Energy moves ahead with MLS plans
Less than two months after a deal for the Oklahoma City Energy's proposed stadium south of Bricktown collapsed, uncertainty lingered regarding the club's long-term Major League Soccer ambitions.
Despite this setback,
the Energy's pursuit for a
new stadium is proceeding as scheduled.
The club has already revived feasibility studies from its previous sites within Oklahoma City city limits and has reached out to the stakeholders at each potential
something within the next two to three years,” Energy co-owner Bob Funk Jr. said. “(It) fits into what our MLS ambitions are, which are a six- to nine-year window.”
Funk Jr. led a group of investors that purchased 40 acres at the former site of the Producers Cooperative Oil Mill (PCOM) in August. The group planned to redevelop the lot into a mixeduse development with a soccer-specific stadium as its centerpiece.
However, the agreement was canceled in May after additional issues arose with the purchase.
Despite the land acquisition setback, Funk Jr.’s stadium timeline remains on-track. The new location for the stadium, when finalized, will not have the originally planned real estate and commercial developments. The PCOM site also had a complicated clearing and cleanup process, which would have taken up to two years before building could begin.
“Our MLS ambitions are still alive, and we want to work toward getting there,” Funk Jr. said. “Part of that is we have to have a stadium. That is a driving force behind that. We are pivoting now that PCOM hasn’t worked out.”
The Energy also recognizes that Taft Stadium is not viable long-term because it does not meet United States Soccer Federation standards. Taft is only 67 yards wide, three yards short of the minimum USSF standard. Funk Jr. confirmed that the club is unable to host U.S. Open Cup games at Taft because the pitch is too narrow.
United Soccer League has a goal to have each of its clubs playing in or building soccer-specific stadiums that meet USSF standards by 2020. The Energy renovated Taft to meet most of these standards, but it can never meet minimum field dimensions as long as the track surrounds the Taft Stadium pitch.
“The ongoing success of our league is due in no small part to the 12 soccerspecific stadiums currently in the league,” USL president Jake Edwards said in a statement. “Proper venues deliver a thrilling experience for players, fans, and the community.
“We continue to support OKC’s efforts to find the best solution for that market and are working closely with co-owner Bob Funk Jr. and his team on this matter.”
If needed, the Energy can meet USL’s stadium requirements with a temporary stadium, similar to Phoenix Rising’s 2017 stadium, once it finalizes a stadium site. The Energy can also open its stadium with a capacity of 10,000 or more and add an additional 10,000 seats once the MLS bid is finalized.
But MLS remains the Energy’s ultimate goal. The league will begin next season with 23 clubs and has a placeholder for Miami as its 24th club.
MLS is in the process of expanding to 28 clubs. Oklahoma City was not one of the 12 markets to apply for this round of MLS expansion, and the league insists that this round of expansion is its last.
Regardless, Funk Jr. told The Oklahoman in December that he believes the league will expand even further to at least 32 clubs, which fits the timetable the Energy has to build its soccer-specific stadium.