OKC's continued economic impact from the Women's College World Series

As featured in the Journal Record.

Batter up, Oklahoma City! The 2025 NCAA Softball Women's College World Series (WCWS) kicks off at the end of this week in OKC's Adventure District. Starting Thursday, May 28, through June 5 or 6, Devon Park will host the top collegiate teams and their fans from across the country to compete for the championship title.

With thousands of visiting fans staying at hotels downtown, buying merchandise, and patronizing local restaurants and bars throughout the series, the World Series is a healthy yearly jolt to OKC's economy. On average, this tournament generates an estimated $25 million annually for the OKC economy.

With funding from the 2017 GO Bond, Devon Park expanded seating from 9,000 to 13,000, as well as underwent major improvements to the dugouts and media spaces to support hosting the series. Because of that expansion, the 2024 World Series broke the record for single-game attendance with over 12,500 fans watching at Devon Park, and OKC can expect to see similar attendance at this year's series.

If that wasn't enough to be excited about, this year, the University of Oklahoma Softball team is attempting to reach a historic 5-peat championship title. So get out there and cheer on our Sooners!

Read the rest of the column in the Journal Record.

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