(06-21-2016 11:57 AM)rabidTU2 Wrote:  

(04-19-2016 11:18 AM)rabidTU2 Wrote:  TU has a multiple number of sports programs and has built or renovated almost all its facilities within the last 20 years. The Case Tennis Center and the Hardesty Complex (Softball, Track, Soccer) along Delaware Ave. didn't exist until the 1990s. That opened up the huge amount of construction on the west side of TU. At about the same time, TU opened the Don for MBB, WBB and WVB. The construction of those athletic venues ensured TU's place in a growing, burdgeoning and brand new conferences of similar universities with academic excellence and great athletic potential - first the WAC, CUSA and now the AAC. So athletic facilities are tremendously important and "MUST" be a focal point of our great school at 11th and Harvard.

So what is next? Well, we've announced the IPF and I assume its on the drawing board to be built even though we haven't heard much lately. TU has announced it and I assume it will be a done deal sooner than later. After that, there has been talk about further developement of Chapman Stadium and specifically building suites/inside seating on the east side of that venue. I'd like to discuss that later in this topic forum.



The City of Tulsa and TU - Sharing Athletic Facilities.

Just as in the past, I believe there needs to be a renewed push for both the city and university to work closely together and use the existing facilities at hand. Right now that isn't really being done as much as in the past. Part of the problem was that TU isn't as dependent as before on city owned venues like the aformentioned Civic Center, Oiler Park and the cities use of Skelly Stadium as an attraction as a pro venue etc.

Right now the city sports teams have evolved and changed. We don't and won't have "major" pro sports at least in the forseeable future. There is no NFL franchise waiting in the wings nor is the NBA breaking down the door of the mayors office to play in the BOK. Even the OKC Thunder won't play more than a single exhibition game here - imo a snub to the city that helped them acquire the franchise in the first place.

Because of the present demographics of the city, soccer has become a major pro sport once again in the metro. We actually have two pro teams - the Roughnecks and Athletics. Neither of those teams have a soccer friendly facility and both play in venues designed and setup for baseball, not soccer. And there is no push to change that as far as I can tell. Actually the Athletics appear to be in jeopardy of losing their venue altogether - the old Driller Park on the fairgrounds which is set to be demolished and transitioned into a BMX facility. So I'm sure that franchise is desperate to find another venue or will move or disband altogether.

Soooo! How about TU's soccer (and Track) facility coming to the rescue. The Roughnecks and Athletics need a complex that is soccer friendly, not too far from the middle of the city and is set up for that sport and not baseball. Some folks might say that there would be too many conflicts, but I investigated that and there really wouldnt be as far as I can tell.

The TU Facility at 6th and Delaware - We use that facility for track AND soccer - both men and women. But track doesn't seem to be a problem since most of the meets are away and only one dual was scheduled this year at the facility. So its mostly a practice venue for that sport. No, the main use as a game venue is for college soccer. TU's mens and womens soccer teams schedule runs from August to September in the fall when pro soccer isn't being played. So there is no conflict during that time of year. The only conflicts would come during the spring. TU's spring schedule fell this year between mid-March to mid-April (6 games) and the womens schedule is similar. The Athletics played their schedule between early May thru July with only 7 home games. The Roughnecks schedule was longer and ran from the last of March thru early September. If you look at a calendar, you can easily see there would be very few schedule conflicts if the matches were played at the TU Hardesty complex.

So why do I advocate taking a look at this? Well it comes down to one word - revenue. TU can make money renting its ready made soccer friendly venue to these pro soccer teams - one or even both if the schedules are compatable for both.

The other reason is that imo we need to nourish the idea of getting more people on campus and forming the habit of encouraging the citizens of Tulsa to make TU its home team.

Now there might have to be a few renovations to our campus venue. We might have to upgrade the seating, parking, amenities and make a small investment in those or even ask the city to help with that. Its been done before. But in the end, whats good for Tulsa is good for TU and vice versa. Oh and one other thing, it certainly can't hurt the TU soccer programs to have a pro soccer team playing on their field and on their campus.

IMO

http://www.tulsaathletics.com/news/athle...open-forum

If you want to see the schedule, click the one at the top and it shows there wouldn't be any schedule conflicts since the Athletics schedule occurs during the summer months when TU isn't in session and the TU teams aren't competing. So renting our facility is a no brainer and the rental money goes to TU.

The Tulsa Athletics will be playing their last soccer match at Driller Stadium tonight. The stadium will be demolished and the land used to house a BMX facility.

The word now is that the Athletic Soccer team is looking for a new "smaller" soccer home. Again, the facility at TU should be on the table as a possible home venue replacement. I assume the city/county would help fund the venue rental or underwrite it since it provides the Athletic Soccer team with access to Driller Park. Without a suitable replacement, the Athletics may not be able to continue to field a team in the future. So playing pro soccer at TU would make a lot of sense in the summertime when TU isn't playing the sport.

IMO