Tulsa Newest Professional Team

By: J.L. Calderwood 

The city of Tulsa is welcoming their newest professional team. The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) has expanded its league in 2013 and Tulsa will have a team this year.

The Tulsa Athletics is now just one of 61 amateur and professional teams that will make up the NPSL. Their first game will be on May 18 when they play host to the Liverpool Warriors at old Drillers Stadium.

This will be Tulsa’s first professional game to be played at old Drillers Stadium since the Roughnecks called Tulsa home. Their last game was played on July 13, 1985. 

Co-owners Sonny Dalegandro and Dr. Tommy Kern goal is to generate a lot of public interest in soccer so that Major League Soccer (MLS) has no choice but to bring a professional team to Tulsa.

What is something unique about the NPSL is that not only professional will be able to play in the league but those that are in high school and college are able to be on teams as well. This is one of the only professional leagues that will allow high school or college aged kids to play with the professionals and still remain eligible for their school teams.