so many cities clamoring for a team, we're incredibly far down the list. They really have no reason to come here.

Major League Soccer or the NHL are the two most likely candidates, and it's no coincidence that those are the leagues in the weakest positions right now. If some MLS or NHL team gets its panties in a wad in 2020, and fights with its city over a new stadium, then Tulsa might be able to get in a legitimate bid. But right now, not everyone is even sold on the idea that OKC will be able to support the Thunder. Tulsa landing a franchise, even after OKC has disproven all the naysayers, will be just as big a task as OKC landing the NBA in the first place. They'll have to work to show that this isn't a one-league state. The thought will be "yeah, you guys can support one major league team, but there's a world of difference between having one team and having two".

That, of course, is assuming that Tulsa is in the right place at the right time. When the time comes for this state to land a second pro team, you can bet that Oklahoma City will be pushing for it just as hard. Tulsa better not sleep on their opportunity when it does come around, or it might just pass them by.

[Laramie]

while you may be on the right track, I SERIOUSLY don't see them building a new arena or upgrading the Ford Center 3 years after the current $100 million renovation is complete. The taxpayers would never pay/vote for it! Maybe in 8-10 years but not 3 years... You could be right about one thing though... I could see them building a Multi-Use Stadium that holds around 60,000ish that could be added onto later if needed. OKC could build the stadium to help lure in a NFL or MLS team, similar to how they did with the FC. Until OKC gets a permenant tenant for the stadium they could use it for many things.. concerts, high school state games, monster truck races, NCAA bowl games, exhibition MLS or NFL, supercross, etc, etc... The list goes on and on for it's possible uses.

Good point (you brought out something I overlooked..) We will retire this tax in December..., I do agree with you!

[Laramie]

I'd like to see the NHL here in the state, but KC will get a team before we will.

Rod, I saw a report that said the Kansas City market is overextended:

james mirtle: KC: An overextended market? - A hockey journalist's blog

[theparkman81]

I would drive anywhere in the state to support an Oklahoma NFL team

I think if a NFL team wants to come to Oklahoma, they should built the stadium between OKC and Tulsa, like at Stroud, so both cities and the state will be part of it.

[rod4soonrs]

Rod, I saw a report that said the Kansas City market is overextended:

james mirtle: KC: An overextended market? - A hockey journalist's blog

that was in '07

[rod4soonrs]

KC didn't help themselves:

Islanders One Step Closer to Hiring Moving Vans -- NHL FanHouse

[Laramie]

I think if a NFL team wants to come to Oklahoma, they should built the stadium between OKC and Tulsa, like at Stroud, so both cities and the state will be part of it.

That would be a great proposal; however, how would we go about building a stadium?

Oklahoma City could get its half of the stadium built; however, Tulsa would probably be a less willing participant. I would definitely propose that each city build its own half in Stroud--each with a minimum of 45,000-seats.

If the NFL decides to come to Oklahoma City, we are a bigger market than three current NFL cities including Green Bay. We are larger than Buffalo, Jacksonville & New Orleans.


TV Households:

http://www.tvb.org/rcentral/markettr..._HH_by_DMA.asp

Population:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_o...tistical_Areas




We could take a page from Phoenix' playbook when they lured the Cardinals from St. Louis. Use of Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium 84,000-plus until an NFL-ready stadium could be built between Oklahoma City-Tulsa or a stadium could be built in Oklahoma City. Soon as we finish paying of MAPS III IN 2018I say let take a look at the NFL.

[betts]

Looks like the WNBA is close to a sure thing:

American Chronicle | Tulsa is Closing in on WNBA

Investors are one step away from bringing a WNBA franchise to Tulsa.

On Thursday, Tulsa Pro Hoops LLC, led by Oklahoma City investors Bill Cameron and David Box, announced intentions to exercise its option to purchase membership in the WNBA, as first reported on tulsaworld.com.

The bid will go before the WNBA board of directors, and owners will vote on the proposal.

Cameron, the company's lead investor, chairman and chief executive officer, said he hopes to hear something by the end of the month.