Jennie Baranczyk is on board with whatever decision the leaders at Oklahoma and in the city of Norman make regarding the Lloyd Noble Center. The arena has been home for the Sooners men’s and women’s basketball teams since 1975 but discussions have been in the works about potentially building a new one.
A $1 billion entertainment district project was introduced last year by city and university leaders in anticipation of OU’s move to the SEC. A new arena was included in the proposal, along with bars, restaurants, retail shops and hotels.
Speaking in a recent press conference, Baranczyk addressed her stance on the possibility of replacing the LNC and what it could mean for the growth of not only the program, but the city.
“I feel like it’s really important for us to continue to evolve, especially as we head into the SEC,” the OU women’s hoops coach said. “It’s going to be important. I trust that the right decisions are going to be made whether or not we really enhance in terms of the entertainment district or if we renovate Lloyd Noble.
“I don’t know what decision’s going to be made. I think there’s obviously a lot that’s going to be put into play for those decisions to be made, but I trust that people are going to make the right decisions in terms of what and how we’re voting.”
The proposed arena would be located at University North Park and would also be home to Oklahoma’s gymnastics teams. Only one other basketball arena in the SEC was publicly funded, that being Kentucky’s Rupp Arena, which seats 23,500 fans.
The proposed Sooners arena would be less than half of that size with a capacity of between 8,000-9,000. The Lloyd Noble Center currently seats 10,967. The average SEC basketball arena (not counting OU or Texas) currently has a capacity of 14,659, with only two schools seating less than 10,000 people.
Baranczyk pointed out that a new arena would likely bring economic growth to the city of Norman as well. Not only would it hosts OU sporting events, but it could also be used for concerts and other events.
“This is a joint effort and sometimes we think a little too much in terms of the university and Norman, but we’re in this together,” Baranczyk said. “When people look on a football Saturday, they’re looking at Norman. They’re not just looking at the university. So we’ve got to be able to continue to do that from a basketball standpoint, from a softball standpoint. Look at what our fans do. Look at how beautiful this city is. It needs to continue to grow and it will continue to grow.
“Look at what Oklahoma City’s doing right now. Look at the Thunder. How amazing. We need to be part of that too. Whatever decision is made, we’re gonna get behind. We trust in our leadership and at the same time, we know that we’ve gotta continue to progress forward.”
Ultimately, we’ll have to wait and see what happens with the Lloyd Noble Center. But it’s clear this is a new area for Sooners sports and this is one of the many things to consider amid the changes.
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