After years of stops, starts, and late-night meetings, Oklahoma men’s basketball is finally getting the game-changer it’s been chasing: a new arena. The Sooners’ longtime home, the Lloyd Noble Center, has stood since 1975-witness to decades of highs and lows-but a new era is officially on the horizon with the green light for the Rock Creek Entertainment District.
Head coach Porter Moser, who’s been at the forefront of the push since arriving in Norman in 2021, won’t be the one to coach in the new facility. Still, he played a key role in getting the ball rolling.
Moser recalled staying at a town hall meeting until 1 a.m., making his case for why OU needed a modern arena. Now, five years later, that vision is finally becoming reality.
On February 3, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that the petition stalling the project was insufficient, clearing the way for construction to begin. With that decision, the long-delayed Rock Creek Entertainment District-an ambitious, billion-dollar development-can finally move forward.
The centerpiece? A brand-new arena that will serve as the home for OU men’s and women’s basketball, as well as women’s gymnastics.
But this isn’t just about sports. The venue is designed to host concerts and other major events, and it’ll be surrounded by restaurants, hotels, housing, and more.
It’s a full-fledged entertainment hub, set to rise in the North Park area near the University of Oklahoma campus.
Moser, speaking to reporters after the announcement, didn’t hide his excitement.
“When I took this job, that was a big part of the conversation-was a new arena,” Moser said. “We talked about it right away.
It’s obviously been delayed. I mean, Kelvin [Sampson] told me he thought he was getting a new arena.
But just happy for everyone around.”
He called it what it is: a game-changer.
“For the city of Norman, for all the people there to have an entertainment district like that and a venue like that, it’s a game-changer in continuing to move this program and move the needle,” Moser said. “So, yeah, it’s been a five-year journey, just for me.
I’m sure it’s been a lot longer for other people. But great day.
Great day for Norman and great day for OU.”
And he’s right. This has been a long time coming.
Talk of a new arena dates back to 2018 when Lon Kruger was still at the helm. Moser isn’t the first OU coach to dream of a new home for the program-and he likely won’t be the one to lead the team into it.
There’s no official timeline yet for when the arena will be completed, but construction is expected to begin soon. One thing’s for certain: it won’t be ready by the end of this season.
And with Oklahoma sitting at 12-12 and struggling to gain traction in the SEC, Moser’s future in Norman is far from secure. If a change is made, his successor could be the one to break in the new digs.
That’s the bittersweet part of this story. Moser helped push the vision forward, but the payoff may come after his tenure. Still, for the program, the timing couldn’t be better.
OU has finished dead last in SEC attendance the past two seasons. The buzz around men’s basketball has faded, especially with other sports on campus drawing more attention.
And the losses haven’t helped. But now, with a state-of-the-art arena on the way, the Sooners have something tangible to offer-a fresh start, a modern facility, a reason for fans and recruits to buy in.
In short, OU basketball finally has momentum. The new arena isn’t just a building-it’s a statement. It says the program is ready to invest, ready to compete, and ready to turn the page.
And whether Moser is on the sideline when the ribbon is cut or not, his fingerprints will be all over it.