Don Porter ASA Hall of Fame Stadium: Expand or move and rebuild.

[Laramie]

It's no secret that Oklahoma City is becoming the mecca of women's softball. What shoud we do with our current situation(?):

Don Porter ASA Hall of Fame Stadium: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASA_Hall_of_Fame_Stadium

Option 1, Expand:

ASA Hall of Fame Stadium currently is listed as having a minimum permanent seating capacity of 7,300. This stadium can accommodate 10,000. Should we continue investing money in expanding this stadium to eventually seat 15,000 or more and beef up the Entertainment area.

Option 2, Move:

This event could be staged with the reconfiguration of the Bricktown Ballpark and move the classic to downtown. The Brick has permanent seating for 13,300 and with outfield bleacers in the current infield of the stadium, this stadium could easily accommodate 15,000 to 17,000.

Option 3. Rebuild:

Keep this stadium on its current acerage and build a new first class softball-specific facility with 15,000 actual seats throughout with no bleacher type seating.

Please feel free to comment or offer alternative suggestions.

Comments please...

[ljbab728]

Option 1. This sport deserves a softball only facility and that area is ideal. It should be much less expensive to continue to expand and upgrade the current stadium and still be extremely nice.

[shawnw]

1 or 3-but-on-same-site. Since there are already 4 fields, a 5th, better field wouldn't be out of place. For years I've been saying in addition to fighting to keep the events we have at this venue, we should either get an NPF expansion team OR fight to be the permanent host of the NPF championship game to further consolidate our softball influence. There's no reason we shouldn't have been able to beat out Supher, Louisiana for the championship game in 2011.

[Snowman]

Why did the Big XII discontinue their tournament after 2010?

edit: oh, yea. probably conference realignments

[SoonerDave]

Why did the Big XII discontinue their tournament after 2010?

edit: oh, yea. probably conference realignments

Think it was primarily due to finances. Not sure which, but I'm fairly confident at least one or two other conferences abolished their post-season softball events as well.

As far as the OP's question, I think enhancing the current facility is the right choice. While I certainly understand the idea behind moving it to bricktown, I think doing so would be the same kind of mistake the Big 12 made the year it moved the postseason baseball tournament to the Ballpark at Arlington; it was a disaster when only a small fraction of the stadium's capacity attended. The ASA stadium is arguably one of the great, accidental "best fit" projects OKC has undertaken.

[bluedogok]

I think the only reason to hold it at the Bricktown Ballpark would be as a temporary location while a new stadium is built on the existing site, not everything needs to be downtown/Bricktown and since that is already an entertainment destination area it should stay in its current location.

[OKCisOK4me]

If they keep it where it is now, it sure would be nice to have that Adventure District Commuter Line... Lots of fans would take the train to the end of the line and then just cross the street to get into the stadium.

[Laramie]

I think the only reason to hold it at the Bricktown Ballpark would be as a temporary location while a new stadium is built on the existing site, not everything needs to be downtown/Bricktown and since that is already an entertainment destination area it should stay in its current location.

Bricktown Ballpark would be a good temporary location while a new stadium is being built or current stadium is being upgraded. This would give us the opportunity to see how a downtown venue could operate. The Bricktown Ballpark does have options by covering some of the upper--deck seating if that venue is too big for softball.

As SoonerDave mentioned about the Ballpark in Arlington; it was too big and spacious to hold the Big XII baseball post-season tournament and it was a disaster. Frisco's 10,000-seat ballpark would have been a more comparable venue: http://www.baseballpilgrimages.com/AA/frisco.html

[dankrutka]

I think they should be careful about making the capacity too large. You want it to feel full. So, study and estimate the number of people and build for that size. A 7,000 seat stadium with 7,000 people looks ten times more impressive and has a far better atmosphere than a 13,000 seat stadium with 7,000 people in attendance IMHO.

[Laramie]

I think they should be careful about making the capacity too large. You want it to feel full. So, study and estimate the number of people and build for that size. A 7,000 seat stadium with 7,000 people looks ten times more impressive and has a far better atmosphere than a 13,000 seat stadium with 7,000 people in attendance IMHO.

Definitely agree!

Womens' College World Series has been in existence since1982. Columbus, GA outbidded OKC for the 1996 Classic where it was a total flop. The Classic has remained here since.

[Stan Silliman]

I was involved in building the original stadium and renovations. It can be expanded if necessary but I don't think attendance will jump with expansion. Bleachers can be added in the outfield areas.
As far as Bricktown, what about when you want to play two games at once or practice between games? Bricktown takes you away from the complex feel and discourages fans from visiting the Hall of Fame.

[ou48A]

I like the idea of building a new stadium in the Bricktown area.
The Hall of Fame could be moved too. I am guessing there would be enough land to build 2 more softball fields with a small seating capacity somewhere near the river.
This would be more fan friendly. A visitor could practically walk any place they needed and not really need to rent a car.
But as always it comes down to an issue of money?

[SoonerDave]

I was involved in building the original stadium and renovations. It can be expanded if necessary but I don't think attendance will jump with expansion. Bleachers can be added in the outfield areas.
As far as Bricktown, what about when you want to play two games at once or practice between games? Bricktown takes you away from the complex feel and discourages fans from visiting the Hall of Fame.

Agree completely. Moving to Bricktown would be forcing the issue. Think the location as-is highlights OKC in a positive way outside of Bricktown - not saying anything is wrong with Bricktown, but we can say "hey, we've got Bricktown, AND we've got this great, world-class softball facility just a stone's throw from our great zoo and science museum, etc., etc."

[shawnw]

Couldn't find another place to put this, but the ASA HOF instagram posted this picture of renovations at the stadium:

Instagram

[Laramie]

Renovations at Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium ASA website:

Hall of Fame Stadium renovations

[shawnw]

Softball upgrades crucial | News OK

I feel like I had seen this posted here before but not seeing it... Lists what's being done...

[shawnw]

So there were a series of upgrades last offseason, and I know there are more upgrades coming to keep the WCWS here, but does anyone know if upgrades are happening right now causing this event to be held in Bricktown? IMO it's ridiculous to play competitive softball on a baseball field. I get that it's slow pitch and so hard to put in the same sentence as "competitive". Celebrity/charity games are a different story. If this move was because of renovations, fine. But if that's not the case...

Email received:

The Softball Capital of the World, Oklahoma City, is set to host the best slow pitch players in the world at the 2014 ASA/USA Super Slow Pitch National Championship on September 26 beginning at Noon.

Held at the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, in Downtown OKC, fans will also get the chance to see the ASA Stadium Power Tour Finals, where the Top 5 ASA Long Haul Bombers face off for the chance to call themselves the best home run hitter in the world!

Admission is FREE, so come on out to the ballpark for a day full of great softball!

[Laramie]

Phase II 2014 – New dugouts with restrooms, team meeting rooms and athletic training area located via a tunnel underneath the bleachers.

Phase II b 2015 – Hall of Fame’s current press box will be renovated and expanded because the hospitality suite will be relocated down the right-field line.

Phases III & IV 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 – A 4,200-seat upper deck will expand capacity to more than 13,000. Additional projects include a second expanded press box, new concourse, plus upgraded concession stands and ticket areas.

...Hall of Fame Stadium eventually will have the capacity to host crowds of 13,000 once 4,200 upper deck seats are added in 2018 or 2019.

Oklahoma City’s commitment has helped boost the economy. It’s estimated 70 percent to 80 percent of fans are out-of-town guests that produce $30 million to $70 million of new money every year during the eight-day event.

Mick Cornett reflects: The primary factor was the bright lights of Las Vegas. Back then, Oklahoma City looked nothing like it does now, including the development of Bricktown.

“I did a lot of research on why the National Finals Rodeo left,” said Oklahoma City mayor Mick Cornett. “They felt their event deserved more worldwide attention, and Las Vegas delivered that.

A look at the future of the WCWS and ASA Hall of Fame Stadium http://oklahoman.com/a-look-at-the-f...rticle/4869995

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

[shawnw]

Yes, I knew all that was coming (but thanks for posting it's good to have that update here), but I was wanting to know if there is an active renovation going on right now preventing this event from being at the HOF.

[dankrutka]

Maybe I've just forgotten, but I'm not sure if I knew they were expanding to 13,000+. Seems completely unnecessary and an unwise move in general. Making the stadium's amenities nicer is important, but a 13,000 seat stadium will look far too empty most of the time. Attendance has risen recently, but OU also fielded arguably the best college softball team of all time. You can't count on that kind of excitement regularly. There's been a recognition that building beyond capacity is a mistake and the Bricktown ballpark and its tarps should be a great example. I could see adding a thousand seats to the softball complex, but 4,000 seems like a big mistake.

[shawnw]

it was basically a requirement to keep the WCWS beyond the next few years.

[Laramie]

it was basically a requirement to keep the WCWS beyond the next few years.

We have benchmarks to meet: Don't think for one minute that we are a guaranteed host for this event.

That backdrop provides insight why Brassfield was filled with emotion last week when the NCAA announced Oklahoma City will host the Women’s College World Series through 2035, provided the city makes good on its promise to complete a four-phase renovation.

What grabbed everyone’s attention is attendance continued to rise to 60,000 a year, even though the Sooners didn’t make it to the WCWS the next six years (2005-2010).

Hoover touted as location for softball World Series | TuscaloosaNews.com

Hoover Metropolitan Stadium: Capacity: 10,800 plus lawn seating and standing room. This city is poised to host the WCWS.

Hoover, AL is the largest suburb of Birmingham with a population 84,126 (size of Edmond, OK). They currently host the SEC's baseball, softball & soccer tournaments. Hoover has hosted the NCAA Division I College Cup men's soccer national championship the last two seasons.

Oklahoma City needs to stay on schedule (Phases II, IIb, III, IV) if they want to keep this event until 2035. There will be an OKC bond issue in 2017 that will finance the completion of these phases.

We have work to get done to keep this ASA Hall of Fame Stadium viable.

The Softball Hall of Fame Museum, ASA Hall of Fame Complex (practice fields), Remington Park, Oklahoma City Zoo and I-35 access to hotels downtown are the keys for this event.

Assisted by private donations and OG&E paying several hundred thousand dollars for naming rights of ASA Hall of Fame Stadium, Oklahoma City officials are halfway to $23 million. A bond election in December 2017 also will help finance the four-phase project.

Reference: "A look at the future of the WCWS and ASA Hall of Fame Stadium." http://oklahoman.com/a-look-at-the-f...rticle/4869995

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