Softball Hall of Fame

[Laramie]

On viewership. The NHL is viewed on the open free airways as well as what is counted cable/satellite TV subscription networks--if the formula still stands as the way viewership is counted.

As Pete mentioned, one is viewed on NBC which is on the regular free airways where you don't need a subscription.

Now there was one game between OU & JMU that was on ESPN & ABC (both cable/satellite subscription and free airway). This was a test of the free non subscription airways and well as subscription cable/satellite TV networks.

The occasional pics of the Oklahoma City skyline and the views of Hall of Fame Stadium with mention of the new upper deck and the record crowds was good advertising for our city.

It's impressive how the popularity of college women's softball continues its momentum--and let's not forget the prompts given to Oklahoma City as the event host. 'You couldn't get a better free advertising package on Madison Avenue.'

ALERT: Now what's this about the possibility of OKC losing the future NCAA WCWS event because of some legislation our ultra conservative Oklahoma legislature passed to make some ill-advised points vs. the NCAA's liberal agenda. Let's hope this clash doesn't come down to a political court fight. Our city passed 2017 GO-BONDS (Included $27.5 million & $7.5 million private donations) to make the stadium upgrades possible to host this event until 2035. OKC Convention Visitors Bureau anticipates an impact of $24-27 million in Oklahoma City.

[BoulderSooner]

At the same time, there are good reasons one sport is on a popular sports network and the other is not.

because NBC offered the NHL more money the last time around ..


this time the Nhl took a little less money and signed a deal with espn and fox ...

[BoulderSooner]

On viewership. The NHL is viewed on the open free airways as well as what is counted cable/satellite TV subscription networks--if the formula still stands as the way viewership is counted.

As Pete mentioned, one is viewed on NBC which is on the regular free airways where you don't need a subscription.

Now there was one game between OU & JMU that was on ESPN & ABC (both cable/satellite subscription and free airway). This was a test of the free non subscription airways and well as subscription cable/satellite TV networks.

The occasional pics of the Oklahoma City skyline and the views of Hall of Fame Stadium with mention of the new upper deck and the record crowds was good advertising for our city.

It's impressive how the popularity of college women's softball continues its momentum--and let's not forget the prompts given to Oklahoma City as the event host. 'You couldn't get a better free advertising package on Madison Avenue.'

ALERT: Now what's this about the possibility of OKC losing the future NCAA WCWS event because of some legislation our ultra conservative Oklahoma legislature passed to make some ill-advised points vs. the NCAA's liberal agenda. Let's hope this clash doesn't come down to a political court fight. Our city passed 2017 GO-BONDS (Included $27.5 million & $7.5 million private donations) to make the stadium upgrades possible to host this event until 2035. OKC Convention Visitors Bureau anticipates an impact of $24-27 million in Oklahoma City.

NBCSN is not on the "free airways" and there was no OU JMU game on ABC ...... that was OU washingon in the super regionals .... and it was only on ABC

[Laramie]

NBCSN is not on the "free airways" and there was no OU JMU game on ABC ...... that was OU washingon in the super regionals .... and it was others on ABC

Didn't say NBCSN (NBCSports Nation or Network),

IIRC, ABC, CBS & NBC (which includes NHL hockey) and a few are free when you purchase a new (non tube) flat screen TV.

[BoulderSooner]

IIRC, ABC, CBS & NBC and a few are free when you purchase a new (non tube) flat screen TV.

Right. But that is not the channel the game was on. It was on NBCSN which is a cable channel. That is on sports packages.

[Laramie]

Right. But that is not the channel the game was on. It was on NBCSN which is a cable channel. That is on sports packages.

I have a TV in my garage that I turn on and on Sunday's following Meet the Press, it is not apart of my cable package, nor is it connected to wi-fi. The NHL is on much like the NBA is on ABC as well.

Only point I wanted to make is the tournament has grown in popularity; it's not on par with the NHL or NBA. Also, thanks for reminding me that the game on ABC was Washington and not JMU.

[HOT ROD]

IMO, a group in OKC needs to put together the resources to start an expansion NFP team in OKC (I think when I last researched it was "only" 200K). The softball capital should have pro softball.

could not agree more - softball is exciting and I would LOVE to see and support an OKC National Softball League team. Imagine these ladies having professional opportunities to represent OKC post OU/WCWS. And I totally agree it's more exciting than baseball as a spectator sport - plus helps being they are women (not going to lie, guys).

Fastpitch softball deserves national major league ala WNBA. Let's somehow make this happen in OKC!

[HOT ROD]

and hopefully we can have MORE softball games on ABC, especially the top draws that OU specifically always deliver!!

Good for the sport, good for OU, good for the city, and good for ABC!

Now let's make a large TV deal on the new major league National Softball Association with the "OKC Aviators", with G and Alo leading the way!!

[Laramie]

and hopefully we can have MORE softball games on ABC, especially the top draws that OU specifically always deliver!!

Good for the sport, good for OU, good for the city, and good for ABC!

Now let's make a large TV deal on the new major league National Softball Association with the "OKC Aviators", with G and Alo leading the way!!

Excellent point. A NSA League IMO would attract more viewership than the WNBA, with a good fan base in OKC especially if you have a lot of OU Alums playing. Oklahoma hasn't tapped the female franchise fan base of a potential NSA or the WNBA.

As for them moving the WNBA Tulsa Shock to Arlington-Dallas from the Tulsa BOK Center, did they give it time for Tulsa to develop a fan base:

Tulsa Shock - BOK Center 17,839 (Basketball). Franchise used lower bowl seating.
2010 4,812 (11th)
2011 4,828 (12th)
2012 5,203 (12th)
2013 5,474 (12th)
2014 5,566 (12th)
2015 5,168 (11th)

Dallas Wings - College Park Center UT Arlington - 7,000 (Basketball)
2016 5,298 (12th)
2017 3,872 (12th)
2018 4,752 (10th)
2019 4,999 (8th)
2020 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was played in Bradenton, Florida without fans.

Attendance figures looked better in Tulsa than Arlington; however the corporate sponsorship factor is the missing unknown piece.

[MikeLucky]

On viewership. The NHL is viewed on the open free airways as well as what is counted cable/satellite TV subscription networks--if the formula still stands as the way viewership is counted.

As Pete mentioned, one is viewed on NBC which is on the regular free airways where you don't need a subscription.

Now there was one game between OU & JMU that was on ESPN & ABC (both cable/satellite subscription and free airway). This was a test of the free non subscription airways and well as subscription cable/satellite TV networks.

The occasional pics of the Oklahoma City skyline and the views of Hall of Fame Stadium with mention of the new upper deck and the record crowds was good advertising for our city.

It's impressive how the popularity of college women's softball continues its momentum--and let's not forget the prompts given to Oklahoma City as the event host. 'You couldn't get a better free advertising package on Madison Avenue.'

ALERT: Now what's this about the possibility of OKC losing the future NCAA WCWS event because of some legislation our ultra conservative Oklahoma legislature passed to make some ill-advised points vs. the NCAA's liberal agenda. Let's hope this clash doesn't come down to a political court fight. Our city passed 2017 GO-BONDS (Included $27.5 million & $7.5 million private donations) to make the stadium upgrades possible to host this event until 2035. OKC Convention Visitors Bureau anticipates an impact of $24-27 million in Oklahoma City.

I laugh at the irony. If the states don't pass these laws to protect women's sports, there will be no softball world series to host at all.

The federal government worked so hard for so long to use Title IX to carve out women's sports opportunities over several decades, only to swipe a pen and completely destroy women's sports and all the progress so many people fought so hard to create. I'm hopeful that logical heads will prevail and we can get past some of this craziness.

[SoonerDave]

I was fortunate enough to attend all three title games and saw my 2nd National Title (saw 2016 in person, too). The park is so nice with the new decks! I was sitting on the 3rd base side and the sound system seemed a little muffled to me, but no real issue.

One thing they probably need to address for safety purposes is the design oversight that provides access to each upper deck via a single staircase. For Monday's game, our deck was probably 90% full and everyone exiting was stuffed together being funneled toward the stairs for that deck. I suspect they'll have to look at adding some sort of additional exit out the other direction.

The only other minor nitpick I had is that amid all the renovations they didn't replace the big scoreboard/videoboard. I think it's been in place out there for perhaps ten years; the board itself is fading/dimming as LEDs do over time. Many of the LED panels are not displaying full colors correctly and I suspect repair parts/modules aren't even available. Perhaps a new board could be put up and positioned in such a way that the temp outfield bleachers they put in don't obstruct it. Would seem like OG&E would be a willing sponsor for a newer, more energy-efficient board.

In that vein, the evening games were lit with the all-new LED field lights that power on instantly and are startlingly bright. Looked great.

What many people don't realize is that OKC is now talked about in softball circles as their "destination." We've literally become to softball what Omaha and the old Rosenblatt Stadium were to college baseball. You hear fans at super-regional sites chanting "OKC OKC OKC." You cannot buy* that kind of positive notoriety.

Whoever thought building a softball stadium some 35 years ago would ever have reaped such fantastic dividends and benefits to OKC!!

[Laramie]

2021 Women's College World Series Attendance Figures:

Official capacity of the revitalized Hall of Fame Stadium is 12,300.

Total attendance for the entire Women’s College World Series registered at 115,514, and averaged out to 11,551 people per session.

Link - Justin's World: https://justinsworldsb.com/womens-co...dance-records/

The 2019 edition of the Women’s College World Series set an all-time record for fan attendance, according to numbers confirmed by the NCAA.

A total of 78,361 fans watched the WCWS in-person at Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, with an average of more than 8,700 fans in attendance per game. Hall of Fame Stadium’s official sell-out figure is 8,400.

WCWS by the numbers: 115,514 - 78,361 = 37,155

With both state universities in the final eight team tournament; Oklahoma City out-of-state economic impact wasn't as robust as it would have been had this been an all out-of-state elite eight.

[Jersey Boss]

So I was reading Clay Horning in the Sunday Transcript and he was mentioning the unacceptable facets of the way the WCWS is run and conditions. Of particular concern was the lack of rest for the players between games, playing games into late hours and other conditions that baseball players would not face. What I found to be shocking was no showers at the venue.
Seems to me that before video screens, showers and indoor batting cages need to be installed before next year. That is if the legislature hasn't caused the event to be relocated.

[Laramie]

So I was reading Clay Horning in the Sunday Transcript and he was mentioning the unacceptable facets of the way the WCWS is run and conditions. Of particular concern was the lack of rest for the players between games, playing games into late hours and other conditions that baseball players would not face. What I found to be shocking was no showers at the venue.
Seems to me that before video screens, showers and indoor batting cages need to be installed before next year. That is if the legislature hasn't caused the event to be relocated.

No showers, definitely a concern...

Most of the players will shower when they get back to their hotel rooms. Also, you have to remember that once you install showers inside the locker rooms, it become a question of whether the male media will be entitled to visit those locker rooms and most of the women athletes would probably refrain from using the showers knowing the male media would have access to the lockers room.

Don't want to comment on the shower accommodations because there's a ton of thoughts on male reporters being allowed in women's locker rooms; you could write a doctoral dissertation on that subject. Try Googling 'Are male reporters allowed into WNBA locker rooms after games?'

In all fairness, women want equal rights:

Could be a 'no brainer or a no boner...'

.

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City's sports investment,

Hall of Fame Stadium

The upper deck doesn't just expand capacity, though. It has changed other aspects of the stadium, too.

► Concourses: The upper deck has increased the covered areas in the concourse. That makes it feel more contained — Alabama coach Patrick Murphy said it now "looks like a true major-league concourse" — but the upper deck also makes more shaded areas at the stadium. That will come in handy when the Oklahoma heat cranks up.

► Concessions and bathrooms: The upper deck not only added seats but also those amenities. For example, there are now 177 total toilets in the restrooms at Hall of Fame Stadium, an increase of 131.

Not all of those are in the upper deck, by the way. The addition of the upper deck allowed for more bathrooms to be constructed on the concourse level.

The Women's College World Series fell victim to the pandemic a year ago, canceled by the NCAA along with all spring sports. But now, college softball's flagship event has returned — and dare we say, it's better than ever.

Lots has changed at Hall of Fame Stadium since last the WCWS came to OKC. A multi-year renovation project that cost almost $30 million was finished last year, so even though the college softball world saw changes over the past few years, even more has changed.

Upper deck for WCWS

The most biggest change is, well, the biggest part of the multi-year, nearly $30 million renovation that was completed last spring — a 4,000-seat upper deck.

While seating at Hall of Fame Stadium has been increased over the years, it has never had an upper deck. This is not only the biggest single-year capacity increase but also the most transformational to the look and feel of the stadium.

► Concourses: The upper deck has increased the covered areas in the concourse. That makes it feel more contained — Alabama coach Patrick Murphy said it now "looks like a true major-league concourse" — but the upper deck also makes more shaded areas at the stadium. That will come in handy when the Oklahoma heat cranks up.

► Concessions and bathrooms: The upper deck not only added seats but also those amenities. For example, there are now 177 total toilets in the restrooms at Hall of Fame Stadium, an increase of 131.

Playing surface at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium for WCWS

The field may look the same, but it has undergone a big change.

The old field was dug out completely, going from the backstop to the outfield fence. The top 18 inches of turf and dirt were scraped off and removed.

Then, an underground drainage system was installed, which will carry rainwater off site.

Team facilities for Women's College World Series

Behind-the-scenes amenities for players and coaches were an early focus in this last round of renovations. Locker rooms under the stadium, just steps away from the dugouts, were added several years ago.

But since then, organizers and officials have been conscientious of how the locker rooms were used, leading them to make minor changes to maximize the player experience.

Excerpts: Jenni Carlson, Oklahoman - Published 5:17 p.m., CT - June 2, 2021

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[SoonerDave]

So I was reading Clay Horning in the Sunday Transcript and he was mentioning the unacceptable facets of the way the WCWS is run and conditions. Of particular concern was the lack of rest for the players between games, playing games into late hours and other conditions that baseball players would not face. What I found to be shocking was no showers at the venue.
Seems to me that before video screens, showers and indoor batting cages need to be installed before next year. That is if the legislature hasn't caused the event to be relocated.

Ugh!? No showers? Man, I'd almost have to believe that's some conscious decision; I mean, how could you *not* have that in your design/layout? Trying to suggest it was an omission for some really odd reasons we just don't know about.

[Rover]

Ugh!? No showers? Man, I'd almost have to believe that's some conscious decision; I mean, how could you *not* have that in your design/layout? Trying to suggest it was an omission for some really odd reasons we just don't know about.

To give perspective, the men's venue in Omaha DOES have locker rooms for multiple teams. But it also cost over $130 million to build (would be way more now). It is used for the men's world series, the AAA baseball team, and the Creighton baseball team.

OKC can not, nor can anyone, afford to spend $100+ million for a comparable stadium whose main attendance drawing event spans a single week. It's a nice thought, but until some softball enthusiast billionaire wants to give us a stadium and watch it sit for 50 weeks of the year, it isn't happening.

[WheelerD Guy]

Ugh!? No showers? Man, I'd almost have to believe that's some conscious decision; I mean, how could you *not* have that in your design/layout? Trying to suggest it was an omission for some really odd reasons we just don't know about.

It looked hot AF during that Natty Championship game, too. I know girls don’t necessarily sweat as much, but I’m sure they were during that game.

[Irishman23]

Would anyone know if OU or OSU has shower facilities at there home softball stadiums? It might be something they are use to doing (going back to their dorm/hotel) after practices or games.

[Laramie]

Marita Hynes Field - https://soonersports.com/sports/2019...208803901.aspx

The complex provides permanent chair back and bleacher seating with a capacity of 1,378, a concessions building and rest rooms, press box, VIP lounge and a ticket office.

No mention of shower facilities; it does provide restrooms. Doubt if there are showers in women's athletic facilities other than the dorms or housing.

You know one of OU selling points for recruits will always mention amenities like a sauna, whirlpools, weight rooms etc...

[Jersey Boss]

https://soonersports.com/sports/2019/8/9/208803916.aspx

Consistently voted as one of the top playing surfaces in college baseball, L. Dale Mitchell Park provides a state-of-the-art facility for the OU baseball program.

Named for the mid-1940s Sooner letterman who still holds OU's career and single-season batting records, L. Dale Mitchell Park was dedicated in 1982. Originally constructed at a cost of $1.27 million, recent renovations totaling over $2 million have improved both the team and fan experience at the stadium.

The first phase of the renovation was completed during the 1998 season and included an upper concourse and additional restrooms and concession stands. Prior to the 2002 season, the press box underwent state-of-the-art improvement and expansion. VIP suites and a disability-accessible elevator were also added.

OU added a practice facility prior to the 2009 season including a regulation-size natural grass infield and a 5,160 square-foot indoor hitting facility. The building contains three full-size pitching and hitting lanes and is heated and air conditioned. The addition covered 22,500 square feet of existing ground down the left-field line adjacent to the Sooner bullpen.

The ballpark received a new video and scoreboard in left field in 2009, and new chair back seats were added prior to the 2011 and 2012 seasons. Also in 2012, a new warning track was installed as well as field turf in the foul territory around the infield.

Nothing about showers at L. Dale Mitchell. I doubt that means they don't have them.

I refuse to believe that they don't have showers at either Hynes or Mitchel field. You think the visiting teams would be showering at OU housing?
Also the Senior Sports columnist for the Transcript is familiar with the OU facilities as well as other Big 12 facilities. He would not be critical of the WCWS facilities if it was customary for no showers at Womens facilities or no indoor batting cages.

[Rover]

You can take a virtual tour through Marita Hynes whole facility. I just checked it out. I walked through the locker room and team areas and didn't see any shower area.

[Jersey Boss]

You can take a virtual tour through Marita Hynes whole facility. I just checked it out. I walked through the locker room and team areas and didn't see any shower area.

Did they have a similar tour of the baseball facility so one can compare? I take it the virtual tour you took did show the commodes or sinks? If not then I guess they did not show everything on the virtual tour.

[Jersey Boss]

No showers, definitely a concern...

Most of the players will shower when they get back to their hotel rooms. Also, you have to remember that once you install showers inside the locker rooms, it become a question of whether the male media will be entitled to visit those locker rooms and most of the women athletes would probably refrain from using the showers knowing the male media would have access to the lockers room.

Don't want to comment on the shower accommodations because there's a ton of thoughts on male reporters being allowed in women's locker rooms; you could write a doctoral dissertation on that subject. Try Googling 'Are male reporters allowed into WNBA locker rooms after games?'

In all fairness, women want equal rights:

Could be a 'no brainer or a no boner...'

.

Not even pro sports such as the WNBA allow men into the locker room. Not an issue as far as entitlement. In mens sports reporters are not allowed into the locker room until a period of time has passed allowing for showers and getting dressed.

[Laramie]

Not even pro sports such as the WNBA allow men into the locker room. Not an issue as far as entitlement. In mens sports reporters are not allowed into the locker room until a period of time has passed allowing for showers and getting dressed.

Do recall that was an issue at one time. Remember when they would be in the World Series locker rooms where they didn't give the wining or losing team a chance to refresh where reporters were wanting comments from players showing them in the bear skin chest pouring champagne over one another in jubilation.

Thanks, Jersey Boss for further clarification...