Paycom Center is Oklahoma City’s premier sports and entertainment venue located downtown at 100 W. Reno Ave. The facility is managed by ASM Global but owned by the City of Oklahoma City.

History of Paycom Center

MAPS, Oklahoma City’s visionary capital improvement program, funded the original construction of Paycom Center in 1999. However, the city’s residents voted to fund the renovation project, upgrading the facilities and encouraging Oklahoma City’s overall growth into new sports, entertainment, conventions and cultural events.

The facility opened on June 8, 2002, with an initial cost of $89.2 million. Opening celebrations included a dedication ceremony led by Mayor Kirk Humphreys. In addition, there was a unique open house ceremony for the surrounding community to take a sneak peek.

Since it opened its doors, Paycom Center has hosted more than 1,200 events and seen more than 10 million fans walk through the doors. Since the beginning of the 2008-09 NBA season, the arena has served as the home of the Oklahoma City Thunder. It has also been home to the Oklahoma City Blazers and Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz, as well as world-class concerts, top-tier entertainment, major conventions and other sporting events.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City Thunder is an NBA franchise and participates in the league’s Western Conference Northwest Division. Oklahoma City Thunder [SN1] has won four conference championships and 11 division titles throughout its short history.

Paycom Center Quick Facts

●      Seating: 15,341 permanent seats, 252 portable ADA seats, 1,568 portable floor seats

●      Initial venue cost: $89 million

●      Construction began in spring 1999.

●      Previous facility names before Paycom Center: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City Arena and Ford Center

●      NBA-specific amenities include NBA-only locker rooms and facilities, a practice court, media broadcast facilities, lighting and sound, an NBA press room, an on-site NBA and team store, and ticket/staff rooms

●      Chad Richison, CEO of Paycom, acquired the naming rights to what would become Paycom Center on July 27, 2021, for the next 15 years.

●      Paycom Center has hosted numerous sold-out concert events by various artists, including Bon Jovi, Britney Spears, Cher, Justin Bieber, Eric Clapton, George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Lady Gaga, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Jason Aldean and Jay-Z.

Multiple Sets of Improvements and Renovations

New renovations and improvements have been completed, and a new entrance was added during the final phase of renovations. The other innovations and improvements at Paycom Center include:

●      new modern restaurants

●      a family fun zone

●      locker rooms and team offices

●      a modern 75’ wide and 21’ tall exterior video display on the center’s north face

This was not the first set of renovations that Paycom Center has seen in its history. In 2009, the facility was closed for five months to make room for another set of renovations. Additional innovations also were made the following year in 2010 and included:

●      new locker rooms

●      new terrace suites with lounges on the club level

●      major upgrades to the arena’s entire lighting deck

●      a new and improved scoreboard

The facility now features three giant scoreboards and modern video displays at every end of the arena. Fans were also able to enjoy wider, retractable, and more luxurious leather seats.

Paycom Center Protocol

Standard procedures are in place to safeguard players, fans, staff, and guests. All event organizers have a right to change entry policies to protect their guests during events. For more information on Paycom Center, visit paycomcenter.com.