Oklahoma City is home to several professional sports teams, including the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Thunder is the city's second "permanent" major professional sports franchise after the now-defunct AFL Oklahoma Wranglers and is the third major-league team to call the city home when considering the temporary hosting of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets for the 2005–06 and 2006–07 NBA seasons.
Other notable professional sports clubs in Oklahoma City include the Oklahoma City Baseball Club, which is the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Crusaders of Oklahoma Rugby Football Club USA Rugby
Paycom Center in downtown Oklahoma City is the large multipurpose arena which hosts concerts, NHL exhibition games, and many of the city's pro sports teams. In 2008, the Oklahoma City Thunder became the major tenant. Located nearby in Bricktown, the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark is the home to the city's baseball team, the Dodgers. "The Brick", as it is locally known, is considered one of the finest minor league parks in the nation.
There are several other stadiums and arenas in the city, including the arena inside the Cox Convention Center (where Blue home games are held), the State Fair Arena (which will be demolished September 2022), Taft Stadium, USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium, and Abe Lemons Arena which is located at Oklahoma City University.
MacArthur Park Raceway is an internationally recognized raceway in Oklahoma City.
See main article: Effect of Hurricane Katrina on the New Orleans Hornets. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana, and surrounding areas, the NBA's New Orleans Hornets (now the New Orleans Pelicans) temporarily relocated to the venue then known as Ford Center, playing the majority of its home games there during the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. The team became the first NBA franchise to play regular-season games in the state of Oklahoma.
The team was known as the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets while playing in Oklahoma City and had adopted a split personality of sorts, wearing 'KC neutral' home jerseys (with an KC patch of sorts over an H-alternate jersey) and 'New Orleans' jerseys during away games.
Although some city officials wanted the Hornets to stay in Oklahoma City permanently, the team ultimately returned to New Orleans full-time for the 2007–08 season. The Hornets played their final home game in Oklahoma City during the exhibition season on October 9, 2007, against the Houston Rockets, as a way to say thanks for the temporary hosting. The 'hometown Hornets' won the game 94–92.
See main article: Seattle SuperSonics relocation to Oklahoma City.
On July 2, 2008, the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Seattle SuperSonics franchise announced the team would relocate to Oklahoma City, and begin play at the city's sports arena (then known as the Ford Center) starting with the 2008–09 NBA season. On July 2, the city of Seattle settled with the ownership group of the SuperSonics franchise, allowing them to move the team immediately. As part of the settlement, the SuperSonics name, logos, and colors were left in Seattle for any use by a future expansion or relocated team in Seattle. The franchise history would be shared between the hypothetical team and the Thunder.[1] [2] The relocated team was named the Oklahoma City Thunder and color scheme for the Oklahoma City Thunder was announced on September 3.[3] Other name finalists for the relocated team included "Energy", "Wind", "Marshalls", "Barons", and "Bison".[4]
With a 28–2 vote by its Board of Governors, on April 18, 2008, the NBA had provided conditional approval for the franchise to move to Oklahoma City for the 2008–09 season provided the ownership could free themselves from the legal challenges that existed with the city of Seattle.[5] On July 2, 2008, the city of Seattle reached an agreement to terminate the Sonics' lease and allow the team to relocate to Oklahoma City. Clay Bennett determined that as of July 3, 2008 the relocation of the now-defunct Seattle SuperSonics would commence. The team was the fourth NBA franchise to relocate since 1985; the Kansas City Kings moved to Sacramento, the Vancouver Grizzlies to Memphis and the Charlotte Hornets to New Orleans.[6]
In April 2010, the Thunder secured a position in the NBA's Western Conference Playoffs, having its best season since the mid-1990s and winning two games in a series against the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. In 2012, the team made it to the playoff finals, but lost their championship opportunity to the Miami Heat. According to Forbes, the first year the team was in Oklahoma City, the Thunder earned $111,000,000 in revenue. This is considered to be an overwhelming success and ranks them in the 20th position in the NBA. The team's operating income of $12.7 million was on par with such veteran NBA franchises as the Boston Celtics, who earned $12.9 million and far exceeding the net operating losses of the Dallas Mavericks and the Portland Trail Blazers of -$17.4 and -$20.3 respectively.
Two sides have emerged in the race for an Oklahoma City professional soccer team. On July 2, 2013, 3rd division USL Pro awarded a franchise to Prodigal LLC, an OKC-based event management company. Prodigal has partnered with ADG in building a 7,000 seat soccer-specific stadium, with the ability to expand to 20,000 to meet MLS standards. Prodigal CEO Bob Funk Jr stated, "We look forward to working with ADG to design a stadium that can serve the needs of our USL PRO team, and also expand based on our long-term goal of bringing an MLS team to Oklahoma City."[7]
On July 25, 2013, 2nd division NASL awarded a franchise to Sold Out Strategies, led by Brad Lund. As a result, USL sent a cease-and-desist letter to Sold Out Strategies who, in turn, countered with a lawsuit. OKC Pro Soccer LLC businessman Tim McLaughlin now manages the NASL franchise. Both the NASL and USL Pro teams battled for Taft Stadium access to begin their first season. The Oklahoma City School Board awarded the Taft Stadium lease agreement to the NASL franchise.
Since USL Pro holds a player development agreement with MLS, Prodigal Director of Entertainment Darren Ransely noted, "For Oklahoma City, bringing USL Pro is a conjugate path for the future to bring in a MLS team."[8] As the battle between the 2 sides continue, NASL team leader McLaughlin added, "It will be up to the community to decide." [9] The Oklahoma City Energy FC began play in USL Pro, since rebranded as the United Soccer League, in Spring 2014. Rayo OKC began play in the NASL Spring 2016 season, but folded after the NASL's 2016 fall season.
Oklahoma City is the annual host of the Big 12 baseball tournament, the World Cup of Softball, and the annual NCAA Women's College World Series. The city has held the 2005 NCAA Men's Basketball First and Second round and hosted the Big 12 Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments in 2007 and 2009. Since 2006, Oklahoma City has been home to the annual Bricktown Showdown Triple-A Baseball Championship game.
Other major sporting events include Thoroughbred and Quarter horse racing circuits at Remington Park and numerous horse shows and equine events that take place at the state fairgrounds each year. There are numerous golf courses and country clubs spread around the city in addition to tennis clubs and high school level sporting activities including the well known "Polo Bowl" between Casady School (Cyclones) and Heritage Hall School (Chargers).
On June 21, 2024, the LAOCOG announced that Oklahoma City, Oklahoma would host the canoe slalom and softball events for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Oklahoma City is host to numerous major college and amateur sporting events. The major universities in the area – the University of Oklahoma (located within the metropolitan area in Norman), Oklahoma City University (located in the city proper), and Oklahoma State University – often schedule major basketball games and other sporting events at Chesapeake Energy Arena, although most games are played in their campus arenas.
The Oklahoma City University Stars has a slate of sporting clubs which play on campus including a top-rated rowing program which has events on the Oklahoma River. Of special note, the university had announced its desire to possibly enter the NCAA during the 2007 athletic season.
| School | Nickname | Colors | Association | Conference | Secondary Association(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Oklahoma | Sooners | Crimson and Cream | NCAA Division I | Big 12 | ACHA, MCLA | |
| Oklahoma State University | Cowboys and Cowgirls | Orange and Black | ||||
| University of Central Oklahoma | Bronchos | Bronze and Blue | NCAA Division II | MIAA | ACHA | |
| Oklahoma Baptist University | Bison | Green and Gold | GAC | |||
| Southern Nazarene University | Crimson Storm | Crimson and White | NCCAA Division I | |||
| Oklahoma Christian University | Eagles and Lady Eagles | Maroon and Grey | Heartland | NCCAA Division I | ||
| Langston University | Lions | Navy Blue and Orange | NAIA | SAC | ||
| Mid-America Christian University | Evangels | Red and White | NCCAA Division I | |||
| Oklahoma City University | Stars | White and Blue | ||||
| University of Science and Arts | Drovers | Green and Gold | ||||
| Southwestern Christian University | Eagles | White and Blue | NCCAA Division I | |||
| Redlands Community College | Cougars | Red, Yellow, Black and White | NJCAA | BSC | ||
| Rose State College | Raiders | Blue and Gold | ||||
| Randall University | Saints | Blue and Gold | NCCAA | Southwest Region | ACCA |
Oklahoma City was home to the following defunct sports teams:
Indoor Football League (2010–11)
National Basketball Association (2005–07)
Southwest Indoor Soccer League/United States Interregional Soccer League (1996–98)
American Hockey League (2010–15)
Central Hockey League (1965–77)
Central Hockey League (1992–2009)
Continental Basketball Association (1990–97 and 2007–09)
Premier Development League (2013) and National Premier Soccer League (2014); attempted to join the Division II North American Soccer League for 2015 but never fielded a team
Texas League Minor League Baseball (1909–57)
Women's Football Alliance (2002–08 and 2010–11)
Women's Flat Track Derby Association (2006–16; merged with the Oklahoma Victory Dolls in 2017)
American Soccer League (1982–83) / United Soccer League (1984–85, as the Oklahoma City Stampede)
Central Hockey League (1978–82)
Southwest Indoor Soccer League/United States Interregional Soccer League (1986–96)
Arena Football League (2004–09)
Arena Football League (2000–2001)
North American Soccer League (2015–16)
Oklahoma City will host two events during the 2028 Summer Olympics which will be held in Los Angeles. The LA Olympic Organizing Committee opted to have canoe slalom and softball in Oklahoma City given the lack of acceptable venues for those sports in the Los Angeles area. Riversport OKC will host the canoe slalom competition while Devon Park will host the softball competition. [10]