Oklahoma's Porter Moser: OU's 'Commitment Needs to Be Towards Having a New Venue'

Oklahoma basketball coach Porter Moser says he’s focused strictly on the Sooners’ next game — round three of Bedlam at the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City on Wednesday.

But asked Monday about the news that OU regents are expected to approve $9.5 million in upgrades to team facilities at Lloyd Noble Center, Moser didn’t mince words.

“What I will say,” Moser said, “is whatever goes, I think everyone knows the commitment needs to be towards having a new venue — a new venue for men’s basketball.”

Renovations to the team suites for both the men’s and women’s basketball programs are on the agenda of Tuesday’s regents meeting in Norman.

Moser, who’s wrapping up his second season at the helm of the Sooners, says the commitment can’t stop there.

“You look at some of the teams’ venues and atmospheres in this league, and it becomes very, very hard to play in,” he said. “From everything I’ve heard, everything is about moving in that direction. So I love that. I love that the focus is on the venue.

“I’m not ready to say which, where, when or anything. Let’s just move in that direction.”

LNC was built in 1975 a mile south of Memorial Stadium and removed from much of daily campus life. With fans removed from proximity to the floor, one seating level and a broad upper concourse, it’s long been criticized for its lack of fan engagement, noise and gameday electricity.

The current seating configuration has a capacity of 10,967, but Sooner Nation packed 13,224 in for the Bedlam game on Feb. 1. For nine conference games and the Big12/SEC Challenge game against No. 2 Alabama, OU averaged 7,660 at home this season.

The facility has has undergone seemingly dozens of renovations and upgrades over the years — in 2021, for instance, it got a $7.5 million upgrade to the main scoreboard and auxiliary displays — but the seating configuration has remained largely unchanged.

“Again,” Moser reiterated, “all I’ve been thinking about is this tournament and competing and getting ready and getting better and believing. That’s where my focus is.”