MLS Expansion: Oklahoma City Eyes Future BidProdigal (OKC’s owner) and ADG are exploring sites to build the stadium and are engaged in discussions about long-term strategy, location and design... http://wvhooligan.com/2013/07/mls-expansion-oklahoma-city-eyes-future-bid/ Funk estimates building the first phase of the venue — a 7,000-seat soccer stadium — would cost from from $20 million to $25 million, not including the cost of acquiring the land. Eventually, the Energy owners foresee a move up from the USL Professional Division soccer league to Major League Soccer. http://newsok.com/energy-fc-considers-where-to-build-soccer-stadium-in-oklahoma-city/article/4748134
My Bad! Thanks for calling this to my attention... I went back to the Energy's forum and couldn't find my post---that's twice--man I need to stay focused... I thought I was on the Energy's forum of the BSB... I'll try this again...
Commitment & investment by the Oklahoma City Energy FC with a top notch $6.5 million MLS style training facility. Put a competitive product on the field for the OKC Energy FC Taft Stadium era and partner with the City of OKC to get an MLS ready stadium (20,000-seater) on the riverfront for MAPS VI (2017). You will have the 'partners' to invest. "He said it will take the teamwork of fans, the city, the community, and the corporate community to bring an MLS team to the city." We got NHL-NBA ready, now let's get ready for the MLS: Oklahoma City to Study Feasibility of Future MLS Stadium - Athletic Business
I know it's Taft, and I know that it's not a SSS and all of that, but I'm hyped as hell for that first home game. Can't wait to see how it looks, drink some beer, watch some soccer, tailgate, etc. Like, legitimately excited about it, lol.
Same here. Bought season tickets again. Was the organization perfect last year? Nope. Was it fun as hell to watch live soccer? Yep!
Did you take that picture? If so, can you say whether the goal posts are up? A few pics I remember seeing, I think when the turf was put in, had the goalposts in place. I'm just curious if they were permanent or could be removed.
I did not take that picture, saw it on the Energy instagram feed. Someone asked about the goalposts, and the front office said they are removable and will not be there during soccer season.
This race for MLS is about to get interesting. There are strong rumors that Tulsa is about to get a 10k-20k seat soccer specific stadium in Downtown on the east end.
Here is a picture from the south end at Taft vs. Tulsa. Beautiful evening with great weather. We just need to get more people to come out.
I think Tulsa will. Word of the street is your owner is hedging his bets on us. You all do have the stadium advantage currently though.
I still don't think it will happen for either city. Too many, other, more-well-heeled groups out there. Hell, just based on performance alone (and I know it isnt) I'd put a team in Sacramento. If it WAS based on attendance, and having a stadium, blah blah blah, Rochester would have gotten into MLS years ago. It's my opinion that they went into a decline in recent years due to malaise of not ever getting in, after feeling like they were the next big thing. If my team has already lost, the only thing I want for both cities is to just be happy with what you have, where you are. Support your team. Apparently USL soccer has won out over NASL. Enjoy that. Don't keep listening to the crap salesmen with mouthfuls of free samples who keep saying "We're going to MLS!!!" when they can't even fill up the stadium they are in.
@ManuSooner Agree on that sentiment for the most part. I'll support the team regardless of the league.
Tulsa has a slight edge of the two cities to eventually build an MLS stadium. The current disadvantages: Tulsa - Playing soccer in a baseball specific stadium--makes for terrible sight lines. Oklahoma City - Location (Taft) doesn't provide many of the upscale amenities as Bricktown for support. The advantages: Oklahoma City - MAPS vehicle to finance a possible downtown stadium. Tulsa - Solid personnel that know soccer & how to market it--building the Roughneck brand.
How is that an "advantage", given Tulsa civic politics? Typically, this is difficult for bond projects since surplus funds cannot be directed to a project that wasn't a part of the bond without first being utilized on existing municipal needs where there are current shortfalls or emergency projects. This is typically stipulated in the bond language, as well as the vehicle for adding projects that also typically requires a public vote on the new project
Our play by play guy said he was told you all still have $2M in renovations to do at Taft, is that true? How much is left besides the press box?
Well, for starters, they might want to finish the press box. Then maybe put up the scoreboard. Landscaping Paint Ticket booth Just a few things that still need to be done
Didn't Tulsa try twice before the Vision 2025 thing finally passed? I had always heard that one of the reasons that nothing in Tulsa passed, while OKC voted to pass several MAPS projects, was that the vote in Tulsa was always a COUNTY vote, with every municipality wanting their slice of the pie. MAPS was and is an OKC CITY vote. None of that "Give me mine" so far.