OKC Energy FC

[BoulderSooner]

team not playing next season

https://twitter.com/DylanBuckingham/...177066502?s=20

[jedicurt]

apparently even the players found out via Twitter.

[Jake]

Almost zero teams come back from “hiatus.”

[OkiePoke]

Is this the team we are building a new soccer stadium for....

[Laramie]

Is this the team we are building a new soccer stadium for....

Pretty much. They were to be the anchor tenants for the MAPS 4 Multipurpose Stadium project that had a $37.5 million budget. Maybe the new stadium will be completed for that season.

[SEMIweather]

We can only hope that they’ll sell the franchise rights to someone that will take things more seriously in advance of the new stadium opening. As I don’t see how this particular iteration of the team comes back from this.

[Pete]

Wow. Not good at all.

There are a ton of HS stadiums they could utilize if construction is really the issue. They could even move to Speegle Stadium near Capitol Hill HS, which is also owned by OKCPS.

This sounds like an excuse to stop operations.

[amocore]

Agree. Plus the USL C season goes from April to October while the renovation should go from Mid May to August.

They could work the schedule with the league to have less home games during this period and play few of them somewhere else.

It sounds really fishy. I ll miss them.

[AnguisHerba]

I've always been suspicious that Bob Funk, et al. was the right organization to entrust in developing our city's minor league/major league soccer hopes given that they've never been able to sustain a franchise in any sport.

[Pete]

Almost zero teams come back from “hiatus.”

Yep.

You basically have to start all over: new coaches, new staff, all new players.

Stopping even for a season basically destroys everything they've done up to this point.


The multi-purpose stadium is later in the MAPS 4 schedule so there is time to get another team/ownership group lined up.

[Zuplar]

In a hypothetical situation where the team never comes back, would there be consideration to not build the stadium? Or is it for sure a go?

[SEMIweather]

You would have to think it would be pretty pointless to build a stadium without a team lined up to play in it. But at the same time, the stadium commitment should make the idea of an OKC USL franchise attractive to anyone looking to buy the rights from the current ownership group. Just because they’re idiots who have squandered all positive momentum while the league as a whole has continued to improve, doesn’t mean that someone else can’t make it work. There’s a good soccer culture in this city, it’s just that the people trying to tap into that culture have absolutely no idea what they’re doing. (See also: Slim’s, Skinny)

[Pete]

If the current ownership group does not raise the team from the dead, there will be someone else to step in to either buy the remains or start a new franchise.

OKC is too large of a city to not have at least a minor league soccer team.

And all that would have to take place before they started on a stadium, which is still many years away.

[Richard at Remax]

Hopefully this kills off the worst item in Maps 4. They should have never left McGuinness (although I understand why) cause it just never felt the same

[amocore]

The Stadium is still years away and I agree on the fact the metro can support an USL Champ or even an USL L1 team.
Not sure why the stadium would be the worst thing on the last MAPS. Obviously it is needed.

As I said, earlier, it feels like an excuse to shut everything down. So many small stadium, plus UCO or even the Ballpark could have host the Energy for a couple of months.

[jn1780]

The stadium wasn't being built specifically for the Energy. There are higher goals aspirations for it.

[SEMIweather]

The stadium wasn't being built specifically for the Energy. There are higher goals aspirations for it.

Aside from concerts, I don’t really see what the purpose would be beyond soccer. The design is cheap to the point where I’ve suggested in multiple previous posts on here that if the Energy’s current ownership group was serious about the club, they’d throw in matching funds to build the more upscale version that they had previously proposed. Obviously I’d be very surprised if that outcome happens now, lmao.

[shawnw]

I'm okay with axing the stadium, but we did build a teamless arena in the first maps and that worked out okay.

[Laramie]

The stadium wasn't being built specifically for the Energy. There are higher goals aspirations for it.

Agree, the stadium is a multi-purpose venue and Funk Jr., never should have been allowed to chose among the four stadium options.

Should have allowed him 'input.' OKC should have gone with the most expensive venue that would have provided nothing less than 10,000 seats.

[borchard]

Agree, the stadium is a multi-purpose venue and Funk Jr., never should have been allowed to chose among the four stadium options.

Should have allowed him 'input.' OKC should have gone with the most expensive venue that would have provided nothing less than 10,000 seats.

I agree with you, Laramie. The stadium should be AT LEAST 10k seats, probably more. Even IF Funk doesn't bring the Energy back it would be great to have a multi-purpose facility where maybe we could:

1. Go after the FCS Football Championship. Right now it is being held in Frisco, TX every year. That stadium holds ~18k
2. Hold some/most/all State Football/Soccer Championships there. That IMHO would be awesome. It would become like what the State Fair Arena has been for HS Basketball for so many years.
3. Hold concerts, of course
4. Maybe have one-off events like The USWNT playing a game there. Maybe even the USMNT?

[Laramie]

City should leave north & south ends open; configuration with the MAPS 4 Multipurpose Stadium:

The stadium site selection/land acquisition is scheduled for 2023 with construction running from mid-2025 through 2026--Journal Record, December 27, 2021..

Minimum seating capacity 10,000 chair back seats--same type of seats in the Bricktown Ballpark, 6,000 temporary bleacher style on the north & south ends.

Capacity to 16,000 would allow you to host more outdoor events. Energy FC could opt to use 10,000 chair back seats--close off bleacher north & south ends.

City could eventually expand & upgrade stadium eliminating temporary seats with 10,000 or more permanent chair back seats.

Funk has the option as anchor tenant to entertain MLS, OKC will have a stadium that could temporarily house MLS and/or XFL (returns 2023 with future expansion) if the option becomes available.

A 16,000 capacity, 10,000 minimum permanent seating stadium would give OKC all kinds of future options with expansion or retrofitting with the option of north & south temporary ends left open.

[Laramie]

Any updates on when the Oklahoma City Energy FC will return.

[SEMIweather]

They are still tweeting like they will be back next season. I'll personally believe it when I see the 2023 USL schedule released with them on it.

[shartel_ave]

They aren’t coming back unless they get an arena

[BoulderSooner]

They aren’t coming back unless they get an arena

the stadium is already funded and approved