OU Projects

[Plutonic Panda]

^^^ another article about the groundbreaking: https://okcfox.com/sports/university...ta-hynes-field

[KHutch66]

Gabe Ikard just mentioned in his most recent podcast release that OU is currently in the process of searching for an architecture firm for a new football operations facility. The estimated cost at 175M.

[Pete]

Gabe Ikard just mentioned in his most recent podcast release that OU is currently in the process of searching for an architecture firm for a new football operations facility. The estimated cost at 175M.

Anyone know what such a facility would include?

I suspect it would go on the site of the old Bud Wilkinson House which was recently demolished.

[KHutch66]

Anyone know what such a facility would include?

I suspect it would go on the site of the old Bud Wilkinson House which was recently demolished.

Ikard - "This will include a new practice facility & world-class resources in recovery, sports science & nutrition."

[Pete]

Now at OU, when Chad Turnipseed at Clemson he spearheaded their new football operations facility so it probably is a rough approximation for what they are planning: mini golf, hoops courts, pool tables, arcade games,

https://www.businessinsider.com/phot...tting-green-14

[Rover]

Anyone know what such a facility would include?

I suspect it would go on the site of the old Bud Wilkinson House which was recently demolished.

Probably an enhanced version of this: https://clemsontigers.com/sports/foo...orial-stadium/
or this: https://rolltide.com/sports/2016/6/1...ml.aspx?id=130

Thad Turnipseed, now at OU, was responsible for these.

[BoulderSooner]

Anyone know what such a facility would include?

I suspect it would go on the site of the old Bud Wilkinson House which was recently demolished.

this would also included full size new practice fields .. and the current OU track being moved .

[Pete]

this would also included full size new practice fields .. and the current OU track being moved .

Wowee. No wonder they need $175 million.

[Pete]

On the agenda for the next meeting of the regents:

ACTION PROPOSED:
President Harroz recommends the Board of Regents ratify the interim approval given
per the Board Bylaws to approve funds not to exceed $2,500,000 for early site costs including
demolition of Adams Center and associated site work for Phase I of the First-Year Housing
Masterplan.

BACKGROUND AND/OR RATIONALE:
The First Year Housing Master Plan was approved at the March 2021 Board of
Regent Meeting as an addition to the Campus Master Plan of Capital Improvement Projects for
the Norman Campus. The Board also ranked ADG, P.C. first among architectural firms
considered to provide design services for the project at the March 2021 meeting. At the March
2022 meeting, the Board ranked Flintco LLC highest among construction managers considered
to provide professional services for the project.

Since March 2021, the University and the design consultants have been working on
the design development plans that will be presented to the Board at a future meeting. Interim
approval was given by the Chair and Vice Chair, in order to meet the future project milestones,
to authorize the expenditure of funds for abatement, demolition, utility infrastructure, site
preparation, etc. not to exceed $2,500,000, for Phase I of the First-Year Housing Masterplan. All
contracts and expenditures will be reported back to the Board in accordance with Board of
Regents policy.

Funding for the project has been identified and is available from Housing funds.

[Pete]

Also, there will be a massive new football facility just to the east of the stadium.

My understanding is the track will be relocated; the former Bud Wilkinson House has already been demolished.

The entire cost will be around $175 million.

BACKGROUND AND/OR RATIONALE:
This project is a new addition to the Campus Master Plan of Capital Improvement
Projects for the Norman campus. The new Football Operations Facilities will be located on the
Norman campus separate from and adjacent to Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. It
is anticipated that the project will develop new state-of-the-art facilities for functions consistent
with those required to support Oklahoma Football training, practice, preparation, and
performance. The project will also address existing athletics facilities currently operating at the
adjacent location, initially conceptualized to be to the east of the stadium. The selected firm will
be required to review the potential site development options for the new football operations
facilities; and provide planning and professional services for any impacted existing athletics
facility.

At this time, an architectural consultant is needed to assist the University in providing
planning and professional services for the University of Oklahoma Football Operations
Facilities. A request for qualifications was sent to the architectural firms that are currently
registered with the Construction and Properties Department/Division of Capital Assets
Management of the State Office of Management and Enterprise Service, and a committee was
formed to evaluate the responses received from three firms.

Interim approval was given by the Chair and Vice Chair for Programming and Design
Development costs only for a maximum amount of $4,000,000. This will allow the
University/Athletics to review site development options, program and design options, and
develop an accurate project budget for future review and recommendation by the Board of
Regents. Funding for this portion of the project has been identified and is available and
budgeted from the Athletics Department.

[BG918]

Now they just need to build the new basketball arena next to this facility at Brooks & Jenkins.

[BoulderSooner]

Now they just need to build the new basketball arena next to this facility at Brooks & Jenkins.

north of brooks .... is the perfect spot .... however there are no current funds for that .. and the UNP arena project is still alive

[BG918]

north of brooks .... is the perfect spot .... however there are no current funds for that .. and the UNP arena project is still alive

Hopefully that dies like it did last time they floated it. I can’t even believe that is still being considered.

[BoulderSooner]

Hopefully that dies like it did last time they floated it. I can’t even believe that is still being considered.

it is a good solution to the issue that OU doesn't have the funds to build a new stadium ....

[Plutonic Panda]

it is a good solution to the issue that OU doesn't have the funds to build a new stadium ....

It’s a horrible solution. OU can get the funds if they tried. They don’t want to try.

[chssooner]

It’s a horrible solution. OU can get the funds if they tried. They don’t want to try.

I don't normally agree with Boulder, but in this, I do. He is heavily involved in the OUHoops website. He knows people who would know whether OU donors care about basketball. Basketball is almost below softball in terms of relevance to donors, so a new arena would be hard to accomplish. Donors would rather donate to football projects or softball projects. Their is apathy in the basketball program.

[BoulderSooner]

I don't normally agree with Boulder, but in this, I do. He is heavily involved in the OUHoops website. He knows people who would know whether OU donors care about basketball. Basketball is almost below softball in terms of relevance to donors, so a new arena would be hard to accomplish. Donors would rather donate to football projects or softball projects. Their is apathy in the basketball program.

it is also very much the scale of the project .. softball wins (they are the best team in the nation) and still it really took multi national titles and an over 10mil gift from tom and judy love to just start that 40mil project ..

a new basketball arena is more like 3 or 4 hundred million ... or more ... (texas new arena 375 mil)

there was a LNC renovation plan about 10-12 years ago that would have been 150 mil +/- but those funds were going to be hard to raise ..

football still have 300+ left of the stadium master plan and the current push is for the new 175 mil football ops building ...

one of the big reasons the UNP stadium was great (location travel restaurants bars aside) is that OU was not going to have to pay for it ...

(just as a note i own/operate ouhoops.com ) ..

[BG918]

it is also very much the scale of the project .. softball wins (they are the best team in the nation) and still it really took multi national titles and an over 10mil gift from tom and judy love to just start that 40mil project ..

a new basketball arena is more like 3 or 4 hundred million ... or more ... (texas new arena 375 mil)

there was a LNC renovation plan about 10-12 years ago that would have been 150 mil +/- but those funds were going to be hard to raise ..

football still have 300+ left of the stadium master plan and the current push is for the new 175 mil football ops building ...

one of the big reasons the UNP stadium was great (location travel restaurants bars aside) is that OU was not going to have to pay for it ...

(just as a note i own/operate ouhoops.com ) ..

OU and Norman should work out a deal where it serves its purpose as a basketball arena but also used for concerts and other events and pushes more urban development in the core. It would not need to be anything like Moody in Austin, something more Foster Pavilion currently under construction in Waco where Baylor is funding $120M and City of Waco is funding the remaining $65M of the $185M price tag. The size of that project, 7k seats, is also more appropriate for what OU needs. They could even add some meetings rooms and have it as a mini-conference center used by OU and Norman.

If there was a downtown site available that would work too but nowhere else has the advantages of the Brooks & Jenkins site:
1. OU already owns the land
2. On-campus so easy for students to access games and events
3. Existing parking lots by the Duck Pond - that combined with the Elm Ave garage by the stadium exceeds parking capacity at LNC
4. Future stop on commuter rail line to OKC and Edmond less than 1/4 mile to the east
5. Ability for fans to patronize Campus Corner bars and restaurants before/after games
6. Continues revitalization and redevelopment of the Jenkins Ave corridor from OU to downtown

[BoulderSooner]

OU and Norman should work out a deal where it serves its purpose as a basketball arena but also used for concerts and other events and pushes more urban development in the core. It would not need to be anything like Moody in Austin, something more Foster Pavilion currently under construction in Waco where Baylor is funding $120M and City of Waco is funding the remaining $65M of the $185M price tag. The size of that project, 7k seats, is also more appropriate for what OU needs. They could even add some meetings rooms and have it as a mini-conference center used by OU and Norman.

If there was a downtown site available that would work too but nowhere else has the advantages of the Brooks & Jenkins site:
1. OU already owns the land
2. On-campus so easy for students to access games and events
3. Existing parking lots by the Duck Pond - that combined with the Elm Ave garage by the stadium exceeds parking capacity at LNC
4. Future stop on commuter rail line to OKC and Edmond less than 1/4 mile to the east
5. Ability for fans to patronize Campus Corner bars and restaurants before/after games
6. Continues revitalization and redevelopment of the Jenkins Ave corridor from OU to downtown

OU needs more than 7k seats ... they have had 9k+ season ticket holders most of the last 25 years and have over 6k currently

[bhawes]

Also the new OU basketball arena will be used by gymnastics, volleyball, and wrestling teams at OU. The committee failed to include those others sports will also use the arena, which is one reason they were unsuccessful In getting a deal. Also the new arena could be used for OU hockey team. The arena needs to at least seat 10000 to 12000 seats. Duke University arena seats about 10000
seats.

[GoGators]

OU and Norman should work out a deal where it serves its purpose as a basketball arena but also used for concerts and other events and pushes more urban development in the core. It would not need to be anything like Moody in Austin, something more Foster Pavilion currently under construction in Waco where Baylor is funding $120M and City of Waco is funding the remaining $65M of the $185M price tag. The size of that project, 7k seats, is also more appropriate for what OU needs. They could even add some meetings rooms and have it as a mini-conference center used by OU and Norman.

If there was a downtown site available that would work too but nowhere else has the advantages of the Brooks & Jenkins site:
1. OU already owns the land
2. On-campus so easy for students to access games and events
3. Existing parking lots by the Duck Pond - that combined with the Elm Ave garage by the stadium exceeds parking capacity at LNC
4.Future stop on commuter rail line to OKC and Edmond less than 1/4 mile to the east
5. Ability for fans to patronize Campus Corner bars and restaurants before/after games
6. Continues revitalization and redevelopment of the Jenkins Ave corridor from OU to downtown

OU needs to either wait until they can raise the funds for a new on campus arena or wait to make a deal with a developer that will build an arena near downtown/campus and wont relegate basketball to the middle of nowhere. The UNP location is so bad that staying in LNC until one of these two options comes around is the best move.

[BG918]

Also the new OU basketball arena will be used by gymnastics, volleyball, and wrestling teams at OU. The committee failed to include those others sports will also use the arena, which is one reason they were unsuccessful In getting a deal. Also the new arena could be used for OU hockey team. The arena needs to at least seat 10000 to 12000 seats. Duke University arena seats about 10000
seats.

I would say closer to 9k seats. 20% smaller capacity than LNC but with more intimate seating and better fan amenities. UT basketball is only at 11k seats in Moody with double OU's student population and in the middle of a metro of 2.3M.

[Jersey Boss]

I would say closer to 9k seats. 20% smaller capacity than LNC but with more intimate seating and better fan amenities. UT basketball is only at 11k seats in Moody with double OU's student population and in the middle of a metro of 2.3M.

Per Wiki Moody seats 10k for hoops. More importantly Mens and Womens hoops are the only sporting teams that use Moody. A multi sport arena us usually bad for basketball

[Plutonic Panda]

OU needs to either wait until they can raise the funds for a new on campus arena or wait to make a deal with a developer that will build an arena near downtown/campus and wont relegate basketball to the middle of nowhere. The UNP location is so bad that staying in LNC until one of these two options comes around is the best move.

Yep. This +1000

[BG918]

Per Wiki Moody seats 10k for hoops. More importantly Mens and Womens hoops are the only sporting teams that use Moody. A multi sport arena us usually bad for basketball

10k is official capacity, they had 11,313 for their first basketball game and at least that maybe more for the game against Gonzaga. Same thing for OU's new arena...official capacity could be 9k but for big games could fit 10k+.

Agree that a multisport arena is bad for basketball. Like Moody though the new OU arena could be used for concerts and other events. Gymnastics and hockey could be in a different venue closer to Jenkins & Imhoff.