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Oklahoma Moves One Giant Leap Closer to New Basketball Arena

The Norman City Council voted 5-4 late Tuesday night to approve the early stages of the Rock Creek Entertainment District.

John E. Hoover

Rock Creek Entertainment District
Rock Creek Entertainment District / OU via Twitter/X
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What a week for Norman, Oklahoma.

On Saturday, the Sooners host No. 6-ranked Tennessee in the program’s very first conference game as a member of the Southeastern Conference. With ESPN’s “College GameDay” on campus, it’s OU’s first ranked opponent to play in Norman since No. 24 Oklahoma State in 2022 (Brent Venables’ first season), and the first top-10 foe to come to town since No. 8 TCU on Nov. 11, 2017 (Lincoln Riley’s first season). It’s also the highest-ranked opponent since No. 3 Ohio State came to Owen Field on Sept. 17, 2016 (Bob Stoops’ last season).

But while OU’s SEC Era has been in the planning stages since July 2021, OU’s basketball future may have arrived late Tuesday night when the Norman City Council voted 5-4 to approve the early stages of planning for the Rock Creek Entertainment District — the centerpiece of which would be a new arena for OU basketball and women’s gymnastics.

Tuesday was the second of two public hearings on the new facility.

It’s not time to break ground just yet. A public referendum will likely challenge the city council’s vote and bring it to ballot. If that comes to pass, many believe a vote requiring taxpayer dollars would have a hard time passing.

Still, Tuesday was one giant leap in the direction of moving the Sooners out of aging, lifeless Lloyd Noble Center and into a new, state-of-the-art facility that’s well off campus in the northwest corner of Norman in the I-35 corridor.

“Tonight’s vote represents a historic moment in Norman’s history,” OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. said in a university statement. “A large coalition came together to support this initiative that will create thousands of new jobs, more housing, and exciting new entertainment options for our residents that will help make Norman a destination city.

"The entire OU family is grateful to the City Council for its leadership, vision, and vote of support. We are also thankful to all the countless citizens who worked so hard to make this project happen. Tonight’s vote was an important milestone, and we look forward to continuing to work in close partnership with government and business leaders from Norman and Cleveland County to move this project to completion.”

OU athletic director Joe Castiglione echoed those sentiments. 

“Tonight, we saw strong leadership when our city needed it most,” Castiglione said. “This was indeed a vote for a transformative opportunity for the City of Norman and Cleveland County. OU has made it known that we want to be a great partner in the growth of our community, and now with the synergy of our membership in the SEC and this innovative district, we can reap the additional benefits of thousands of new fans visiting Norman, many for the very first time, as well as have a venue that can attract more people to our area for other events. 

"We’re endlessly thankful for the opportunity to have an environment where we can put Sooner Magic on full display, showing our state and region all Oklahoma has to offer. The district and arena will do wonders for our ability to compete and win. Our sincere thanks go to Mayor (Larry) Heikkila and the rest of the Norman City Council for leading us to a brighter future.”

Men's basketball coach Porter Moser, who spoke at Tuesday night's event, issued a statement on Wednesday morning.

"I am extremely excited for the City of Norman, our community and Sooner Nation," Moser said. "The new facility will be a game changer for our men's basketball program in recruiting and on game day, providing a world class even space and a much needed improvement to the fan experience. In addition, I look forward to its impact when not used by the university and the exciting concerts, events and entertainment that will come to Norman."

Even SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey offered his thoughts on a brighter future for OU athletics.

"I am very excited to learn the City of Norman has voted to support the future of Oklahoma basketball and gymnastics with the development of a new competitive arena," Sankey wrote in a statement on social media. "We have already seen the excitement around Oklahoma's participation in the Southeastern Conference and this vote serves to magnify the commitment of the OU community to continued excellence and support of its student-athletes."

On Wednesday morning, Castiglione added to his sentiments with another tweet.

"A spirited night of important public presentations at City Hall led to an early morning vote resulting in transformational outcome for our community," he wrote. "Excited for the future and thankful for our city's leadership."

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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