Oklahoma Finds A Home

[Aaronhere]

Goodbye Oklahoma City, Hello Lawton

CBA team will play in Lawton
AP - 7/10/2007 7:32 AM - Updated 7/10/2007 7:33 AM
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The owner of a Continental Basketball Association team has changed its name and plans to move to Lawton to play its 2007-2008 schedule. Officials with the Oklahoma Cavalry plan to announce the changes at a news conference on Thursday in Lawton. Attempts by The Associated Press to contact team owner Baron Hopgood and general manager Brian Hopgood weren't immediately successful. The team didn't note at what venue the Cavalry might play in Lawton. The city of about 93-thousand is home to NCAA Division Two Cameron University and three large high schools.
The Great Plains Coliseum has been a frequent home to high school basketball tournaments. Team officials originally planned for the franchise to play in Oklahoma City, but officials there opposed the move, saying a CBA team wasn't in the city's best interest.

http://www.kotv.com/sports/local/story/?id=131163

According to the Coliseum website:
The Coliseum is a multipurpose arena. The Coliseum features an arena floor of twelve thousand square feet and additional display space under the grandstands. Ample room for over 150 10 x 10 booths for any kind of product display show. Everything from art shows to petting zoo, basketball to wrestling, concerts, dog shows, rodeos, the Coliseum offers a great setting for your event. Excellent sight lines and customer convenience await every event in the building. Our professional staff will be on hand to assist you from set-up to tear down. Two break rooms are available for meetings along with a handy show office complete with telephone service, restroom and shower facilities. The Coliseum seats a total of twenty - five hundred patrons upstairs with over fifteen hundred fixed seats lining the sides of the arena with bleacher seating for 900. Depending on the type of event the floor area can accommodate up to 1,400 patrons in portable chairs. Banquet seating for up to 1,100 is available in the Coliseum. A banquet kitchen is conveniently attached to the building.

2007-2008 CBA Lineup
Eastern Conference
Albany Patroons
Pittsburgh Xplosion
East Kentucky Miners
Atlanta Krunk Wolverines
Western Conference
Yakama Sun Kings
Minot Skyrockets
Butte Daredevils
Great Falls Explorers
Oklahoma Calvary

Questionmarks
Indiana Alleycats - On hold for now
Gary Steelheads - Does not appear headed to the CBA
Vancouver - No idea when they are coming in

[psbf]

that the owners apparently read this board. I like the name, Oklahome Cavalry

[Ken, Steelheads fan]

I wonder if Mr. Hopgood secured a venue and got the go ahead from local government this time around. Making announcements before doing those two things in Oklahoma City cost him valuable marketing time. His organization will be playing catch-up until the start of the season.

BTW, the Cameron University athletic department doesn't know anything about the Cavalry's plans. Does that mean the Great Plains Coliseum is already secured?
http://newsok.com/article/3079995

[panchess]

..it's at the County fairgrounds. Cameron University plays at Aggie Gym, which seats 1,600 and would be too small for the CBA.

One would assume Oklahoma learned its lesson..I hope.

[OKCAVS67]

I just wanted to say Hello to all here and give some info about Lawton....

Lawton is about 75 miles from Oklahoma City and about 200 miles from Dallas Texas.
Some have Lawton listed as the 3rd largest city in Oklahoma. We claim that also, but Norman says they are, but they are a sub of Oklahoma City, so?

We have an Airport that is serviced by American Eagle, part of American Airlines, that connects to flights in Dallas Texas.

Depending on which website you visit, Lawton has a population of around 96,000. Some sites list the population at around 111,000. I think it is somewhere in the middle of both...

Lawton is home to some interesting things...

- Goodyear tire manufacturing plant, the largest in the world.
- Ft. Sill, an Army military training post. They do basic training for the Army as well as train soldiers in the way of the Artillery, Hence, why everyone says Ft. Sill is Home of the Artillery.
In the next few years, the Air Defense Artillery is moving to Ft. Sill from Ft. Bliss Texas. Depending on who one talks to, this is suggested to increase the population of Lawton by around 10,000 people.
- Cameron Univeristy - NCAA Division II School - Famous for having a Football Stadium, but no football team. The high school teams in Lawton use the Stadium. Cameron did away with Football in 1992 and we have wanted it back since.
- Wichita Mountains Refuge. They are concidered part of the lower edge of the Rocky Mountains

Famous sports people from Lawton...
Stacy King - Chicago Bulls (3 rings), Rockford Lightning former head coach
Jammal Brown - New Orleans Saints
Mike Minter - Carolina Panthers
Larry Birdine - Green Bay Packers
Randy Bass - Pro Baseball Player (Houston and Big in Japan)
Kelly Stinnett - St. Louis Cardinals
Antonio Perkins - Indianapolis Colts

An now we have the Oklahoma Calvary....About time.
The Calvary will play in the Great Plains Colisum. Granted it only holds about 2,500, but it can get loud in there during games.
The City is going to make some improvements to the facility to give it more comfort for the home team and visiting teams when they come.
A new arena is being planned that will finally replace the Colisum, but it will be a few years away from that happening.

I just want to welcome all teams, friends and family that come to Lawton for the games.

Can't wait for the Season to start!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[psbf]

to the boards, OKCAVS67!
I'm a season ticket holder and proud supporter of the Pittsburgh Xplosion and I look forward to seeing the Cavs when they visit here. I too am looking forward to the season in 4 months. I'm also eager to find out how the league looks as the season gets closer.
It's good to see that your team has a home. I think 2,500 is plenty for now. As word travels about the Cavs, the support will grow. That may even help Cameron University gain another football team for the stadium.

[heavesrock]

Kelly Stinnett! GET IN!

[OKCAVS67]

I do know that the Calvary shouldn't schedule any games for Friday nights. That is the High School football night and the stadium is usually full.

It was a sad day for Cameron when football was axed. It was only two years before that, that they won the NAIA National title against Carson Newman Tennessee. The next year the school moved up to NCAA Division II status.
Which everyone knows was better talent than NAIA. The team didn't win much and that gave the old President a way to axe the program.

Cameron took a step in the right direction a couple of years ago when they finally to the pres. of the school to retire. He is the one that got the football team axed. Hope is that within a couple years Camerson will get their football team back.


Oh yeah, forgot to add Koyie Hill, Chicago Cubs catcher, is also from Lawton.

Whats wrong with Kelly Stinnett?

[mzracing76]

is this the same Franchise with new ownership ?

the Oklahoma City Cavalry (1990-1997) was a team back in the 90s, that Shut Down as Inactive. I am just wondering if this is the Same team with a New Ownership Group?

and if so, this was a great team in the CBA in the 90s. they averaged 4000-5000 fans per game in Oklahoma City before they stopped play from 1997-2006.

MZ


1997-CBA CHAMPIONS: OKLAHOMA CITY CAVALRY

[rams80]

[quote=""mzracing76""]is this the same Franchise with new ownership ?

the Oklahoma City Cavalry (1990-1997) was a team back in the 90s, that Shut Down as Inactive. I am just wondering if this is the Same team with a New Ownership Group?

and if so, this was a great team in the CBA in the 90s. they averaged 4000-5000 fans per game in Oklahoma City before they stopped play from 1997-2006.

MZ


1997-CBA CHAMPIONS: OKLAHOMA CITY CAVALRY[/quote]

Given that a decade has passed, I'll say no. These teams are as related as the 2 NHL Ottawa Senators franchises are-they share a name and that's it.