I heard that they are ready to go live. They have already hired a coach and are scouting players. NASL wants them to wait for some reason. He doesn't know why. That's all I know right now
To be fair, Energy FC didn't really start to get rolling until mid-Sept. and October. However, after previous "we're ready to go but the NASL won't let us" announcements from OKC FC, maybe the NASL BOG just favor the other child (JAX) and are being a buncha big meanies... or not.
Well NASL is supposed to be more professional than the "award a franchise team to start in the league tomorrow" USLPRO. I doubt this is on NASL, they do keep using OKC in their expansion talks, something tells me that OKC does not have what it takes to meet D2 requirements and until they do NASL will not allow them in the league. This may be ownership (not a rich enough owner) or maybe stadium does not meet USSF D2 requirements.
They don't really do that anymore. Except for Arizona, which was an exceptional circumstance, they've not done a last-minute, start-from-the-ground-up team in a while. 11/16/2011 - Tampa Bay announced for 2013. 07/02/2012 - Phoenix announced for 2013. 12/03/2012 - Sacramento announced for 2014. 07/02/2013 - Oklahoma City announced for 2014. 12/05/2013 - Colorado Springs announced for 2015. 12/18/2013 - Tulsa announced for 2015. 01/15/2014 - Reports of new Charlotte group buying Charlotte Eagles' USL Pro franchise for 2015. 01/29/2014 - Los Angeles Galaxy II announced for 2014. 03/13/2014 - Arizona United replaces Phoenix FC for 2014. 05/01/2014 - St. Louis announced for 2015. 06/10/2014 - Austin announces move up to USL Pro for 2015. Assuming a 3/28/2015 first game for Colorado Springs, Tulsa, Charlotte, St. Louis and Austin (they won't all start then), most recent USL Pro teams will have had between 264 (Phoenix the first time) and 500 (VSI Tampa Bay) between franchise announcement and first game. Taking out LAII, Arizona and Charlotte (no official announcement yet), the average is 386 days for recent clubs coming in or up. USSF stadium requirements: All stadiums/arenas must have controllable ingress/egress. All outdoor leagues: Playing surfaces for all teams must be at least 70 yards by 110 yards and be FIFA-approved. (D2) League stadiums must have a minimum seating capacity of 5,000.
It's not the stadium. It meets the requirements. All I know is what one of the owners told me. I hope he doesn't mind, but I going to quote him just for clarification:
It may be line 4 in the D2 requirenments. Markets; Stadia; and Fields i. In the first year, U.S.-based teams must be located in at least two different time zones in the continental United States. By year six, U.S.-based teams must be located in at least three different time zones. ii. At least 75 percent of the league’s teams must play in metropolitan markets of at least 750,000 persons. iii. League stadiums must have a minimum seating capacity of 5,000. iv. Not later than 120 days prior to the start of each season, each team shall have a lease for one full season with its home stadium.
So they already have the owner that is worth 20 Million plus? http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2010/08/12/ussf-d-2-professional-league-standards/ iii. Each team must have and designate one principal owner that owns at least 35% of the team and has authority to bind the team. Such principal owner must have an individual net worth of at least twenty million US dollars exclusive of the value of his/her ownership in the league or team. Actually the other finalcial requirenments may also be issues. Financial Viability i. Each team must submit a letter of credit in the amount of $750,000 with the joint beneficiaries being the Federation and the league in a form satisfactory to the Federation on an annual basis. The letter of credit will be used to cover the costs of the team’s operations (including, without limitation, player and staff salaries and wages, stadium lease commitments and third party vendor obligations in addition to commitments by each team to the league) for a season should that become necessary. The letters of credit must be submitted 120 days prior to the start of the next season for each team. Any team that utilizes the letter of credit during the season will be required to replenish the letter of credit at least 120 days prior to the next year. ii. Each team ownership group must demonstrate the financial capacity to operate the team for three years. As part of the process of demonstrating financial capacity, each ownership group must provide detailed financial history, verifiable individual financial net worth statements for each member of its ownership group owning at least a five percent (5%) interest in the team and projections (including a detailed budget) for the team to the Federation in a form satisfactory to the Federation.
I can see waiting. What I don't get is waiting when the other team starting at the exact same time is up an running just fine. That doesn't make a whole lotta sense to me. But what do I know, I'm just a fan.
Well, on May 6 of this year, they announced the school board had unanimously approved the superintendent entering into a multi-year lease with the team. If that hasn't been executed yet, that would seem strange because everybody seemed to be in favor of it. But 120 days prior to the first Saturday in April would be December 6, so that's still a ways off.
If they're waiting until mid-September for an announcement that would put it after the Energy's season is over. It's a smart move. Anything they say now would probably be drowned out by coverage of the Energy's playoff push and brushed aside. Better to wait until there is nothing happening so that they can be the center of attention.
So the Energy are going silent after their year ends? They won't have a new year to talk about? A new stadium? Hyping a in state rivalry? Regardless of when they plan to announce anything, they are always going to have to contend with the Energy. Just because a season ends doesn't immediately mean talk ceases. As a fan, I think they should have done a lot more before now. But I guess we'll see how it plays out.
I'm not saying the Energy will be completely silent, but usually right after a season is over there's not a ton going on, teams go into a bit of a lull, and it's easier to be noticed. If you have the choice of making an announcement about a competing team right in the middle of their playoff push, or after the season is over, you do the latter. No one's going to care if you try to go "hey look at me!" while the popular team is doing something popular. If they made announcements in the middle of the season it's another story, but at this point it's probably best for them to just wait for things to quiet down a little.
If you can't get noticed with the announcement of the details of a Division II team in this country, you're doing it wrong. Energy or no Energy. If they're really all that, the DII team should trump anything not involving Kevin Durant on a given day.
Makes sense. I think that's what has bothered me, that they haven't started sooner. Even if it's just "We are coming" ads and promotion of their NPSL team. But I haven't seen anything regarding anything from that camp, NASL or NPSL.
If/when the money comes, it will come from the right people. Last year, I wouldn't have been able to say that.
Not sure what the reason is, but think it has something to do with maximizing the exposure of the announcement too. - Assuming they are in fact ready.
Was going to say, the Oklahoma City media cannot usually talk about more than one thing at a time. You have to find a dead spot to be able to get decent coverage. Which, looking at the football schedules, would be the week of Sept. 14-20, provided the Energy either miss the playoffs or lose in the first round. OU football is on the road that week, and OSU football has a bye week. There is no better window in September. Then again, that assumes the Oklahoma City media will actually care to cover any announcements. They haven't exactly done a bang-up job covering the Energy, even with the "new team in town" factor.
Which is unfortunate. Outside of the Oklahoman Online covering the Energy, I don't think I've ever seen anyone cover anything regarding the Energy or OKCFC (outside of the "Go Energy!" flub when some morning show was talking about OKCFC playing in Yukon). It's a hard market to get your voice heard, but hopefully that changes in the future. Sometimes he does, but I assume he's hinting towards the hopeful move to the NASL, not the USL team that starts play next season in Tulsa.