Paycom Center facts for kids
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"Loud City"
"The Thunderdome" |
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Paycom Center in 2021
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 Paycom Center
Location in Oklahoma
Paycom Center
Location in the United States
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| Former names | Ford Center (2002–2010) Oklahoma City Arena (2010–2011) Chesapeake Energy Arena (2011–2021) |
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| Address | 100 West Reno Avenue |
| Location | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma |
| Coordinates | 35°27′48″N 97°30′54″W / 35.46333°N 97.51500°W |
| Public transit |  Heartland Flyer OKC Streetcar Arena |
| Owner | City of Oklahoma City |
| Operator | ASM Global |
| Capacity | Basketball: 18,203 Hockey: 15,152 Concerts: 16,591 WWE/Boxing/MMA: 16,757 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | May 11, 1999 |
| Opened | June 8, 2002 |
| Construction cost | US$89.2 million |
| Architect | The Benham Companies, LLC. Sink Combs Dethlefs |
| Services engineer | M-E Engineers, Inc. |
| General contractor | Flintco Construction Co. |
| Tenants | |
| Oklahoma City Blazers (CHL) (2002–2009) Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (af2) (2004–2008) New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (NBA) (2005–2007) Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA) (2008–present) Oklahoma City Blue (NBAGL) (2021–present) |
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The Paycom Center is a large indoor stadium in Downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. It opened in 2002. Since 2008, it has been the home of the National Basketball Association (NBA) team, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Before the Thunder, the arena hosted other sports teams. These included the Oklahoma City Blazers (hockey) and the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (arena football). The Paycom Center is not just for sports. It also holds concerts, family shows, and other big events.
From 2005 to 2007, the arena was a temporary home for the New Orleans Hornets NBA team. This happened because Hurricane Katrina damaged their home city of New Orleans. The support from fans in Oklahoma City during this time helped the city get its own NBA team later on.
Contents
History of the Arena
The Paycom Center opened on June 8, 2002. The city of Oklahoma City owns it. When it first opened, it was called the Ford Center. This name came from a deal with Ford car dealerships in Oklahoma.
The arena was a big part of the city's "MAPS" program. This program used a special sales tax to build new and improved places in downtown Oklahoma City. The arena was built to meet basic NBA and NHL standards. It was designed so that more features could be added later if a major sports team moved to the city.
Upgrades and Improvements
In 2007, a group from Oklahoma City bought the Seattle SuperSonics NBA team. This led to plans for big upgrades to the arena. On March 4, 2008, Oklahoma City citizens voted to approve a sales tax. This tax would raise $121 million for arena improvements. It would also fund a practice building for the new NBA team.
After the vote, city officials and the Sonics owners agreed to move the team to Oklahoma City. The team would play at the Ford Center. The NBA approved this move on April 18, 2008.
Changing Names of the Arena
The arena has had several names over the years:
- Ford Center (2002–2010): This was the original name.
- Oklahoma City Arena (2010–2011): This was a temporary name. It was used while the team looked for a new company to buy the naming rights.
- Chesapeake Energy Arena (2011–2021): Chesapeake Energy bought the naming rights for 12 years. They ended their agreement in 2021.
- Paycom Center (2021–present): On July 27, 2021, Paycom bought the naming rights for 15 years.
Seating Capacity Changes
The number of seats for basketball games has changed a few times:
| Years | Capacity |
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| 2002–2006 |
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| 2006–2008 |
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| 2008–2009 |
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| 2009–present |
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Arena Features
The Paycom Center is about 581,000 square feet. It has three main seating levels. A fourth level can be added for concerts. The arena has 3,380 club seats and 49 private suites.
It is located right across the street from the Cox Convention Center. The arena also has several places to eat and drink. These include The OLD NO. 7 Club, The Pub, and The Courtside Club.
The $121.6 million renovation project added many new features. These include better restaurants, more suites, and a Kid's Zone. It also got a new video and scoring system. The upgrades made the arena a top-level NBA facility.
Events at Paycom Center
The Paycom Center hosts many different events. These include college sports games, concerts, and professional wrestling shows.
College Sports
The arena hosts games for local colleges like Oklahoma City University, the University of Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State University. It also hosts high school games.
- It hosted the 2007 Big 12 men's basketball tournament in 2007.
- It has hosted early rounds of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament several times.
- In March 2014, it hosted the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
NBA Games
New Orleans Hornets' Temporary Home
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina badly damaged New Orleans. The NBA allowed the New Orleans Hornets team to play temporarily at the Paycom Center. The Hornets played there for two seasons (2005–06 and 2006–07). During this time, the team was called the "New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets."
The support from fans in Oklahoma City was very strong. This showed the NBA that Oklahoma City could host a major league team. NBA Commissioner David Stern even hinted that the NBA would return to Oklahoma City someday.
Oklahoma City Thunder's Home
In 2006, Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett bought the Seattle SuperSonics team. After some discussions, the NBA approved the team's move to Oklahoma City in April 2008. On September 2, 2008, the team announced its new name: the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder have been very successful since moving to Oklahoma City. They have made the playoffs many times. In 2012, the Paycom Center hosted the 2012 NBA Finals. The Thunder played against the Miami Heat for the championship. The Thunder won Game 1 at home, but the Heat won the series.
On March 11, 2020, a game between the Thunder and the Utah Jazz was postponed. A Jazz player tested positive for COVID-19. This event led to the NBA suspending its season and many other sports events being canceled worldwide.
MMA and Professional Wrestling
The arena has hosted many professional wrestling events from WWE. These include shows like Raw and SmackDown.
It has also hosted mixed martial arts (MMA) events. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) held a fight night there in 2009. Another MMA event, Strikeforce: Champions, took place in 2013.
Other Events
The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) have held many events at the Paycom Center. Since 2022, it has been the home arena for the PBR's Oklahoma Freedom team.
In 2015, the arena hosted the North American Youth Congress (NAYC). This event was so popular that the nearby Cox Convention Center was used for overflow attendees.
Images for kids
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Oklahoma City hosted and defeated Minnesota for their first win.
See also
In Spanish: Paycom Center para niños
