USL News Release
Thursday, February 14, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. – The Premier Development League is pleased to announce the addition of Oklahoma City FC for the 2013 season. Oklahoma City FC is owned by metro-area residents Sean Jones, Donna Clark and Tim McLaughlin. Sold Out Strategies, led by former Oklahoma City Blazers pro hockey executives Brad Lund and DeBray Ayala, will serve as the managing partner. 
“Oklahoma City has traditionally supported its minor and major league sports franchises like no other city in the country,” Oklahoma City FC managing partner DeBray Ayala said. “PDL will be the highest level of soccer played on a regular basis in the metro area in more than 15 years.”
Oklahoma City will compete in the Southern Conference’s Mid South Division featuring five opponents from Texas – the Austin Aztex, El Paso Patriots, Laredo Heat, Texas Dutch Lions, and West Texas Sockers. Oklahoma City FC will play its inaugural season between the months of May-August at Stars Field on the campus of Oklahoma City University and will open at home on May 11 versus the Austin Aztex.
“We welcome Oklahoma City FC to the PDL and look forward to having them compete in one of the league’s strongest divisions starting with the 2013 season,” USL President Tim Holt said. “With such a strong and stable ownership group and experienced executive leadership, we expect Oklahoma City FC to thrive in a market with unlimited potential.”
The PDL has been the destination league for young college players to continue their development toward the professional ranks, with clubs from across North America not only competing for a championship each summer, but also providing the opportunity for top-level competition for the best players in the college ranks.
More than 150 former PDL players have been selected in the MLS SuperDraft in the past five seasons, including each of the past two No. 1 picks – Andrew Wenger (Carolina Dynamo) in 2012, and Andrew Farrell (River City Rovers) in 2013. One player from the 2012 PDL season, Kekuta Manneh, earned a Generation adidas contract from MLS, given to a handful of underclassmen each season, without stepping onto a college campus in part thanks to his standout play for the Austin Aztex. The 18-year-old was then selected with the No. 4 pick of this year’s SuperDraft by the Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
In addition to the MLS SuperDraft, a number of former PDL alumni have also been signed to Home Grown Player contracts by MLS clubs, with those such as the Los Angeles Galaxy’s Gyasi Zardes (Ventura County Fusion), New England Revolution’s Scott Caldwell (Michigan Bucks), FC Dallas’ London Woodberry (Baltimore Bohemians) and the Seattle Sounders FC’s DeAndre Yedlin (Sounders FC U23) all continuing their development in the PDL after leaving their MLS club’s academy to play college soccer.
Complete schedules, tryout information, team nickname, and the coaching staff for Oklahoma City FC will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information contact SOS at 405.232.7223 or go to www.oklahomacityfc.com.