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Oklahoma City approves basketball arena development agreement

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Oklahoma City approves basketball arena development agreement


A development agreement for a professional sports arena in Oklahoma City, costing at least $900 million, won approval Tuesday in a 7-2 city council vote. 

The deal with the owners of the National Basketball Association’s Oklahoma City Thunder allocates the lion’s share of the project’s funding to the city, with the team contributing $50 million. 

Oklahoma City will own the state-of-the-art National Basketball Association arena — targeted for completion in June 2028 and no later than June 2030 — and will be responsible for its maintenance, City Manager Craig Freeman told council members ahead of their 7-2 vote approving a development agreement.

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In December, Oklahoma City voters overwhelmingly approved the continuation of a Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS 4) one-cent sales tax for six years beyond its April 1, 2028, expiration date. The revenue will secure a minimum of $772 million in financing for the project, according to City Manager Craig Freeman. The city will also contribute $78 million in MAPS 4 funds that have been earmarked for Paycom Center, which has been the Thunder’s home since 2008.

Those two funding sources are the only public funds available for the project, Freeman told the city council.  If costs exceed budgeted funds, the deal calls for the parties to “work together to value engineer the project” and that PBC Sports and Entertainment LLC, the Thunder’s owner, has the option to privately fund portions of the project, according to a city summary of the agreement.

Oklahoma City will own the state-of-the-art NBA facility — targeted for completion in June 2028 and no later than June 2030 — and will have the ultimate responsibility for its maintenance, Freeman said.

The arena’s financing plan is unclear. Oklahoma City Chief Financial Officer M. Brent Bryant, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment, said in December the city will evaluate various financing options while the design and construction timeline is developed. 

Prior to that, the use of privately placed tax anticipation notes, structured like a line of credit, was being considered to bridge the gap until the arena facility sales tax collections begin in 2028.

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MAPS financing began in 1993 with voter approval of a temporary one-cent sales tax. City voters passed the debt-free, pay-as-you-go funding method in subsequent years, most recently MAPS 4 in 2019 to raise a projected $1.1 billion over eight years starting in 2020. 

Under the approved development agreement, revenue from the voter-approved sales tax that remains after the arena’s construction and repayment of financing costs will be allocated to capital improvements and maintenance of the arena, which will be located at the city-owned site of the former Cox Convention Center.

The team’s 25-year commitment to remain in Oklahoma City begins when it moves into the new arena.

Last week, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed into law a bill that gives major league sports teams that have at least $10 million in new payrolls within a year quarterly state rebate payments for up to 5% of the actual gross payment of sport-league jobs employed by the team for the duration of the team’s existence in Oklahoma, according to a legislative report on the measure. 

The payments are capped at $10 million annually and would be clawed back if the team does not remain in Oklahoma for more than three years.

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Iowa State wrestling adds Brayden Thompson from transfer portal

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Iowa State wrestling adds Brayden Thompson from transfer portal


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Iowa State wrestling’s first commitment of the Brent Metcalf era will be a transfer portal addition.

The Cyclones added Oklahoma State transfer Brayden Thompson, who announced his commitment on April 18 via Instagram. Thompson is a one-time NCAA qualifier at the 2024 NCAA Championships, doing so as a true freshman. He redshirted in 2024-25, but competed in open tournaments at 184 pounds and was 9-0. He did not wrestle a match in 2025-26 and will have at least two years of eligibility remaining.

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Out of high school, Thompson was ranked the No. 3 pound-for-pound wrestler and No. 1 at 182 pounds in the 2023 recruiting class by Flowrestling. He also won Powerade and Ironman titles, two of the more prestigious high school tournaments in the nation. Assuming Thompson returns to 184 pounds where he last wrestled, he should fill in nicely as a potential replacement for Isaac Dean after his graduation.

Thompson is Iowa State’s first transfer portal addition after several departures, including Anthony Echemendia and Christian Castillo, who also entered the portal.

Eli McKown covers high school sports and wrestling for the Des Moines Register. Contact him at Emckown@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @EMcKown23.





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Oklahoma’s Jahsiear Rogers ‘Knew It Was Time to Showcase’ His Talents In Spring Game

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Oklahoma’s Jahsiear Rogers ‘Knew It Was Time to Showcase’ His Talents In Spring Game


NORMAN — The Oklahoma Sooners liked their wide receiver room a year ago. They want 2026 to be even better.

Isaiah Sategna’s return helps that desire. Earning experienced pass catchers Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone via the transfer portal gives you added play makers. But after the Sooners Spring Game on Saturday, an unlikely hero emerged.

When Jahsiear Rogers flipped from Penn State to Oklahoma last December, he drew the usual excitement that comes with a new commitment. But few expected him to climb the depth chart this quickly, even with the injuries that hit Emmett Jones’ room.

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Rogers did just that and more on Saturday. He led all pass catchers with five receptions for 70 yards in Oklahoma’s annual Red/White game.

“I knew it was time to showcase,” Rogers said after the game. “It was amazing to see the fans and get used to the OU way. I’m a playmaker. They really want to put the ball in playmakers hands. I pretty much knew I had to lead the white team.”

Rogers got the ball rolling early. On the second offensive play for the white team, backup quarterback Whitt Newbauer rolled to his right wide, then stopped and looked towards the middle of the field where he saw Rogers running open. Newbauer connected with Rogers for a 39-yard gain.

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With Rogers on the white team, he is running against (most of) Oklahoma’s starting defense. As fate would have it, on that 39-yard reception, Rogers beat his favorite teammate to compete against — Reggie Powers.

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“He is just a leader, good guy,” Rogers said of Powers. “Me and him go after it every day in practice. Reggie is strong. When I come at him, I have to really come at him.”

Rogers’ big play over Powers was the second-longest catch of the spring game — Sategna’s 50-yard reception that appeared to be a touchdown before coaches pulled it back to set up a red-zone rep. The other four catches weren’t flashy, but they were important in their own way, and Rogers looked like he belonged on the field.

“I love it. As long as I can get the ball, I can be me. I love it,” Rogers said. “When I am on the field, I am ready to go. I am ready to be a playmaker.”

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The season is still months away, and Rogers hasn’t earned a spot high on the depth chart yet. A strong spring and an encouraging Red/White Game can only lead to early playing time if he carries that momentum into summer and fall camp.

More experienced players will return from injury and receivers who’ve been in the program for a few years will have an extra leg-up.

But Rogers is taking everything in stride and leaving no stone unturned in his development.

“Just learning from the older guys,” Rogers said. “Manny Choice, Isaiah Sategna, Trell Harris, Mackenzie Alleyne. Really all of them. We lean on each other, learn from each other. That is kind of how our room is.”

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Oklahoma knocks off Missouri in series opener

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Oklahoma knocks off Missouri in series opener


The Oklahoma baseball team is back in the mix and trending upward.

After a rough few weeks in Southeastern Conference play, the 14th-ranked Sooners have won three of their last four games to get to .500 at just beyond the halfway point of the league slate. Friday’s 9-6 win over Missouri allowed Oklahoma to move to 8-8, tied with three other teams for eighth in the standings.

Friday’s win wasn’t truly that close, even. OU took a 9-3 lead into the ninth before Mizzou made it somewhat interesting with three runs in the frame. Two of them came with two outs, though, and Mason Bixby induced a groundout with the bases empty to hold on.

The large edge came via a home run-happy night. The Sooners popped four over the wall at Kimrey Family Stadium, including three in a four-run seventh inning that gave OU a four-run lead.

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Jason Walk, who hit one of the four homers, had the best day at the plate. He went 2 for 5 with the shot, three RBIs and a run. Camden Johnson, who also homered, went 2 for 3 with a walk, a double and two runs, and Dasan Harris went 2 for 4 with a home run, two RBIs, and three runs. Trey Gambill hit the Sooners’ other jack.

Oklahoma jumped out to a four-run lead in the second behind four hits and a walk. Missouri helped the Sooners out with an error that resulted in a bases-loaded situation and three unearned runs registered to Tigers starter Josh McDevitt.

The runs were more than enough for Oklahoma’s LJ Mercurius, who pitched six strong innings, giving up three runs on six hits with no walks and nine strikeouts.

Game 2 in the series is set for 4 p.m. Saturday and the finale will be played Sunday at 2 p.m., weather permitting.



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