What we know about Oklahoma City's new arena

Renderings for the new $900 million downtown Oklahoma City arena, which will host the Oklahoma City Thunder and events of all types, were unveiled Wednesday at the State of the City address hosted by OKC Mayor David Holt.

Oklahoma City New Arena breakdown

MORE: Oklahoma City's new Arena plans revealed Wednesday

1. The announcement comes with an official opening window late summer 2028, with initial project groundbreaking beginning in the first quarter of 2026.
2. The New Arena footprint will be expanded to over 750,000 square feet, which includes an outside garden area to complement as an aesthetic extension of the Myriad Gardens. The current Paycom Arena is the smallest arena in the nation by square footage.
3. As the New Arena is still in its initial stages, the seating capacity has not yet been announced, but it is currently being developed for both Thunder games and concerts in mind.
4. Mayor Holt suggested the capacity will hover close to 17,000. With the current Paycom Arena seating over 18,000, this confirms the arena will likely have less seating.
5. In 2024, MANICA Architecture was selected as the official designers of the new arena, with TVS serving as the architect of record.
6. Hosting successful arena concerts and entertainment events can be determined by rigging capacity, ease of access for load-in and out, and comfort of backstage and house areas, which will all be upgraded in the New Arena.
7. The upgrades will also include a retractable scoreboard, luxury green rooms, crew rooms and many standardized requirements production companies need to smoothly execute and deliver world-class events efficiently.
8. Studies were conducted on foot traffic and the potential flow of massive crowds that will be entering the future New Arena. Northwest and Southwest entrances have been confirmed, which will be facing the Myriad Gardens along Ron Norick Boulevard.
9. The current Paycom Center stands on city-owned property, so the Oklahoma City Council has approved allowing the Thunder the option to purchase the land for potential future development.

LATEST: Paycom wants a shot at developing current arena site; Thunder holds first rights

Paycom has said it will retire its naming rights when the new arena opens in 2028.

Oklahoma City Mayor Holt describes vision of new arena

Mayor Holt said the new arena is an ambitious project that will toe the line between classic and cutting-edge, and will stand as a future Oklahoma icon.

RELATED: Oklahoma City State of the City 2025

The goal with its design is to have the arena not feel dated, and provide amenities for world-class events, as well as providing upgrades to the infrastructure and facilities for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Thunder Season Ticket Member details

Current Thunder Season Ticket Members will be informed on seat selection and details sometime in 2026, according to the announcement.

Every full and half-season account will be sent an invitation to make an appointment at the New Arena Preview Center based on their Thunder Priority Points.

The point system has been tracking season ticket holder activity and tenure since 2008, and the Thunder organization has used this system to prioritize season ticket account appointments for the Thunder Relocation and Upgrade Event (TRUE).

The Thunder Priority Points system will be preserved and used to determine each account's priority in OKC's new arena. Priority points for Quarter-Season Ticket Members will launch for the first time during the 2025-26 season.

Once this process gets underway, city officials expect the seat relocation process for the new arena will last approximately 18 months.

MORE:

1. Oklahoma City Voters Approve Taxpayer Dollars To Fund New Arena, Keep OKC Thunder 
2. Oklahoma City Council passes new Thunder arena agreements 
3. Thunder lock in long-term future in Oklahoma City with new arena agreement 
4. Oklahoma City Council Approves Arena Development Plan In 7-2 Vote 
5. Oklahoma City New Arena website goes live