Devon Park (stadium) explained

Devon Park
Fullname:Devon Park
Coordinates:35.5248°N -97.4637°W
Location:Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.
Capacity:13,000
Surface:Grass
Owner:Government of Oklahoma City[1]
Operator:USA Softball Inc.
Opened:1987
Renovated:2003, 2013–2015, 2018, 2020[2]
Tenants:Women's College World Series (NCAA) (1990–present)
Oklahoma City Spark (2023–present)
Big 12 Conference softball tournament (2017–present)

Devon Park, originally known as the Don E. Porter ASA Hall of Fame Stadium from 1987 to 2017 and USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium, until 2024, is softball-specific ballpark located inside the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. It seats 13,000 and is the site of the annual Women's College World Series. In 2023, Hall of Fame stadium also became home of the Oklahoma City Spark, the city's new professional softball team.

History

The complex includes 4 fields:

The complex is owned by the city and operated under a long-term lease by USA Softball with the exception of the office building, which USA Softball owns and uses for its headquarters.[1]

Devon Park originally opened in 1987 as the Don E. Porter ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. It was renamed in 2017 when the Amateur Softball Association rebranded to USA Softball.[3] The stadium underwent extensive renovations from September 2013 to 2015.[4]

Through 2017, it hosted two major college tournaments: the Big 12 Conference championship and the Women's College World Series, as well as the World Cup of Softball, one of the premier international softball events. The Big 12 decided to discontinue their tournament after 2010, however the Women's College World Series continued to be held there. In 2017 the Big 12 Conference decided to resume holding a conference tournament starting in the 2017 season; it was still be held at this location along with the USA Softball International Cup once all major renovations to the facility were completed in 2020. Oklahoma City will host the Women's College World Series through 2035, provided the city makes good on its promise to complete a four-phase renovation.

In late summer and early fall of 2018 a new two-story state of the art press box was built, and a new LED jumbotron video scoreboard was also added. Seating capacity (seating bowl and outfield bleachers) was further expanded in time for the 2020 Women's College World Series, ultimately not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest expansion brought the main stadium's capacity to 13,000.[1] The stadium adopted its current name in 2024, when locally-based oil and gas firm Devon Energy signed a multi-year sponsorship agreement with USA Softball.[5]

In 2007, it was ranked the number eight sporting venue in the state of Oklahoma.

Devon Park will be the softball tournament venue for the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics.[6]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: How Oklahoma City, home of the Women's College World Series, became the center of the softball universe . Graham . Hays . ESPN.com . May 28, 2020 . May 28, 2020.
  2. Web site: ASA Hall of Fame Complex Renovation. August 30, 2009.
  3. Web site: ASA/USA Softball announces organization rename and rebrand to USA Softball and unveils new logo. https://web.archive.org/web/20160703192853/http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Softball/News/2016/June/30/Rebrand-to-USA-Softball-and-new-logo-unveiled. dead. July 3, 2016. USA Softball. June 30, 2015. July 18, 2018.
  4. Web site: 2013–15 Renovations . USA Softball official website . United States Olympic Committee . June 4, 2017.
  5. Web site: OU, Oklahoma State softball coaches highlight bigger impact of USA Softball stadium name change . May 7, 2024 .
  6. News: Roddy . Bella . Oklahoma City Confirmed For Multiple Olympic Events . June 21, 2024 . . June 21, 2024 . en.