Devon Park (stadium)
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| Full name | Devon Park |
|---|---|
| Location | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 35°31′29″N 97°27′49″W / 35.524796°N 97.463719°W |
| Owner | Government of Oklahoma City[1] |
| Operator | USA Softball Inc. |
| Capacity | 13,000 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1987 |
| Renovated | 2003, 2013–2015, 2018, 2020[2][1] |
| Tenants | |
| Women's College World Series (NCAA) (1990–present) Oklahoma City Spark (2023–present) Big 12 Conference softball tournament (2017–present) | |
Devon Park, originally known as the Don E. Porter ASA Hall of Fame Stadium from 1987 to 2017 and USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium, until 2024, is softball-specific ballpark located inside the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. It seats 13,000 and is the site of the annual Women's College World Series. In 2023, Hall of Fame stadium also became home of the Oklahoma City Spark, the city's new professional softball team.
History
[edit]The complex includes 4 fields:
- OGE Energy Field
- Integris Field (formerly Field 4)
- Field 2
- Field 3
The complex is owned by the city and operated under a long-term lease by USA Softball with the exception of the office building, which USA Softball owns and uses for its headquarters.[1]
Devon Park originally opened in 1987 as the Don E. Porter ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. It was renamed in 2017 when the Amateur Softball Association rebranded to USA Softball.[3] The stadium underwent extensive renovations from September 2013 to 2015.[4]
Through 2017, it hosted two major college tournaments: the Big 12 Conference championship and the Women's College World Series, as well as the World Cup of Softball, one of the premier international softball events. The Big 12 decided to discontinue their tournament after 2010, however the Women's College World Series continued to be held there. In 2017 the Big 12 Conference decided to resume holding a conference tournament starting in the 2017 season; it was still be held at this location along with the USA Softball International Cup once all major renovations to the facility were completed in 2020. Oklahoma City will host the Women's College World Series through 2035, provided the city makes good on its promise to complete a four-phase renovation.
In late summer and early fall of 2018 a new two-story state of the art press box was built, and a new LED jumbotron video scoreboard was also added. Seating capacity (seating bowl and outfield bleachers) was further expanded in time for the 2020 Women's College World Series, ultimately not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The latest expansion brought the main stadium's capacity to 13,000.[1] The stadium adopted its current name in 2024, when locally-based oil and gas firm Devon Energy signed a multi-year sponsorship agreement with USA Softball.[5]
In 2007, it was ranked the number eight sporting venue in the state of Oklahoma.
Devon Park will be the softball tournament venue for the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics.[6]
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Don E. Porter "ASA Hall of Fame Stadium" in 2006
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Don E. Porter "ASA Hall of Fame Stadium" in 2006
See also
[edit]- Oklahoma City Zoological Park
- The Oklahoma State Firefighters Museum, located across the street
- Remington Park, located next to the stadium to the west
- National Softball Hall of Fame and Museum
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Hays, Graham (May 28, 2020). "How Oklahoma City, home of the Women's College World Series, became the center of the softball universe". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ "ASA Hall of Fame Complex Renovation". Retrieved August 30, 2009.
- ^ "ASA/USA Softball announces organization rename and rebrand to USA Softball and unveils new logo". USA Softball. June 30, 2015. Archived from the original on July 3, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
- ^ "2013–15 Renovations". USA Softball official website. United States Olympic Committee. Retrieved June 4, 2017.[dead link]
- ^ "OU, Oklahoma State softball coaches highlight bigger impact of USA Softball stadium name change". May 7, 2024.
- ^ Roddy, Bella (June 21, 2024). "Oklahoma City Confirmed For Multiple Olympic Events". www.news9.com. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
External links
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- Softball venues in Oklahoma
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- College softball venues in the United States
- Sports venues in Oklahoma City
- Multi-purpose stadiums in the United States
- USA Softball
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- 1987 establishments in Oklahoma
- Venues of the 2028 Summer Olympics
- Olympic softball venues
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