OKC Soccer Stadium to Feature Closest Supporter Section in the World
Soccer fans in Oklahoma City will be closer to the action than any fans in the world when the MAPS 4 Multipurpose Stadium opens in 2028. Newly released renderings of the stadium’s supporters section showcase an “on the pitch” experience for fans behind the south goal, with supporters’ feet on the actual playing surface.
“Soccer around the world is amazing because the supporters are part of the matchday experience,” OKC for Soccer President Court Jeske said in a news release. “We don’t want our supporters to feel like they’re just renting a spot at the stadium. We want them to be immersed in the game. Putting our supporters section closer than any other in the world, with their feet on the playing surface, is just one way we are delivering on that vision.”
The new stadium, which will host home matches for OKC’s men’s professional soccer team, is designed by world-renowned architecture firm Populous, whose previous projects include London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Monterrey’s Estadio BBVA and Nashville’s GEODIS Park. The stadium will have a capacity of just over 10,000, with a dedicated supporters section for 1,500 fans.
The section features a “safe standing” configuration with fold-down seats and drink rails and is recessed to ensure views from adjacent sections are unobstructed by the standing supporters.
UK Review Kroger Stadium Enhancements
The Champions Blue LLC., Board of Governors reviewed a series of strategic enhancements to Kroger Field during its January meeting on Thursday, marking an important next step in increasing revenues required for Kentucky Athletics to continue competing at the highest level in a rapidly evolving college athletics landscape.
The $25 million in improvements have been studied over the past few months based on projects previously approved by the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees.
The stadium enhancements were formally presented to the Champions Blue Board this week as part of the department’s long-range planning process. The enhancements will expand premium areas in Kroger Field, improve fan amenities, and create new year-round revenue opportunities across the athletics complex.
Beekman Charter School Opens New Athletic Facility
The Beekman Charter School in Bastrop announced its new athletic facility is now open.
The School’s Executive Director Samantha Mann says the newly improved facility has been long overdue for their athletic programs.
“So we needed locker rooms, and we always need space. We needed somewhere for our PE classes to go,” said Mann. We’re pre-K to 12, so we have a lot of PE classes. We want to have multi-purpose spaces for them so they will have things to do in their classes.”
Mann says the building cost two million dollars and still has one more phase to go.
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