2018-2022 US World Cup Bid List and Owen Field [Archive]

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snp

4/8/2009, 08:05 PM

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=ap-wcup-usbid&prov=ap&type=lgns

Not exactly Sooner Football related, but it's the offseason and close enough.

Owen Field is one of the 70 US stadiums that have been contacted to see if there's any interest to host a World Cup game, if USA is awarded the WC. Granted, Owen Field would probably be lower on the list than most other places, but it's cool to see them in the running.

Surely there other 7 soccer fans here are thrilled by this possibility. But for the rest of you, who don't like soccer, does this intrigue you at all? Hopefully by then men's soccer is a scholarship sport but who am I kidding.

starclassic tama

4/8/2009, 08:06 PM

i'd go

Jboozer

4/8/2009, 08:23 PM

HELL YA! That would be amazing! there would probably be lots of fans flocking to norman, it would probably help raise normans profile, can't hurt recruiting!

Phil

4/8/2009, 09:59 PM

jumperstop

4/9/2009, 01:16 AM

we'll have tons of money by then to renovate the stadium after we win our 8th, 9th, and 10th MNC

GottaHavePride

4/9/2009, 03:43 PM

Yeah, soccer field is substantially wider than a football field. However, I would definitely buy tickets for a World Cup in the US next time it happens.

Paperclip

4/9/2009, 03:53 PM

I have to wonder what new stadiums will be in place by the time the World Cup would make it back to the US and which of these on the list would no longer be in service.

badger

4/9/2009, 04:12 PM

snp

4/9/2009, 07:34 PM

Having been to 2 World Cup games in two different parts of the world, I think it would definitely be cool. However, you couldn't play soccer at Owen Field without some pretty heavy renovations, mainly ripping out of seats to expand the field, etc.

I don't know about that. The '94 World Cup played on converted football fields and their dimensions were 115 yards X 75 yards. Owen Field could easily handle the length and I think it could also handle the width.

There are now soccer-specific stadiums in the U.S., to a greater degree than before with the rising popularity of MLS (thank you, David Beckham).

I doubt they'll come to Owen Field and I'm not sure I like the idea of them modifying our stadium for soccer. Our grass is more sacred than A&M's.

Beckham didn't help any club get their own stadium.

badger

4/9/2009, 09:35 PM

Beckham didn't help any club get their own stadium.

I was referring to the rising popularity of MLS, not more soccer stadiums... I think we can tribute more soccer stadiums to a more global economy - more people in the U.S. are interested in world interests... and thus, world sports :)

NP and I love soccer, btw.

colleyvillesooner

4/9/2009, 11:00 PM

Jerruh world would hold one probably?

Sooner13

4/9/2009, 11:25 PM

I was referring to the rising popularity of MLS, not more soccer stadiums... I think we can tribute more soccer stadiums to a more global economy - more people in the U.S. are interested in world interests... and thus, world sports :)

NP and I love soccer, btw.

I'm not sure Beckham had any impact at all on the increased popularity of soccer in the USA. Has there been an increase?

Not being a smartass, honest question.

sooner59

4/9/2009, 11:36 PM

Well, I could care less about Beckham, but I catch European soccer once in a while on ESPN2 and when the big boys play it gets pretty interesting. I guess I am just beginning to understand how athletic they have to be to play soccer. I could not imagine running that much.

I see it like this in the U.S.

1. Football
2. TIE Baseball
2. TIE Basketball
4. Hockey
5. Golf
6. Soccer
7. Tennis
8. Arena Football

I could see soccer moving up one of these days. I could also see baseball moving down as well.....it seems to be more corrupted and less interesting each year.

yermom

4/9/2009, 11:39 PM

i'd go if they played in Norman. i'd probably go to Dallas to see what the fuss is about

tommieharris91

4/10/2009, 12:05 AM

There are now soccer-specific stadiums in the U.S., to a greater degree than before with the rising popularity of MLS (thank you, David Beckham).

I doubt they'll come to Owen Field and I'm not sure I like the idea of them modifying our stadium for soccer. Our grass is more sacred than A&M's.

Most of those soccer-only stadiums seat like 20,000. FIFA would like the WC sites to seat at least 80,000 (of course Owen Field is one of them.) Either way I wouldn't be surprised to see the US get to host either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup just because there are tons of places that qualify in the US. There are very few countries in the world that can boast that.

itsok

4/10/2009, 01:17 AM

because of the Cotton bowl renovations to host the 94 world cup games in Dallas. After we played there in 94, and all the problmes with the astroturf
at owen field everyone at OU wanted a grass field. By the way, i went to the world cup games in Dallas back in 94 and was quite an experience, I would go again...

itsok

4/10/2009, 01:18 AM

one more thing, i saw the brasil-holland game in 94 at Dallas, and it was reported that the world wide audience for that game was 1.5 billion people...
it was the quarter final...
GO SOONERS!!!!!

badger

4/10/2009, 08:40 AM

I'm not sure Beckham had any impact at all on the increased popularity of soccer in the USA. Has there been an increase?

Not being a smartass, honest question.

They were televising more games on Espen, that's for sure. You can see attendance figures here. (http://http://soccernet.espn.go.com/stats/attendance?league=usa.1&year=2009&seasontype=1&&cc=5901)

And... I can see an error on ESPN's site is causing the stats to not show up before 2008... awww, crap. In any event, attendance seemed to rise greatly for the Los Angeles games last year wherever Becks was playing. However, according to this, attendance is tanking again (http://http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/mls-monday-review-attendance-issues-discussed/2892), outside of a few successful areas.

The article also talks about some issues which may be leading to clubs struggling.

Really, I have no physical proof of Beckham making a huge difference, other than what I've heard about - increased jersey sales, increased attendance to see David play at home and away games, more media coverage especially when he plays, etc.

ouleaf

4/10/2009, 10:09 AM

Doesn't OU already have a soccer stadium???? I'm pretty sure they just did a big renovation project on it too. Why can't they host it there?

Just kidding....It would be awesome if they could host it at Owen Field. Will it happen? No. No it will not happen.

I just don't think Norman is an ideal location for a World Cup game. Oklahoma isn't exactly a huge market for soccer fans. I'd say it's more likely to be hosted by cities with MLS teams already there.

I wouldn't count out Jerry World to make a bid for it either, lol.

badger

4/10/2009, 10:29 AM

Doesn't OU already have a soccer stadium???? I'm pretty sure they just did a big renovation project on it too.

It's times like this that I wish that Title IX didn't prevent OU from having more men's teams. There is a totally awesome women's soccer donor here that made that soccer/tennis venue happen and OU soccer games are fun, so it's too bad we can't have them for both men's and women's. It would be cool if during the World Cup/Olympics they pointed out some studly soccer player as a "University of Oklahoma All-American" or something :)

Here' (http://www.soonersports.com/facilities/soccer-complex.html)s more info on the facility.

Cam

4/10/2009, 11:32 AM

Really, I have no physical proof of Beckham making a huge difference, other than what I've heard about - increased jersey sales, increased attendance to see David play at home and away games, more media coverage especially when he plays, etc.

Beckham's done zero for the long term health of the MLS. Not exactly a shocker.

If the WC's played on Owen Field, I'm there.