Devon Park (Softball Hall of Fame)

[Laramie]

Oklahoma 1 vs UCLA 0 - Attendance: N/A
Texas 10 vs Florida 0 (five innings)

Sunday
Game 9: No. 14 Alabama vs. No. 4 Florida, 3 p.m., ABC
Game 10: No. 8 Stanford vs. No. 6 UCLA, 7 p.m., ESPNU

[jedicurt]

The fact there is nothing there is more of a reason it will leave OKC than anything else.

the fact that no one else wants to invest in a 12,000+ stadium just for softball is why it isn't leaving OKC in my lifetime.

[bison34]

the fact that no one else wants to invest in a 12,000+ stadium just for softball is why it isn't leaving OKC in my lifetime.

I 100% believe Austin will. They have been spending money at will for UT sports and for NIL. Their coach hates that the WCWS is in Oklahoma City. Austin will no doubt be building one by 2035, IMO. And probably develop the heck out of the surrounding area, so it isn't in a deserted part of the city with no restaurants or bars or hotels.

[Bowser214]

there are competition quality (+local leagues & clinics) sand volleyball AND indoor volleyball facilities going in North of Remington Park and 2 new hotels as well.
Boombox Beach should be open around Labor Day this year.

[bison34]

there are competition quality (+local leagues & clinics) sand volleyball AND indoor volleyball facilities going in North of Remington Park and 2 new hotels as well.
Boombox Beach should be open around Labor Day this year.

Which is a start. But you know what I mean. Austin overdevelops a lot of places, and would have bars and restaurants all around the stadium if they built one, just like Omaha has now in downtown Omaha. I know moving the stadium isn't feasible, but encouraging private development there may not be, either, because it is a softball stadium. But something could be built out there to make it more fun.

Hence why building it in BFE, for all intents and purposes, wasn't the best idea. But we have to work with what we have now. Make that area more fresh and vibrant, somehow.

[Dob Hooligan]

Which is a start. But you know what I mean. Austin overdevelops a lot of places, and would have bars and restaurants all around the stadium if they built one, just like Omaha has now in downtown Omaha. I know moving the stadium isn't feasible, but encouraging private development there may not be, either, because it is a softball stadium. But something could be built out there to make it more fun.

Hence why building it in BFE, for all intents and purposes, wasn't the best idea. But we have to work with what we have now. Make that area more fresh and vibrant, somehow.

The Omaha stadium is a AAA baseball facility that is booked for professional games over 70 days a year. The CWS is a bonus, not the purpose, of the stadium.

Our stadium complex is the largest on earth. As the sport grows the area around it will expand. OKC has invested in softball for a longer time and invested more money than any other city. We have said repeatedly we are committed to doing so.


There are times when I read "restaurants & bars" mentioned repeatedly that I start to put it with "vibrant, walkable community", and start to view it as a new urbanist type talking point that demands a fully formed entity. And isn't concerned with the process.

[bison34]

The Omaha stadium is a AAA baseball facility that is booked for professional games over 70 days a year. The CWS is a bonus, not the purpose, of the stadium.

Our stadium complex is the largest on earth. As the sport grows the area around it will expand. OKC has invested in softball for a longer time and invested more money than any other city. We have said repeatedly we are committed to doing so.


There are times when I read "restaurants & bars" mentioned repeatedly that I start to put it with "vibrant, walkable community", and start to view it as a new urbanist type talking point that demands a fully formed entity. And isn't concerned with the process.

It doesn't have to be perfect, but right now, there is NOTHING there. McDonalds and a racino. Perfect combination. Lol

I just want there to be something for everyone there. Many people, even Tim Walton, who went to OU and coached at OU under Gasso, said that it would be nice for people to be able to walk to their hotel or walk to a bar or restaurant after a game, but beggars can't be choosers.

[Laramie]

Agree, Oklahoma City needs to be looking at something long-term. Expansion of Devon Park from 12,500 to 15,000 - 20,000 seat range would IMO keep the WCWS here beyond 2050.

The Adventure District (Old Route 66) will continue to grow once those two hotels are finished.

[BoulderSooner]

The Omaha stadium is a AAA baseball facility that is booked for professional games over 70 days a year. The CWS is a bonus, not the purpose, of the stadium.

Our stadium complex is the largest on earth. As the sport grows the area around it will expand. OKC has invested in softball for a longer time and invested more money than any other city. We have said repeatedly we are committed to doing so.


There are times when I read "restaurants & bars" mentioned repeatedly that I start to put it with "vibrant, walkable community", and start to view it as a new urbanist type talking point that demands a fully formed entity. And isn't concerned with the process.

nope ... the tripple A team moved to a smaller stadium and plays 0 games there ..

Creighton baseball plays there .. .. but that is it ..

[Swake]

The Omaha stadium is a AAA baseball facility that is booked for professional games over 70 days a year. The CWS is a bonus, not the purpose, of the stadium.

Our stadium complex is the largest on earth. As the sport grows the area around it will expand. OKC has invested in softball for a longer time and invested more money than any other city. We have said repeatedly we are committed to doing so.


There are times when I read "restaurants & bars" mentioned repeatedly that I start to put it with "vibrant, walkable community", and start to view it as a new urbanist type talking point that demands a fully formed entity. And isn't concerned with the process.

Omaha's AAA team doesn't play in Rosenblatt, they have their own stadium in the suburbs.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner_Park

[Dob Hooligan]

It doesn't have to be perfect, but right now, there is NOTHING there. McDonalds and a racino. Perfect combination. Lol

I just want there to be something for everyone there. Many people, even Tim Walton, who went to OU and coached at OU under Gasso, said that it would be nice for people to be able to walk to their hotel or walk to a bar or restaurant after a game, but beggars can't be choosers.

Hey...don't forget they a Sonic in the Tinseltown parking lot!

Remington Park had their biggest race of the year last night. 12 race card topped out with the Heritage Place Futurity. $1 million purse with $450,000 to the winning 2 year old Quarter Horse. I thought Remington had the least amount of food options I have ever seen on a major race day.

[Dob Hooligan]

nope ... the tripple A team moved to a smaller stadium and plays 0 games there ..

Creighton baseball plays there .. .. but that is it ..

Dang. I have even read that before and still forgot.

[PoliSciGuy]

NE 50th and I-35 is absolutely ripe for some development, especially on the western side of that intersection along the frontage road. Restaurants, hotels, batting cages, gas stations...something.

[kukblue1]

So If OU doesn't make it one year what will the attendance number be? I'm not sure if the games are sale outs. I would think 9 to 10 thousand? Tickets for Sunday were very easy to get and cheap.

[PhiAlpha]

Which is a start. But you know what I mean. Austin overdevelops a lot of places, and would have bars and restaurants all around the stadium if they built one, just like Omaha has now in downtown Omaha. I know moving the stadium isn't feasible, but encouraging private development there may not be, either, because it is a softball stadium. But something could be built out there to make it more fun.

Hence why building it in BFE, for all intents and purposes, wasn't the best idea. But we have to work with what we have now. Make that area more fresh and vibrant, somehow.

It was built in 1987. Downtown might as well have been BFE back then but the adventure district definitely isn’t now. It’s literally 5 miles from the center of downtown between downtown and one of the cities largest suburbs.

As long as the city keeps investing in the stadium, the college softball tournament isn’t going anywhere, especially not just because there aren’t enough bars and restaurants nearby for the one massive event it hosts every year when it’s only 10 minutes from downtown and might at some point have a direct rail connection.. No one else is building a huge, expensive softball stadium and complex and especially isn’t doing it on 40+ acres in the center of an urban area. It would be great to keep developing that area, and it’s slowly happening, but to act like we’re at any risk of losing the tournament, especially due to lack of development near a stadium that is 5-10 minutes in three directions from a ton of hotels/restaurants/etc, right now is just ridiculous. You are creating a problem that doesn’t and won’t ever exist unless the city decides to stop putting money into the complex.

[dankrutka]

I don’t know the area well, but it seems like building a hotel in the stadium parking lot that includes an indoor/outdoor softball themed sports bar and maybe even a small women’s college softball shop could help a lot. It’d just need to be designed to interact with the stadium. For example, the outdoor part of the bar could ramp up for the WCWS. But I also suspect it could be a draw for softball players and teams playing in, or passing through, the area. I don’t expect a whole district to necessarily pop up, but one well designed hotel could bring some vitality I’d think.

[PhiAlpha]

I don’t know the area well, but it seems like building a hotel in the stadium parking lot that includes an indoor/outdoor softball themed sports bar and maybe even a small women’s college softball shop could help a lot. It’d just need to be designed to interact with the stadium. For example, the outdoor part of the bar could ramp up for the WCWS. But I also suspect it could be a draw for softball players and teams playing in, or passing through, the area. I don’t expect a whole district to necessarily pop up, but one well designed hotel could bring some vitality I’d think.

That’s a pretty awesome idea. Especially if we end up with the Olympics.

[Rover]

I don’t know the area well, but it seems like building a hotel in the stadium parking lot that includes an indoor/outdoor softball themed sports bar and maybe even a small women’s college softball shop could help a lot. It’d just need to be designed to interact with the stadium. For example, the outdoor part of the bar could ramp up for the WCWS. But I also suspect it could be a draw for softball players and teams playing in, or passing through, the area. I don’t expect a whole district to necessarily pop up, but one well designed hotel could bring some vitality I’d think.

Do you know how many weeks or weekends a year there are events that bring out of towners to the stadium? Just curious.

Also, isn't there now a hotel being built by Remington Park .... the pickleball resort?

[Jake]

So If OU doesn't make it one year what will the attendance number be? I'm not sure if the games are sale outs. I would think 9 to 10 thousand? Tickets for Sunday were very easy to get and cheap.

OU being in obviously helps a lot but the games are usually well attended. Anecdotal but I went to a session the year Oregon State and Northwestern were two of the teams and it felt pretty packed. Closest team was Arizona.

Helps that some of the teams that usually make the WCWS are fanbases that travel well too (Alabama, Florida/Florida State, Texas, etc.)

[David]

A nice hotel complex on one of the outer Remington Park parking lots has been my wish list for the area for a while. Imagine something like that in the lot right up against the corner of MLK and Grand.

[unfundedrick]

OU being in obviously helps a lot but the games are usually well attended. Anecdotal but I went to a session the year Oregon State and Northwestern were two of the teams and it felt pretty packed. Closest team was Arizona.

Helps that some of the teams that usually make the WCWS are fanbases that travel well too (Alabama, Florida/Florida State, Texas, etc.)

And if someplace like Austin decided to build a stadium and no team from Texas was there what kind of attendance would they have. Austin just doesn't have the softball related culture that OKC has.

[Laramie]

Florida 6 vs Alabama 4 - (Alabama eliminated)
June 3

Game 11: No. 4 Florida vs. No. 2 Oklahoma, 11 a.m., ESPN
Game 12: Rematch Game 11 (if necessary), 1:30 p.m., ESPN

Stanford 3 vs UCLA 1 - (UCLA eliminated) - Attendance: 12,418

Game 13: No. 8 Stanford vs. No. 1 Texas, 6 p.m., ESPN2
Game 14: Rematch Game 13 (if necessary), 8:30 p.m., ESPN2

[jedicurt]

I 100% believe Austin will. They have been spending money at will for UT sports and for NIL. Their coach hates that the WCWS is in Oklahoma City. Austin will no doubt be building one by 2035, IMO. And probably develop the heck out of the surrounding area, so it isn't in a deserted part of the city with no restaurants or bars or hotels.

so you are just basing this all on a whim... OU's Loves field is the largest On Campus stadium by capacity, and it's at 4,200... so you just think Texas is just going to build one 3x that size because???? there is no reality in which this happens.

if Austin were to do it. they would have to do it without the help of the university, and I just don't see the support for it. OKC was unique when we put forth tax dollars to build the complex we have now.

[jedicurt]

And if someplace like Austin decided to build a stadium and no team from Texas was there what kind of attendance would they have. Austin just doesn't have the softball related culture that OKC has.

exactly. heck, i remember that stadium being close to full before OU ever got good. OKC and Oklahoma in general supports softball... even when it isn't a local team. when UT was struggling, in softball, they had trouble filling the 1,254 seat stadium they have now.

[jedicurt]

So If OU doesn't make it one year what will the attendance number be? I'm not sure if the games are sale outs. I would think 9 to 10 thousand? Tickets for Sunday were very easy to get and cheap.

i think 9-10k is probably about right. and in a sport where teams have trouble getting 2k fans to games in some places... i think that's pretty dang good numbers. and is a big reason why the WCWS will stay in OKC and no one else even wants to try and build a facility for it.