Legends-owned consultancy and business planning firm CSL has been hired to carry out a market assessment of a proposed new 8,000-seat stadium for professional women’s soccer in Oklahoma.
The research will “inform the development of a best-in-class fan experience” at the $71m (£54m/€65m) venue, according to OKC for Soccer, the group behind the project.
CSL has previously worked with various clients in US soccer and European football, including Barcelona, Everton, Valencia and Inter Miami.
Meanwhile, Populous has been retained as the stadium project’s architect, with hopes that the venue could be ready to host women’s soccer in 2027.
The news was published on the website of Oklahoma City Energy FC, which remains a member of the second-tier USL Championship despite having not competed since the 2021 season owing to its inability to secure a regulation venue.
The stadium is set to be partially financed by Oklahoma City’s $1bn MAPS 4 funding programme, which will support 16 major projects in the city over eight years.
“Our job is to ensure that Oklahoma City gets the downtown stadium it needs for women’s and men’s soccer, major concerts, and all kinds of other events,” said OKC for Soccer president Court Jeske.
“CSL is the standard bearer in developing stadium experiences around the world, and we want to work with the best.
“We are striving to think big and act big as we reimagine professional soccer in the city we call home. Partnering with a global market leader like CSL, taking key learnings from Legends and their global portfolio of clients, is a positive way to begin this process.”
CSL’s work for OKC for Soccer will feature a market survey that will be made available to fans.
It is described as the first step in informing decisions related to the development of the proposed new multi-purpose stadium in downtown Oklahoma City.
“CSL is looking forward to utilising learnings from over 500 soccer stadium projects around the world and applying those to the multipurpose stadium study in Oklahoma City,” said chief operating officer of CSL Ben Wrigley.
In January, Oklahoma City Council said that the proposed stadium would be the only such venue in the city with a United States Soccer Federation (USSF)-approved pitch to accommodate professional men’s and women’s soccer. When the area develops, visitors will be able to walk from restaurants, retail and housing to attend events in the new entertainment district.
