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Oklahoma will always dwarf the fanbase of its college softball opponent at the Women’s College World Series. Just ask Tennessee.
The Volunteers, through head coach Karen Weekly, reignited a contentious debate about the postseason tournament’s location after their loss to the Sooners in the first round.
Oklahoma City is considered to be the softball capital of the world. The capital city of Oklahoma has served as the administrative center of softball for nearly 100 years. The Women’s College World Series is held annually at Devon Park (Hall of Fame Stadium) every June for 35 years, with the exception of 1996. It seats 13,000 fans on the site of the USA Softball complex.
All of this goes to say that there was women’s softball history in Oklahoma City long before the college softball tournament arrived to town in 1990. In fact, there was women’s softball history in Oklahoma City before the NCAA sponsored softball as an official sport.
However, the location has become a major advantage for the University of Oklahoma in recent years. The Sooners reached the Women’s College World Series in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. They won a national championship in 2000, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Oklahoma will always have a major home-field advantage at the Women’s College World Series by nature of its location. We’re talking about a ratio of like 9:1. Just for example, look at the colors behind the plate:
The Sooners play in front of a home crowd, literally. Norman is just up the road.
Thus, Oklahoma’s opponents are already at a disadvantage as soon as they step onto the field. They have 10,000+ fans against them. Tennessee’s head coach made sure to emphasize the uphill battle during her postgame press conference on Thursday. The Vols lost to the Sooners in walk-off fashion.
“You also have 9,900 people on your side”: Tennessee coach Karen Weekly on pro-OU crowd after WCWS loss #Sooners pic.twitter.com/rSXBk9W3e8
— OU Daily Sports (@OUDailySports) May 30, 2025
For what it’s worth, I don’t think Weekly is being a sore loser. I don’t think she is blaming the loss on the crowd. That would take away from Oklahoma. Rather, she is pointing out the reality. The Sooners get to play a home game at the national championship.
Is that fair? I don’t know. Is it time to move the location? I don’t think so. Oklahoma still has to win. A crowd can only take a team so far. But with that being said, the Sooners absolutely get an easier path to the championship by nature of its support. All of those things can be true at once!