Tulsa Athletic Explained

Nickname:The A's
Stadium:Athletic Community Field at Hicks Park
Season:2023
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Clubname:Tulsa Athletic
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Fullname:Tulsa Athletic
Chrtitle:Owners
Chairman:Sonny Dalesandro
Thomas J. Kern
Mgrtitle:Head coach
Manager:Jason Rogers
League:National Premier Soccer League
The League for Clubs (from 2025)
Position:NPSL National Champions
American:true
Website:http://www.tulsaathletic.com
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Tulsa Athletic is an American soccer team and are based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. The 2023 NPSL National Champion, 2013 was their inaugural season in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), which is a national league at the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid. They compete in the NPSL's Heartland Conference. The team maintains amateur status under NPSL rules, allowing college players to participate without losing their collegiate eligibility. The club currently plays at Athletic Community Field at Hicks Park since the 2022 season, having previously played at Veterans Park (2018–21), LaFortune Stadium (2017) and Drillers Stadium (2013–16), the former home of the Tulsa Drillers baseball team.[1] [2] [3]

On May 20, 2024, Tulsa Athletic were suspended from the NPSL, meaning that they wouldn't defend their title.[4] On July 31st they announced that they would leave the NPSL in order to start their own amateur league entitled "The League for Clubs", with Athletic being founding members alongside Atlantic City FC, FC Davis, Kingston Stockade FC and Napa Valley 1839 FC.

Crest and colors

The green that Athletic wears is symbolic of "green country", the moniker given to the area of Oklahoma where Tulsa sits. The gold in the pinstripes that appear on the home kit (and are the dominant color of the away kit) represents trophies, championships, and victory. The crest is a pink shield featuring a unicorn facing a lion surrounding a soccer ball, symbolizing both strength and magic. The pink color of the crest is designed to illustrate the heart. The badge's location over the heart on the jersey signifies that all who wear the crest (players and fans alike) share the same heart.

Support

A supporters group associated with Tulsa Athletic are the Athletics Armory, who congregate behind the north goal at home matches.

Fans have given the team several unofficial nicknames, including "the A's" and "The Foxes", named after 'Lester', a lone fox who resides in the team's stadium.

Rivalries

In 2014 Oklahoma City FC left PDL to join the NPSL, which created an in-state rivalry. The two clubs separated by just 100 miles played in the OK Derby.

The inaugural Red River Cup was contested in May 2014. Four clubs (Fort Worth Vaqueros, Liverpool Warriors, Oklahoma City FC) met in a two-day tournament hosted by Tulsa, who won the title over Oklahoma City FC.[5]

Oklahoma City 1889 FC joined the NPSL in 2021 which resulted in another in-state rivalry, with supporters choosing the name “The War for I-44.”

A crosstown derby against FC Tulsa was established in 2022 through the U.S. Open Cup nicknamed the Tulsa Derby.

Tulsa Derby

Results!Date!Competition!Winner!Score!Location
April 5, 2023U.S. Open CupTulsa Athletic align=center 1–0Hicks Park
April 5, 2022U.S. Open CupFC Tulsa align=center 1–2ONEOK Field

War for I-44

Results!Date!Competition!Winner!Score!Location
June 12, 2024FriendlyTulsa Athletic align=center 2-1Tulsa, OK
July 15, 2023NPSL PlayoffsTulsa Athletic align=center 2–1Claremore, OK
June 17, 2023NPSLTulsa Athletic align=center 2–1Claremore, OK
May 24, 2023NPSLOKC 1889 align=center 0-1Oklahoma City, OK
July 16, 2022NPSL PlayoffsTulsa Athletic align=center 5–1Tulsa, OK
July 16, 2022NPSLTulsa Athletic align=center 5–1Tulsa, OK
May 25, 2022NPSLTulsa Athletic align=center 3–0Oklahoma City, OK
July 14, 2021NPSL PlayoffsTulsa Athletic align=center 2–2 (5–4 in PKs)Tulsa, OK
June 27, 2021NPSLTulsa Athletic 2–0Edmond, OK
May 16, 2021NPSLOKC 1889 align=center 1–3Tulsa, OK

Year-by-year

YearDivisionLeagueRegular SeasonW-D-L
(GF-GA)
PlayoffsW-D-L
(GF-GA)
U.S. Open CupW-D-L
(GF-GA)
National Amateur CupW-D-L
(GF-GA)
20134NPSL1st, South Central10–2–0
(44–9)
South Region Semifinal0–0–1
(0–0)
did not qualifydid not play
20144NPSL1st, South Central9–0–1
(46–13)
South Region Final3–0–1
(14–6)
2nd Round0–0–1
(0–2)
did not play
20154NPSL3rd, South Central7–3–4
(52–33)
did not qualify1st Round0–0–1
(1–3)
did not play
20164NPSL1st, South Central11–0–1
(38–9)
South Central Conference Final1–0–1
(5–3)
did not qualifydid not play
20174NPSL2nd, Heartland 5–1–4
(25–16)
Heartland Conference Final1–0–1
(2–5)
1st Round0–0–1
(1–1)
did not play
20184NPSL3rd, Heartland6–0–4
(26–17)
Heartland Conference Semifinal0–0–1
(0–1)
did not qualifydid not play
20194NPSL1st, Heartland 7–3–0
(24–8)
South Region Final3–0–1
(12–7)
did not qualifydid not play
20204UPSL1st, Central-North13–0–1
(60–11)
Central Region Semifinal1–0–1
(4–4)
not helddid not play
20214NPSL2nd, Heartland6–3–1
(32–9)
NPSL National Championship Runner Up4–0–1
(8–9)
not helddid not play
20224NPSL1st, Heartland9–2–1
(36–10)
NPSL National Semifinal4–0–1
(8–3)
2nd Round1–0–1
(4–2)
did not play
20234NPSL1st, Heartland 7-2-1
(23-8)
NPSL National Champions6-0-0
(15-6)
3rd Round 2–0–1
(2–3)
Region III Final2-1-2
(10-14)
20244[6] 3-2-0
(11-3)
American Champions Cup Winners[7] 1-0-0
(2-1)
1st Round 0–0–1
(1-4)
did not play

All time Table

Match Type
Regular Season
Playoffs
U.S. Open Cup
National Amateur Cup
Total

Head coaches

Coach Nationality Start End Games Win Draw Loss GF GA GD Win %
Joey Ryan20132019
20202023
Jason Rogers2023Present

Honors

Club

YearHonor
2013South-Central Conference Champions
2014South-Central Conference Champions
2014South Region Runners-Up
2014Red River Cup Champions
2019Heartland Conference Shield
2019Heartland Conference Champions
2019South Region Runners-Up
2020Central Conference-North Division Champions
2021Heartland Conference Champions
2021South Region Champions
2021National Championship Runners-Up
2022Heartland Conference Shield
2022Heartland Conference Champions
2022South Region Champions
2023Heartland Conference Shield
2023Heartland Conference Champions
2023Midwest Region Champions
2023[8] NPSL National Champions
2024American Champions Cup Winners

Individual

YearPlayerPositionHonor
2016Dave LeungForwardSupporters' XI – First Team
2016Terence SmithDefenderSupporters' XI – Second Team
2017Joe GarciaMidfielderSouth Region Best XI
2018Damieon ThomasForwardHeartland Conference XI
2018Declan FitzpatrickMidfielderHeartland Conference XI
2019Aboubakr DialloForwardHeartland Conference XI
2019Joseph RuizMidfielderHeartland Conference XI
2019Gustavo VargasDefenderHeartland Conference XI
2019Joey RyanManagerHeartland Conference XI
2019Joseph RuizMidfielderSouth Region XI
2019Gustavo VargasDefenderSouth Region XI
2020Santiago RiverosMidfielderUPSL Central Best XI
2020Hunter HarrisonGoalkeeperUPSL Central Best XI
2021Aboubakr DialloForwardHeartland Conference XI
2021Joseph GarciaMidfielderHeartland Conference XI
2021Joseph RuizDefenderHeartland Conference XI
2021 Levi ColemanManagerHeartland Conference XI
2021Levi ColemanManagerSouth Region XI
2021Levi ColemanManagerNational XI
2021Levi ColemanManagerNPSL Coach of the Season
2022Reed BerryForwardHeartland Conference XI
2022Vinicius De OliveiraMidfielderHeartland Conference XI
2022Joseph RuizDefenderHeartland Conference XI
2021 Levi ColemanManagerHeartland Conference XI
2022Joseph RuizDefenderSouth Region XI
2023Aboubakr DialloForwardHeartland Conference XI
2023Rio MelloMidfielderHeartland Conference XI
2023Vitor TurnesDefenderHeartland Conference XI
2023Bryson ReedGoalkeeperHeartland Conference XI
2023Aboubakr DialloForwardMidwest Region XI
2023Vitor TurnesMidfieldMidwest Region XI
2023Bryson ReedGoalkeeperMidwest Region XI
2023Aboubakr DialloForwardNational XI

Records

Notes and References

  1. News: John D. . Ferguson . Tulsa's new pro soccer team to play at Drillers Stadium . . April 5, 2013.
  2. News: Dan . Bewley . National Premiere League Soccer Coming To Tulsa's Old Drillers Stadium . . April 4, 2013.
  3. News: . World Publishing Company . . Soccer: Tulsa Athletic release schedule . February 12, 2014 . February 14, 2014.
  4. Web site: Tulsa Athletic. 2024-05-20. NPSL SUSPENDS TULSA ATHLETIC FOR 2024 SEASON. Tulsa Athletic. en-us.
  5. Web site: Athletics Win the First Annual Red River Cup. 5 May 2014. Tulsa Athletics.
  6. Web site: Tulsa Athletic. 2024-06-03. TULSA ATHLETIC ANNOUNCES 2024 SUMMER SCHEDULE. Tulsa Athletic. en-us.
  7. Web site: Tulsa Athletic. 2024-06-30. TULSA ATHLETIC CAPTURES 2024 AMERICAN CHAMPIONS CUP WITH 2-1 WIN OVER HOUSTON REGALS. Tulsa Athletic. en-us.
  8. Web site: TULSA ATHLETIC CROWNED 2023 NPSL NATIONAL CHAMPIONS . August 6, 2023 . www.NPSL.com . . August 6, 2023.