Oklahoma City FC will be playing the New York Cosmos, not Tulsa.

[Laramie]

This stadium debacle with the announcement that Prodigal LLC & ADG are teaming up to build a soccer-specific stadium in Oklahoma City with an initial seating of 7,000.  The stadium will be designed to eventually expand to 20,000-plus should Funk decide to acquire membership into the MLS, which he has stated as his goal.

Meanwhile,Taft Stadium (15,000-seats) is being downsized to comfortably accommodate 7,000; this is the facility that Brad Lund wrestled away from Bob Funk's group.  Funk is furious and is opening-up a can of w/a and a generous wallet on Brad Lund...

A base price for a stadium of this magintude will easily exceed $30 million with an expanded 20,000-plus to put the final cost near $100 million--that's a conservative figure.

What a dilemma?

[Hoss]

This stadium debacle with the announcement that Prodigal LLC & ADG are teaming up to build a soccer-specific stadium in Oklahoma City with an initial seating of 7,000.  The stadium will be designed to eventually expand to 20,000-plus should Funk decide to acquire membership into the MLS, which he has stated as his goal.

Meanwhile,Taft Stadium (15,000-seats) is being downsized to comfortably accommodate 7,000; this is the facility that Brad Lund wrestled away from Bob Funk's group.  Funk is furious and is opening-up a can of w/a and a generous wallet on Brad Lund...

A base price for a stadium of this magintude will easily exceed $30 million with an expanded 20,000-plus to put the final cost near $100 million--that's a conservative figure.

What a dilemma?

I guess it must be in the Lund nature to piss people off.

[puckbag]

When will the sports geniuses realize that it makes sense for Tulsa and OKC to have competing teams in the same league? Local rivalries always produce the best attendance and atmosphere. Oilers/Blazers/Thunder proved that.

[Hoss]

When will the sports geniuses realize that it makes sense for Tulsa and OKC to have competing teams in the same league? Local rivalries always produce the best attendance and atmosphere. Oilers/Blazers/Thunder proved that.

Not really in the last few seasons, when Lund was busy running the Oilers into the ground.

[Laramie]

Anyone hear anything about New York getting a second MLS franchise and Miami getting into the MLS?

[puckbag]

Not really in the last few seasons, when Lund was busy running the Oilers into the ground.

True. Of course I was referring to the better times back in the day.
Regardless, instate rivalries played out on the field would be more entertaining and much better for our communities than the one being played out by a couple of high rollers who should be on the same team.

[TulsaRufnex]

EXCLUSIVE:  OKC NASL group planning to build riverfront 9k to 14k seat soccer-specific stadium
http://eastwordnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=178&ArticleID=4071

So... let me get this straight... Tulsa can attract over 3k fans per game at the old ballpark the same year OKC attracts about 1,100 fans per game playing in separate leagues at roughly the same level (4th Div) but it's somehow OKC who has TWO GROUPS trying to secure a team, a future MLS bid, and a soccer specific stadium?

/facepalm

https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=562161053830218

[DowntownDan]

EXCLUSIVE:  OKC NASL group planning to build riverfront 9k to 14k seat soccer-specific stadium
http://eastwordnews.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=178&ArticleID=4071

So... let me get this straight... Tulsa can attract over 3k fans per game at the old ballpark the same year OKC attracts about 1,100 fans per game playing in separate leagues at roughly the same level (4th Div) but it's somehow OKC who has TWO GROUPS trying to secure a team, a future MLS bid, and a soccer specific stadium?

/facepalm

https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=562161053830218

I think the constitution now requires that all Tulsa sports teams be at least one level below that of Oklahoma City.  It must be because we seem to be disallowed from moving to AAA in baseball or hockey and can only have d-league basketball.  If OKC is moving to the NASL, we are required to stick with NPSL.  It's the law (or it must be).

[Laramie]

It is a bit disappointing that someone in Tulsa doesn't step up to the plate and give Tulsa fans what they deserve:

AAA levels in:

Hockey - American Hockey League   Venue:  BOK Arena  hockey seating capacity 17,000.
    Possible rivals:  OKC, San Antonio, Texas (Cedar Park-Austin)...

Baseball - Pacific Coast League Venue:  OneOK Park baseball seating capacity 8,000 (expandable).
    Possible rivals  Memphis, Nshville, New Orleans, OKC, Round Rock-Austin...

One level below the MLS:

Soccer - North American Soccer League Venue:  Drillers stadium seating capacity 11,500 (expandable).
    Possible rivals  Minnesota, New York, OKC,  San Antonio...

You have the venues and facilities available to move Tulsa back to AAA in hockey & baseball.  A return to the new NASL in soccer.

A Tulsa soccer expansion franchise in the NASL could easily average 10,000-plus.

[AquaMan]

We're waiting for the Olympics to be solidified. Then we'll steal the OKC Thunder, so to speak.

[TulsaRufnex]

NASL Board of Governors Unanimously Approves Expansion To Jacksonville And Oklahoma City
Posted on Thu, Jul 25, 2013
http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=5055

Oklahoma City businessman Tim McLaughlin presented to the NASL Board of Governors on behalf of OKC Pro Soccer LLC, which has already secured the rights to plays its games at Taft Stadium in Oklahoma City.

"Bringing a high-level professional soccer club to Oklahoma City is going to add an exciting new sports dimension to our city and state," said McLaughlin.  "We look forward to working with the NASL to give our community a soccer team and game experience people will be talking about for many years to come.

"We're especially excited to know that bringing this level of professional soccer to our market will also help the local schools whose historic Taft Stadium we will play in when it is remodeled and refurbished to its former glory.  We will create a revenue source for the local community because every ticket we sell will benefit inner city schools.  To say we are excited and overwhelmed is an understatement."

Commissioner Peterson added: "The Board of Governors has recognized a carefully crafted bid from OKC Pro Soccer LLC, who waited patiently to build a strong platform that will ensure NASL soccer thrives in Oklahoma City.  Like their Jacksonville counterparts, they have almost two full years to prepare an unrivaled coaching staff, player roster and venue to create a team that local fans will be proud to support."

1981 NASL -- Tulsa Roughnecks vs Jacksonville Tea Men
***Evidently in 1981, someone either bought a giant eraser or a few cans of green spray paint to get rid of the football lines at Skelly*** 

[TulsaRufnex]

A couple of OKC posters who created screen names only a few days ago on a soccer site seem convinced something is brewing for an NASL team in Tulsa and it is Brad Lund's group assisting the bid.
One went as far as to predict we'll be reading about this in the Tulsa World in the next couple of weeks...

[Laramie]

Brad Lund knows that an Tulsa-Oklahoma City rivarly is long overdue and soccer will be the new catalyst to get the two cities back on the
rivarly launching pad.

Good Luck in T-town!

[DowntownDan]

A couple of OKC posters who created screen names only a few days ago on a soccer site seem convinced something is brewing for an NASL team in Tulsa and it is Brad Lund's group assisting the bid.
One went as far as to predict we'll be reading about this in the Tulsa World in the next couple of weeks...

This is true.  I don't know the details but I know for a fact these discussions are taking place.

[TulsaRufnex]

And the pi$$ing match between Funk Jr. and Lund continues...

Funk Lays Out Vision For Oklahoma City
Aiming for new franchise to hit ground running in 2014
USL PRO Feature
Friday, August 16, 2013
http://uslpro.uslsoccer.com/home/747764.html

"I was just looking for what was going to be the next best option for Oklahoma City that had the growth opportunity over 10-to-15 years in the sporting industry here," Funk said by phone. "With soccer out there, having seen what was going on with MLS and how the league was growing, my thoughts were, 'Oklahoma City isn't ready for another major league team, but they might be in another 10-to-15 years, and how do you open the door to that market? How do you open the door to that sport in Oklahoma City?' "

Funk's initial interest in USL PRO came about soon after the establishment of the Barons, who have been to the AHL Playoffs each of their first three seasons. While other leagues were considered by the Funk and his management group, when the time came to make a decision, it was an easy one to make.

"I had discussions with a couple of different people out there, people that I'd worked with in the United States and had conversations about both leagues, about which one was preferable, and I think the hands-down choice at that point was just a no-brainer for USL," Funk said. "That was even before the partnership with MLS. That was what started us down that path to see the vision for where Oklahoma City was going to go, soccer fits well from an outdoor sport standpoint, we have a great record of support here that continues to grow year after year, we've already shown great numbers here in our local community."

The main focus now for Funk and his team is to make sure the franchise hits the ground running. The club has already announced plans for a soccer-specific stadium, initially set to house 7,000 fans with the potential for future expansion that will be designed by the same local architecture firm that built the beautiful Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in downtown Oklahoma City. The organization is also on the search for a general manager and head coach that will bring attractive and winning soccer to Oklahoma City.

Away from the field, Funk is focused on making sure his past experiences with not only the Barons, but also the Oklahoma City Redhawks, are replicated in USL PRO.