Funding through the state’s Business Expansion Incentive Program will support upgrades at Devon Park, RIVERSPORT and Oklahoma City University as the city prepares to host official Olympic competition for the first time in 2028.
OKLAHOMA CITY — With Oklahoma City set to host official Olympic competition for the first time in 2028, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce says it will use its Business Expansion Incentive Program to finance more than $100 million in improvements to competition venues and athlete housing.
The funding will support projects at Devon Park, where Olympic softball will be played; RIVERSPORT, which will host Olympic canoe slalom competition; and Oklahoma City University, which will serve as the Olympic Satellite Village for athletes, coaches and delegates during the Games.
Commerce said the investment is intended to prepare the venues for the Olympics while leaving long-term improvements that will benefit future sporting events and visitors.
At Devon Park, planned projects include replacing the stadium’s original seats with chairback seating, improving practice fields, upgrading the sound system, enhancing premium seating areas and adding safety features. Commerce also said USA Softball is coordinating with Oklahoma City on plans for a future indoor training facility.
RIVERSPORT plans to upgrade the pumps that circulate water through its whitewater course and install a headgate to improve water-flow control. According to Commerce, the improvements are expected to help the venue meet Olympic competition standards while positioning the venue to host additional international events after the 2028 Games.
At Oklahoma City University, renovations will include upgrades to the fitness center and residence halls that will house athletes, along with roadway improvements, cafeteria enhancements and campus beautification projects. Commerce said the university is expected to accommodate more than 170 athletes as well as coaches and delegates from more than 30 countries.
While Oklahoma City has hosted Olympic trials, world championships and other international competitions in the decades since the 1989 U.S. Olympic Festival, the 2028 Games will mark the first time the city has hosted official Olympic competition. The latest investment represents the city’s most significant Olympic-related infrastructure initiative since the 1989 festival, which brought thousands of athletes to Oklahoma City for what was then the U.S. Olympic Committee’s premier multisport event.
Commerce CEO John Budd said the investments will strengthen facilities that will continue serving Oklahoma after the Olympics.
The Business Expansion Incentive Program is an existing state economic development financing program administered by Commerce that has traditionally been used to support major capital investment projects. Commerce did not explain why the program was selected for the Olympic venue improvements or provide a breakdown of how the more than $100 million will be allocated among the three projects. The announcement also did not identify the specific funding sources supporting the investment beyond the Business Expansion Incentive Program.
Planning for Oklahoma City’s role in the 2028 Olympics is being coordinated through Team OKC, a partnership of local, state and community organizations.
