Fans Thrilled Pro Soccer Is Headed To Tulsa

A new pro soccer team is coming to Tulsa.

The United Soccer Leagues franchise will play its games at ONEOK Field starting in 2015.

Fans are excited about getting the new team and having another downtown entertainment option.

Just about every single night, Soccer City in Tulsa is jam-packed with teams and soccer fans.

After hearing news that a new USL PRO League soccer team will play in Tulsa, it's jam-packed with excitement.

"It's professional soccer," soccer fan Josh Estes said. "I think anytime Oklahoma gets a professional sport I think it's a plus for us."

12/8/2013 Related Story: Drillers To Bring Professional Soccer Back To Tulsa

The new team, with the Drillers as the majority owners, will begin play in the Spring of 2015 at ONEOK Field.

The 28-game season, half of them home games, runs from late March through mid-August, with playoffs during the month of September.

Soccer fans like Alan Doughty are thrilled.

"I think Tulsa will turn out for it, I really do," he said.

"Maybe we can get a good reputation as being a good city for soccer and get some kids into youth teams," fan Oswald Olmos said.

The USL Pro league is like "Double-A" of professional soccer, affiliated with Major League Soccer.

It's the highest level of pro soccer to be played in Tulsa since the Roughnecks' final season in 1984.

"Of course, I lived through the Roughneck days with all those players, and all the enjoyment we had taking our kids to the games, and just enjoying the atmosphere," Gary Orton said.

Backers of the new team believe Tulsa is a great soccer market that will support the franchise.

"I think it will be fun for Tulsa to have another professional sport. We lost the Talons a couple of years ago and that was something to do."

The actual name of the team hasn't been determined. Plans for a name your team contest will begin in early 2014.