NFL in OKC

[Snowman]

Why do you feel it would be more feasible to build in Tulsa? I think Stroud would be a great location and get support for the NFL from both major metropolitian areas in the State. Tulsa alone could not support a team, OKC, maybe?

Unless you get near equal steaks in the ownership, corporate support and city/county subsidies between the OKC & Tulsa; It is going in the city with more ownership/corporations/subsidies. As it has been stated, OKC is in reasonable shape to support one pro team, we need both growth in number of large corporate backers and population to really be in a position to have both NFL and NBA longterm. Tulsa is pretty close on population but having enough corporate support is more suspect.

Another problem with halfway between is it is equally bad access for both cities. It goes contrary to the concept of making it as easy as possible for your high end clientele that bring in the bulk of your stadium revenue. During lean years two hours of driving will be one more reason not to go.

Most stadiums built today are built with a mix of city, county and sometimes state backing. The city and county it would financially benefit can not contribute a meaningful amount of the construction budget, It is extremely rare for any city to help in a project like this not in their city limits and the state is in no position to be building a stadium at this time.

[MikeLucky]

Okay, I didn't think this coversation was that reasonable to begin with... but the suggestion of Tulsa having the NFL team is absolute lunacy. lol.

[MonkeesFan]

I am a Minnesota Vikings fan and I would love to go to Vikings games if they have a NFL team here but I do not think it will ever happen

[MDot]

I am a Minnesota Vikings fan and I would love to go to Vikings games if they have a NFL team here but I do not think it will ever happen

You can always drive down to Dallas or up to Kansas City or St. Louis. Heck, you could fly up to Minneapolis if you have the time and are willing to do that.

[Spartan]

Living in Cleveland I've come to understand that the NFL is a cultural thing. Wins and losses aside, ever you're city is an NFL city or it isn't. If not, it won't work out when the team starts losing. That's why the greatest NFL cities are concentrated in the North...like Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Indianapolis, even Green Bay.

[betts]

I'm a Vikings fan too, and I go see them play whenever they play in Dallas. One of these days I'll go back to Minnesota for a game, but haven't been to one there since I lived there. I do not expect to have an NFL team here for the forseeable future.

[Snowman]

Living in Cleveland I've come to understand that the NFL is a cultural thing. Wins and losses aside, ever you're city is an NFL city or it isn't. If not, it won't work out when the team starts losing. That's why the greatest NFL cities are concentrated in the North...like Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Indianapolis, even Green Bay.

I would not be surprised if Buffalo loses the Bills in the next twenty years

[Bunty]

Wouldn't that be Stillwater then?

Nah, Stillwater is too far away from Oklahoma City and Tulsa. 65 miles away versus 50 miles or so for Stroud. OSU has a hard time filling up Pickens Stadium and Iba-Gallagher Arena.

[MonkeesFan]

I'm a Vikings fan too, and I go see them play whenever they play in Dallas. One of these days I'll go back to Minnesota for a game, but haven't been to one there since I lived there. I do not expect to have an NFL team here for the forseeable future.

You and I should go a Vikings game in Minnesota when they build the new stadium

[MonkeesFan]

You can always drive down to Dallas or up to Kansas City or St. Louis. Heck, you could fly up to Minneapolis if you have the time and are willing to do that.

I am planning to fly to Minneapolis when they build the new stadium

[MonkeesFan]

I would not be surprised if Buffalo loses the Bills in the next twenty years

I doubt it

[Snowman]

I doubt it

The owner is 94, he has stated that the intentions are to have the team sold to the highest bidder when he dies, they are one of the cheapest teams to buy if someone hoped to move one. While they have a lease through 2022 (past 2019 buy out is no obstacle to any owner that had the money to buy the team, if it was to a market like LA the buy out fee is probably not a major issue if they can complete a stadium before that, though could affect if they chose to pursue them), any city without a stadium would be doing well to have one built by 2019. There metro has been loosing people since the 1970s and losing business since the importance of the Erie Canal started declining decades before that.

[BoulderSooner]

The owner is 94, he has stated that the intentions are to have the team sold to the highest bidder when he dies, they are one of the cheapest teams to buy if someone hoped to move one. While they have a lease through 2022 (past 2019 buy out is no obstacle to any owner that had the money to buy the team, if it was to a market like LA the buy out fee is probably not a major issue if they can complete a stadium before that, though could affect if they chose to pursue them), any city without a stadium would be doing well to have one built by 2019. There metro has been loosing people since the 1970s and losing business since the importance of the Erie Canal started declining decades before that.

the lease is until 2023 .. a 1 time only 28 mil buy out after year 7 (2020) and a 400 mil buy out at any other time .. and the county city state have formed a committee to start the process of building a new stadium ..

[Stan Silliman]

At one time (BT and before JJ) an Nfl Franchise was viable and talked about. Back then, the biggest opponent was OU. Might still be. Only way I see it happening is if Boone Pickens wants it in Stillwater, as in extra stadium income and he sponsors it.

[jedicurt]

At one time (BT and before JJ) an Nfl Franchise was viable and talked about. Back then, the biggest opponent was OU. Might still be. Only way I see it happening is if Boone Pickens wants it in Stillwater, as in extra stadium income and he sponsors it.

and when was this time? i know that when the NFL was expanding in 1993 for the 1995 season, they looked at many markets. and OKC didn't make it in the top 10.

Jacksonville and Carolina were the two selected. Other cities that were in consideration were:
Baltimore (the Ravens moved from Cleveland before the 1996 season),
St. Louis (after not getting a team through expansion, the Rams moved there)
Nashville (Oilers moved there in 1997)
San Antonio,
Memphis,
Orlando,
Oakland (the Raiders moved back just two years later),
Sacramento

The top 5 from that expansion was Jacksonville and Carolina of course... but we almost got the Baltimore Bombers, St. Louis Stallions, and the Memphis Hound Dogs.

[Bunty]

At one time (BT and before JJ) an Nfl Franchise was viable and talked about. Back then, the biggest opponent was OU. Might still be. Only way I see it happening is if Boone Pickens wants it in Stillwater, as in extra stadium income and he sponsors it.

Interesting fantasy, but is a 60,000 capacity stadium acceptably big enough for the NFL?

[jedicurt]

Interesting fantasy, but is a 60,000 capacity stadium acceptably big enough for the NFL?

actually, yes... the new 49ers stadium being built in Santa Clara is only going to have 68,500... while several teams have gone for the massively large stadiums... this next set (outside of an LA stadium) will be much smaller than we would normally expect to see. The thought from the 49ers is that if we have fewer seats, we can sell out every game, and drive the prices up to get the "problem" fans out of the stadium... especially after the past few years, where it is been the niners and not that other Bay Area team who has been having problems with fan fights/stabbings/shootings

[dankrutka]

I would not think OKC would make the top 25 markets for NFL expansion. It would be more plausible to add 2 teams in LA than one in OKC.

[Teo9969]

I would not think OKC would make the top 25 markets for NFL expansion. It would be more plausible to add 2 teams in LA than one in OKC.

You surely don't mean to say that there are 25 markets ahead of OKC that currently don't have an NFL team or could add another team...There are only 21 markets w/ >1M people that don't currently have an NFL team (and that includes giving 2 to LA and adding a 2nd in Chicago). And then we haven't even started talking about why certain markets wouldn't get the nod over OKC (ex: Only 1 of Austin/San Antonio would get a team, Las Vegas may never get a professional team, etc.)

I'm not saying OKC should be next in line by any means, but Top 15 for sure and probably Top 10 in line. LA should probably get a team first, San Antonio/Austin, Virginia Beach, maybe Sacramento now that they won't have an NBA team...I'd say OKC is 8th - 12th in line.

[MikeLucky]

You surely don't mean to say that there are 25 markets ahead of OKC that currently don't have an NFL team or could add another team...There are only 21 markets w/ >1M people that don't currently have an NFL team (and that includes giving 2 to LA and adding a 2nd in Chicago). And then we haven't even started talking about why certain markets wouldn't get the nod over OKC (ex: Only 1 of Austin/San Antonio would get a team, Las Vegas may never get a professional team, etc.)

I'm not saying OKC should be next in line by any means, but Top 15 for sure and probably Top 10 in line. LA should probably get a team first, San Antonio/Austin, Virginia Beach, maybe Sacramento now that they won't have an NBA team...I'd say OKC is 8th - 12th in line.

I don't think OKC is anywhere near the top 25 for an NFL franchise.... Again, this thread isn't a topic that should even be discussed.

[Teo9969]

I don't think OKC is anywhere near the top 25 for an NFL franchise.... Again, this thread isn't a topic that should even be discussed.

Care to make something more than an unbacked claim?

[MikeLucky]

Care to make something more than an unbacked claim?

Read all my posts in this thread. They explain very clearly why OKC isn't even close to being a financially viable market for the NFL. You have chosen to not read them or just plain ignore them, but it doesn't make it any less true...

Before me a poster said that LA would get TWO teams before OKC would get one... That is a true statement. And, considering LA doesn't even have a team, it should tell you how far OKC is from even talking about it.

[Bunty]

Read all my posts in this thread. They explain very clearly why OKC isn't even close to being a financially viable market for the NFL. You have chosen to not read them or just plain ignore them, but it doesn't make it any less true...

Before me a poster said that LA would get TWO teams before OKC would get one... That is a true statement. And, considering LA doesn't even have a team, it should tell you how far OKC is from even talking about it.

So if there was a special NFL game held at the OU stadium and it filled to capacity, that woild be no sign that OKC is ready for its own NFL team?

[Hawk405359]

So if there was a special NFL game held at the OU stadium and it filled to capacity, that woild be no sign that OKC is ready for its own NFL team?

Not in the slightest. Filling up a college stadium for a super rare event that no one would ever consider happening is really, really different from supporting your own franchise.

[ou48A]

So if there was a special NFL game held at the OU stadium and it filled to capacity, that woild be no sign that OKC is ready for its own NFL team?

In the 2 NFL exhibition games that OU has had in its stadium were very poorly attended.
It not so much that the OKC area isn’t ready for the NFL it’s more like a cultural issue that makes it a waste of time to ever seriously consider....... and there isn’t anybody with the money who is stupid enough to even try.