Why Jennie Baranczyk Believes Oklahoma's Proposed New Arena Will Generate 'Home Court Excitement'

Changes are coming for Oklahoma basketball and gymnastics.

On Tuesday, a ruling by the Oklahoma Supreme Court cleared the way for the Rock Creek Entertainment District, which will include a new arena for use by OU basketball and women’s gymnastics.

The new entertainment district and arena is the result of work between the University of Oklahoma and the city of Norman, and it will provide a much-needed solution to the Sooners’ Lloyd Noble Center headache.

“The whole place will generate excitement,” OU women’s basketball coach Jennie Baranczyk said on Thursday. “You can’t help but cheer for your team and will the team (in a new arena).”

Baranczyk drew parallels to the Moody Center in Austin, which replaced the Frank Erwin Center and opened on April 20, 2022.

“We just came from a similar arena playing at Texas at the Moody Center where it’s a similar feel. It’s different and you hope that that can really bring that kind of home court excitement,” she said.

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The proposed new arena would hold fewer spectators than the Lloyd Noble Center, but just like when Texas transitioned from the Frank Erwin Center to the Moody Center, getting fans closer to the action offset the drop in capacity in terms of atmosphere.

Downsizing has been the trend in athletics when it comes to basketball arenas.

After the Moody Center opened, Baylor moved into Foster Pavilion.

The $212 million arena seats 7,500 Bears fans, but the vertical design of the arena was intended to get fans more on top of the action.

In conjunction with Norman, OU will finally be able to provide a similar experience to its basketball and women’s gymnastics fans.

The plans for the Sooners’ new arena feature 8,000 seats in the Rock Creek Entertainment District.

“If you build it, they will come,” Baranczyk said. “So that’s what you want. You want the environment to be so energetic and impactful, and when you have that, it’s amazing how good you feel.

“And what I love about it too is that the University of Oklahoma and Norman have a great partnership in that, and it shows everybody that that’s the case.”