Tulsa Athletic

Tulsa Athletic is an American soccer team and are based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. 2013 was their inaugural season in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), which is a national league at the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid. They compete in the NPSL's Heartland Conference. The team maintains amateur status under NPSL rules, allowing college players to participate without losing their collegiate eligibility. The club currently plays at Veterans Park after making the move in 2018, having previously played at LaFortune Stadium in 2017 and Drillers Stadium, the former home of the Tulsa Drillers baseball team.[1][2][3]

Tulsa Athletic
Full nameTulsa Athletic
Nickname(s)The A's
Founded2013 (2013)
StadiumAthletic Community Field at Hicks Park
OwnersSonny Dalesandro
Thomas J. Kern
Head coachLevi Coleman
LeagueNational Premier Soccer League
2021NPSL National Runner Up
WebsiteClub website

Crest and colors

The green that Athletic wears is symbolic of "green country", the moniker given to the area of Oklahoma where Tulsa sits. The gold in the pinstripes that appear on the home kit (and are the dominant color of the away kit) represents trophies, championships, and victory. The crest is a pink shield featuring a unicorn facing a lion surrounding a soccer ball, symbolizing both strength and magic. The pink color of the crest is designed to illustrate the heart. The badge's location over the heart on the jersey signifies that all who wear the crest (players and fans alike) share the same heart.

Support

A supporters group associated with Tulsa Athletic are the Athletics Armory, who congregate behind the south goal at home matches.

Fans have given the team several unofficial nicknames, including "the A's" and "The Foxes", named after 'Lester', a lone fox who resides in the team's stadium.

Rivalries

In 2014 Oklahoma City FC left PDL to join the NPSL, which created an in-state rivalry. The two clubs separated by just 100 miles played in the OK Derby.

The inaugural Red River Cup was contested in May 2014. Four clubs (Fort Worth Vaqueros, Liverpool Warriors, Oklahoma City FC) met in a two-day tournament hosted by Tulsa, who won the title over Oklahoma City FC.[4]

Oklahoma City 1889 FC joined the NPSL in 2021 which resulted in another in-state rivalry, with supporters choosing the name “The War for I-44.”

Year-by-year
Year Division League Regular Season Playoffs Open Cup
2013 4 NPSL 1st, South Central South Region Semifinal Did not qualify
2014 4 NPSL 1st, South Central South Region Final 2nd Round
2015 4 NPSL 3rd, South Central Did not qualify 1st Round
2016 4 NPSL 1st, South Central South Central Conference Final Did not qualify
2017 4 NPSL 2nd, Heartland Heartland Conference Final 1st Round
2018 4 NPSL 3rd, Heartland Heartland Conference Semifinal Did not qualify
2019 4 NPSL 1st, Heartland South Region Final Did not qualify
2020 4 UPSL 1st, Central-North Central Region Semifinal Not played
2021 4 NPSL 2nd, Heartland NPSL National Championship Runner Up Not played

Honors
  • 2013 South-Central Conference Champions
  • 2014 South-Central Conference Champions
  • 2014 South Region Runners-up
  • 2014 Red River Cup Champions
  • 2019 Heartland Conference Champions
  • 2019 South Region Runners-up
  • 2021 NPSL National Championship Runner Up
  • 2021 South Region Champions
  • 2021 Heartland Conference Champions

References
  1. Ferguson, John D. (April 5, 2013). "Tulsa's new pro soccer team to play at Drillers Stadium". Tulsa World.
  2. Bewley, Dan (April 4, 2013). "National Premiere League Soccer Coming To Tulsa's Old Drillers Stadium". KOTV-DT.
  3. "Soccer: Tulsa Athletic release schedule". Tulsa World. Tulsa, OK: World Publishing Company. February 12, 2014. Retrieved February 14, 2014.
  4. "Athletics Win the First Annual Red River Cup". Tulsa Athletics. 5 May 2014.
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