OKC Wranglers Inaugural Season Starts In April

Football followers within the state can stay up for including one other workforce to cheer for in Oklahoma City. 

Some new bulletins had been made Wednesday in regards to the Oklahoma City Wranglers.

The Wranglers are a part of the United Football League (UFL) and will probably be enjoying a spring season from April by way of July. The non permanent stadium will probably be outdoors Crossroads Mall, and the primary sport of the season kicks off on April 1.

This is the primary UFL workforce in Oklahoma. Their head coach stated they’re hoping the Wranglers will proceed the excessive commonplace for soccer within the state. 

The new head coach of the workforce will probably be J.D. Runnels, a member of the OU soccer workforce within the early 2000s, who went on to play within the NFL and UFL. 

Runnels then went on to educate within the UFL for his or her workforce in Houston and most just lately was again in Oklahoma, teaching the UCO Bronchos.

“I performed 23 years of soccer, and essentially the most enjoyable I ever had was within the UFL,” Runnels said.

Runnels said as they work to fill the roster and coaching staff, they’re looking at local talent right off the bat.

“We will find the best talent around here locally, around Texas, around Kansas and then guys nationally who just wanna play the game of football,” Runnels stated.

He stated he needs to have a look at gamers from OU, OSU, Tulsa and different schools throughout the state. 

“Some of the gamers I’ve been involved with are actual deal and so they’re actually good soccer gamers who did not make the NFL, the XFL, USFL, and I’m gonna shine the sunshine on these guys,” Runnels said.

He said he knows the rules and game are different from what most people are used to with college and NFL, but he hopes people will embrace the new team.

“I’m just excited. I know a lot of people may think ‘Oh it’s 8 man’ ‘Oh it’s this, it’s that’- Give it a chance, just give it a chance,” Runnels stated.

The UFL is made up of 14 groups. The sport is performed with eight gamers as a substitute of 11 and has barely totally different guidelines than different leagues.

The commissioner of UFL, Joe McClendon, additionally traveled to OKC Wednesday to attend the news convention. He stated he has excessive hopes for the UFL in Oklahoma.

“We know that is soccer nation, we all know there’s an awesome alternative for sports activities leisure for residents right here in Oklahoma City,” McClendon said.

He said he wants this team to become a staple in OKC and hopes that it stays here for the long run. “I want our teams to be long standing, committing franchises to the communities that they are in,” McClendon stated.

To study extra in regards to the OKC Wranglers, see their schedule or purchase tickets, click here.