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Oklahoma softball program out-draws men’s basketball in 2024, per report
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Oklahoma’s softball program has become the preeminent program for that sport nationally, but in Norman it’s even out-drawing more established sports like men’s and women’s basketball.
OU softball did more than $2.6 million in ticket sales for the 2024 fiscal year, according to filings obtained by The Oklahoman via open records request. Per that report from The Oklahoman’s Ryan Aber, that ticket sales figure is nearly $600,000 more than Oklahoma’s men’s basketball program managed over the same fiscal year. It’s also higher than the combined ticket sales for men’s and women’s basketball in Norman over that time.
There are some unique factors that could have led to this result. Last season was the first for Oklahoma’s brand-new softball stadium, Love’s Field. The new stadium brought OU softball’s seating capacity to 4,200, which is believed to be the largest for an on-campus softball field in the country.
However, that capacity is well under half of what the men’s and women’s basketball programs have at their disposal. The Lloyd Noble Center has a listed capacity of just under 11,000 seats. It’s also worth noting that OU softball played 28 home games in 2024 while the men’s basketball program had 18 during the 2023-24 season.
The biggest reason for softball’s ticket-sales dominance is likely the continued success for that program — and the lack there-of in hoops. OU softball has won 4 consecutive National Championships and has received incredible fan support for years, particularly with the Women’s College World Series taking place in Oklahoma City each year.
The men’s basketball program has stagnated since Buddy Hield led the Sooners to the Final Four back in 2016. Since then, Oklahoma has made the NCAA Tournament just 3 times and has failed to advance to the 2nd weekend in any season.
Fan support for OU men’s basketball has been disappointing enough that it recently drew direct criticism from SEC Network host (and Oklahoma alum) Dari Nowkhah, who pointed out that SEC fanbases support their basketball and baseball programs even through difficult times.
“You want to take it as me calling out a fanbase that I love? Go ahead. These guys are walking into an arena that’s half-full, that is dead. It looks dead on television, I don’t believe it’s overly alive in person,” Nowkhah said on Saturday after OU lost to LSU. “You look around this league at basketball arenas, at baseball (stadiums), they’re full. There’s a level of passion there.
“We are not seeing it and we haven’t seen it from the jump this season in Norman, Oklahoma, and that’s disappointing. And I hope it changes. And I hope it’s better in baseball than it’s been in basketball. … You won’t find a happier person to have them in this league than me, but it’s got to get better.”
Oklahoma basketball is considered to be on the bubble as the calendar creeps toward late February. The Sooners have 3 remaining home games, beginning with Saturday’s matchup against Mississippi State. OU softball’s home opener is also slated for this Saturday as the Sooners host Abilene Christian.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
