In the future will Tulsa have pro sport's?

[dmoor82]

I have been looking at NHL and NBA attendance figures for the last 3yrs and some NBA cities are averiging around 13-14k and some NHL cities the same! I guess my question is, will Tulsa with it's sparkling new jewel wich is the BOK center ever host a pro team? maybe 10 yrs down the road? If the nba calculated Tulsa's proximity to OKC couldn't that be done the other way around, maybe for an NHL team!

[Easy180]

Decent shot at some point to nab an NHL team but even that will likely hinge on the success OKC has with supporting the Thunder

[theparkman81]

I think they should move the Talons from af2 to af1, I think I read somewhere last year that they were talking about it, I do like to see a least one pro franchise in Tulsa in the near future, of course OKC is going to have 2 pro sports teams, the Thunder and maybe either MLS or MLB.

[bluedogok]

Tulsa does have pro sports, just not major league as of yet.

OKC will not get an MLB team, especially as long as the team revenue structure is based off local television revenues as it is currently. It wouldn't make sense to move a team to OKC or even San Antonio. I also don't see any teams moving at the moment since the Florida Marlins have a new ballpark at the location of the former Orange Bowl and the Twins have one in the works. There will be no expansion especially since just a few years ago they tried to contract the Expos (now Washington Nationals) and the Minnesota Twins. Until MLB gets a more equitable revenue sharing scheme like the NFL, it will always be the case...and I don't see that changing anytime soon, the Yankees and Mets have billion dollar stadiums to pay for.

AF2 is playing this year, the AFL might have a hard time recovering from their year off. Look at how the NHL has struggled to gain back fans since the year off and they were considered a major sport before the lockout, the AFL was not near as entrenched as the NHL was.

[bombermwc]

MLB has all but dissapeared from the radar of Oklahoma. And you won't see it in OKC unless a stadium is built specifically for them....and fat chance on that. Tulsa doesn't have anywhere for them either. Where are they gonna go, TU? They have decreased capacity there so it's about the same as UCO (the OKC equivelant). But they both have the same problem where the resident school also has activities and the students there should have first dibs on their own facilities. Let a pro group get their own place.

MLB - No way. Have you seen how empty a Driller or Redhawks game is?
NFL - You're kidding right?
NHL - Here's where Tulsa has a chance. It won't be any time soon. But this is where they have an opportunity. NBA would have been another opportunity, but OKC just beat them to the punch. But if NHL continues to decline, they're more likely to kill off teams than let them expand or relocate.

No matter what, Tulsa is going to have to add a couple hundred thousand folks to really be viable for any pro team (if OKC didn't have a pro team). OKC is right on the line where it can work....but only because there's no other game in town/state. I think both cities would have to grow significantly before another pro team would be able to survive here. We're talking OKC being over the 1.5m mark.

[kevinpate]

Didn't part of the 'OKC is NBA ready' argument rely on the proximity of the travel network and population base of Tulsa, Norman, Lawton and even Shawnee and El Reno?

If memory is correct on that, seems it would be exceptionally difficult to base any 1st tier pro sport in state with Tulsa as the epicenter for a long time to come.

[metro]

I think they should move the Talons from af2 to af1, I think I read somewhere last year that they were talking about it, I do like to see a least one pro franchise in Tulsa in the near future, of course OKC is going to have 2 pro sports teams, the Thunder and maybe either MLS or MLB.

the MLB will be one of the last leagues we'll get. MLS is a possibility though.

[metro]

Bomber, your logic is flawed. Based upon your logic, OKC shouldn't have the Thunder because no one attended Cavalry games.

[jstanthrnme]

a basketball season and a baseball season are completly different. 80 + home games in baseball versus 40+ for basketball, should be considered.

College sports should be considered too. His logic balances out when you look at his coments on the NFL. OU has sold out every home game for 10 years, but we all know an NFL team wouldn't work.

[LIL_WAYNE_4_PREZIDENT08]

Where is the never option???

[Floyd]

MLS. Tulsa remains a viable candidate for Major League Soccer.

Otherwise, no.

[Oil Capital]

MLS. Tulsa remains a viable candidate for Major League Soccer.

Otherwise, no.

Only in the dreams of certain Tulsans. The answer is "not in any of our lifetimes".

[BoulderSooner]

a basketball season and a baseball season are completly different. 80 + home games in baseball versus 40+ for basketball, should be considered.

College sports should be considered too. His logic balances out when you look at his coments on the NFL. OU has sold out every home game for 10 years, but we all know an NFL team wouldn't work.

we do ...

a NFL team would 100% work .. they work basicly everywhere you can fill a stadium .. and we would sell out 8 NFL home games a year at a 65k stadium

this state loves football ... and the NFL revenue model would make it work ..

now would the nfl want a team in oklahoma ... 100% no we don't add anything to their league

[Oil Capital]

we do ...

a NFL team would 100% work .. they work basicly everywhere you can fill a stadium .. and we would sell out 8 NFL home games a year at a 65k stadium

this state loves football ... and the NFL revenue model would make it work ..

now would the nfl want a team in oklahoma ... 100% no we don't add anything to their league

There's a LOT more to running a financially viable NFL team than just filling 65,000 seats for 8 home games. Corporate sponsorship, corporate purchases of suites, television revenue, etc, etc.

[bombermwc]

And that's where we are going to have a problem. As we saw with the NBA, folks don't look at OK as a TV market big enoug to support major league. Now the fact that NBA and NFL are in mostly different times of the year would help. Also, the fact that there really isn't much football in Tulsa would help. TU might as well not exist outside of their own conference. It's an up and down team with not a lot of local support. Otherwise they wouldn't have been interested in decreasing the seating capacity at the stadium. The MAJOR problem with Tulsa and NFL is proximity of Arkansas U, OU, and OSU. There are 3 Div 1 schools within an hour-hour and a half driving time. AND the TV market of the entire area is less than 3 million (OKC, Tulsa, NW AR).

Now I can see someone like metro saying that the same crap came up for NBA in OKC. Yes, EXCEPT there were NO other pro franchises in that same area at that time. There isn't competition right now...you bring in another pro team and there would be and guess what, someone would have to go. I don't think you'll get any pro team to want to move in (or get voted approval to move in) until the Tulsa/OKC populations add another million or so. And good luck getting Tulsans to approve building a stadium...they don't have to and don't need to. And that's millions upon millions that they could spend on infrastructure or improving other part of the city.

Don't say I'm not in support of it though. If the situation is right, it would be great for Tulsa. It's the same road OKC is on.....exposure. Show the rest of the country the secret we all knew about already. Tulsa never reached the bottom level OKC did, so it's going to be harder to convince people there is a need to do as drastic of work as we did in OKC. OKC got bad and we know it. Tulsa was able to hold their head out of the water longer, but in the long run, that might have held them back.

[mireaux]

the current economic downturn is the main culprit preventing any league from expanding. any league doesnt want any given market to brush too closely to another closeby market, unless the markets are fully independent of each other (PHI/NYC, Bal/DC, Mil/Chi, etc)

OKC is just now on the forefront with its NBA franchise, all eyes are on OKC to see if it can prove the city is worthy of retaining its team profitably. If that can be met, then its likely Tulsa will be considered for future expansion.

[dmoor82]

Well it looks like the WNBA might be coming to Tulsa to play in the BOK center! I saw a report on KWTV9 last night that Tulsa,Bok officials have been in constant touch with WNBA officials for some time now,and a news conference is scheduled in tulsa about this sometime here pretty soon! I'm not sure when,if some1 knows please post the date!thanx-but the WNBA,arena2,Chl,d-league,double a baseball-Tulsa is becoming a great minor league town-with the BOK and the new drillers stadium being built things look good in Tulsa right now in the sporting world!!!!!

[Easy180]

That's pretty cool news I guess...Can't say I watch it but landing a WNBA team ain't bad at all for Tulsa

[fromdust]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/sports/art...1_AWNBAf705962
A group of investors from Oklahoma City and Tulsa are expected to have a press conference Wednesday announcing an effort to bring a team from the Women's National Basketball Association to Tulsa, according to a source familiar with the situation.

[Laramie]

...MLB - No way. Have you seen how empty a Driller or Redhawks game is?
NFL - You're kidding right?
NHL - Here's where Tulsa has a chance. It won't be any time soon. But this is where they have an opportunity. NBA would have been another opportunity, but OKC just beat them to the punch. But if NHL continues to decline, they're more likely to kill off teams than let them expand or relocate.

No matter what, Tulsa is going to have to add a couple hundred thousand folks to really be viable for any pro team (if OKC didn't have a pro team). OKC is right on the line where it can work....but only because there's no other game in town/state. I think both cities would have to grow significantly before another pro team would be able to survive here. We're talking OKC being over the 1.5m mark.

MLB: I agree with your quote; however, I question MLB reasoning because you're using MLB potential in Oklahoma based on minor league sports. Truly out marketing media area is too small and we wouldn't add any addition footprint to the league's television marketing.

Many people used that same gauge saying that Oklahoma City couldn't support NBA because the Calvary (minor league) had empty seats.

We finished 11th in attendance in the NBA; just ahead of the Boston Celtics.

Link ESPN NBA Attendance: NBA Attendance - National Basketball Association - ESPN

NFL?

We could support an NFL franchise; however, just like in Phoenix we would have to get permission to use OU or OSU's stadium until a permanent facility could be built here in Oklahoma City. The chances of that happening are slim and besides it's not in OU's interest to jump start an NFL team in Central Oklahoma which would be competitive for sports dollars.

NHL?

Maybe 10 years from now if OKC's metro population exceeds 2 million then I think would could support an NHL as well as an NBA franchise.

[bluedogok]

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.

[metro]

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.

[dmoor82]

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.

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 ?????

[rod4soonrs]

anyone else find it interesting, 2 guys "investors" are from OKC?

[bombermwc]

I just can't see where everyone is getting the idea that we could support NFL. Do you have any idea how much that would cost? How much more demanding NFL teams are than NBA? Just because we could put butts in the stands, doesn't mean we're going to be able to support the team. We don't have the corporate/population base to support 2 major league groups like that. College sports are too big here, and that means their money goes towards attending those events.

Now you can see with basketball, that it's not 100% of the story. You can like Basketball and not like OU or OSU so you don't go to their games, but you go to a NBA Thunder game. I'll grant that the same can POSSIBLY happen with football. Filling a 65K stadium 8 times a year isn't really that hard. I don't doubt for a second that it would happen. HOWEVER, I still don't think we would have the sponsor base to be able to make up for all the expenses. There are only so many dollars that the Devon's and Chesapeakes of the city want to give out. Plus, that means people would be going to MAJOR football games two days in a row. I bet you absolutely, that people will chose to NOT go to one of the events. Which means someone starts losing money.

Fans in Oklahoma are fair weather football fans. OU and OSU fans a like only really attend when the team is doing well. Do we remember the years of Gibbs/Shnelengerber/etc.? How about the decades of OSU? And now that OSU has promise again, they're having trouble getting people in the door while OU has a queue miles long to get a chance to come in. I just don't see NFL at all in Oklahoma. Not until our population is MUCH larger and we have a larger corporate base. Cleveland Browns anyone?

I still believe NHL is the best choice...and it will go to Tulsa before OKC. It's season lines up more with Basketball so you will find it hard to convince a team to move to OKC with the Thunder around...not to mention the population/tv market issues of a sport that is already struggling nationally.