New ARENA as part of entertainment District

[AnotherSoonerInTX]

I think the criticisms of people who are hyper focused on football are a bit unfair. The fact is that OU football is woven deeply into the culture of this state. It gave people reason to be proud to be an Oklahoman when there was literally no reason to be proud to be an Oklahoman. That has been passed down through generations. I know because my family fits that description. My parents went OU and so did I but the generations before us had a deep passion for OU football that goes back to the relief it provided from the stigma of the dust bowl. Like it or not, it will always be that way.

I get it. No one in my family, including myself, went to OU. I went somewhere else. However, my family falls into that description: generations of long-time Oklahomans that root hard for OU football. I'm third generation, my son is fourth. It has always been a source of pride for the state. It's why the program was built.

My only argument is that there is a part of the fan base that does not care about other OU sports. Some even poo-poo them (especially basketball).

My late mother grew to love OU basketball more than OU football. She loved Billy Tubbs and hated Norm Stewart. These days, she'd probably love softball and women's basketball.

It doesn't hurt to root for OU in all sports.

 

[Wayman Fan 2]

I get it. No one in my family, including myself, went to OU. I went somewhere else. However, my family falls into that description: generations of long-time Oklahomans that root hard for OU football. I'm third generation, my son is fourth. It has always been a source of pride for the state. It's why the program was built.

My only argument is that there is a part of the fan base that does not care about other OU sports. Some even poo-poo them (especially basketball).

My late mother grew to love OU basketball more than OU football. She loved Billy Tubbs and hated Norm Stewart. These days, she'd probably love softball and women's basketball.

It doesn't hurt to root for OU in all sports.

For sure, doesn’t hurt at all. I would also add that every other blue blood football program has fans like the ones we are talking about here.

 

[MJSooner]

I always upset football only fans when I tell them I would trade a football NC for at least ONE in basketball. Only half true. If I had a choice I would take a national championship in basketball before football, but it's funny watching them squirm indignantly.

I would trade a football NC to get the 88 title or the 2016 team winning it.

Mine, too. I've lived through a lot of football losses, but that was worse.

Not half true for me... as unpopular as I would be on the other board for saying it. 100% true. Though I love watching OU softball, I would trade every NC in softball and pausing any chance at #8 to win the first NC in basketball. And I love, breathe, and die OU football, too. My son and I have joked about how I'll be on my deathbed down the road waiting for a NC like the Chicago Cubs fans waiting for their WS. Just give me one, then football can go get 8, 9, 10, 11. LOL.

And 100 percent agree. I was in college in 1988. Most painful sports experience of my life and can't help how things would have been different cutting down the nets in KC.

But fast forward to 2026- so good to FINALLY get some positive, great news about basketball and a path to the future. This is a big deal.

 

[BoulderSooner]

Not half true for me... as unpopular as I would be on the other board for saying it. 100% true. Though I love watching OU softball, I would trade every NC in softball and pausing any chance at #8 to win the first NC in basketball. And I love, breathe, and die OU football, too. My son and I have joked about how I'll be on my deathbed down the road waiting for a NC like the Chicago Cubs fans waiting for their WS. Just give me one, then football can go get 8, 9, 10, 11. LOL.

And 100 percent agree. I was in college in 1988. Most painful sports experience of my life and can't help how things would have been different cutting down the nets in KC.

But fast forward to 2026- so good to FINALLY get some positive, great news about basketball and a path to the future. This is a big deal.

not in college until a few years later .. but otherwise same

 

[SoonerDutch]

Great news for OU, especially considering this disaster of a season. Seems like a great chance for a total reset for the basketball program with both Moser & Castiglione on their way out. Checks all the boxes that I’d want, namely lower capacity and closer to the OKC metro.

To continue wallowing in 88 sadness, I wasn’t alive but my family that was alive mention it as the toughest loss. A hot take maybe but I don’t think OU basketball would have taken off to like what UF has become. Football is so much more culturally ingrained in the state and ties in seasonally (fall is Oklahoma’s best season by far).

Would be great to get a basketball championship, don’t fault football only fans for not caring. “Cut all non-football sports” is just a way of saying I only care about football. Who cares, it takes a village.

 

[mict085]

It’s happening!!!

 

[WichitaSooner]

Great news for OU, especially considering this disaster of a season. Seems like a great chance for a total reset for the basketball program with both Moser & Castiglione on their way out. Checks all the boxes that I’d want, namely lower capacity and closer to the OKC metro.

To continue wallowing in 88 sadness, I wasn’t alive but my family that was alive mention it as the toughest loss. A hot take maybe but I don’t think OU basketball would have taken off to like what UF has become. Football is so much more culturally ingrained in the state and ties in seasonally (fall is Oklahoma’s best season by far).

Would be great to get a basketball championship, don’t fault football only fans for not caring. “Cut all non-football sports” is just a way of saying I only care about football. Who cares, it takes a village.

If they had won in 88, it would have been the happiest fan moment of my life, excluding my own games. And it certainly would have elevated us another tier when people rank programs historically, since the lack of a championship is the only big gap in our resume. But I kind of agree that it might not have made a massive difference in the quality of the program going forward. We were a number one seed each of the next two years, so it’s not like it prevented us from getting great players in the years that followed. It wasn’t till three years down the road that Billy’s tenure started losing steam. And obviously Kelvin got us back to national relevance quickly, even though it took longer than we would have liked to make it back to a FF. But the ebbs and flows of the program between 88 and the hiring of Moser are natural, and probably would have happened either way. Even Florida had some down years after their back-to-back titles. It’s damn near impossible to break into the blue blood status … UConn is one of the only outsiders to have done so, and since Billy was closer to the end than the beginning in 88, I don’t think we were likely to be able to break through.

But it remains the most disappointing athletic event in my lifetime, at least as a fan. I’d give up several football titles for it.