Welcome home, softball fans.

The well-known quote from the 1989 motion picture Field of Dreams says, “If you build it, he will come.” They built it, and today people are still coming from all over the United States, Canada, and even the world; they come to Oklahoma City for several days of the best college softball action in the country. 

As more fans continue to attend the Women’s College World Series annually, the facility at which it is held is constantly pushed to its maximum occupancy. It is a great problem to have, and one event organizers have addressed once and continue to monitor, evaluating all options as they move forward closely.

The Amateur Softball Association complex sits on nearly 42 acres of land and houses the organization’s headquarters, the National Softball Hall of Fame and Museum, and four fields. The complex is the site for not only the Women’s College World Series but several high-profile slow- and fast-pitch softball events each year. The organization moved to Oklahoma City in the early 1980s after being based in Newark, N.J.

The Oklahoma City All Sports Association, the ASA, and the University of Oklahoma first brought the Women’s College World Series to Oklahoma City in 1990. The tournament has had a permanent home almost every year since. The only year during that span when the tournament wasn’t held at Hall of Fame Stadium was 1996 when the site was moved to Columbus, Georgia, the softball site for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. This season marks the 20th anniversary of the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City. 

“It’s such a smooth operation now,” said Mark Loehrs, the ASA’s chief financial officer. “The University of Oklahoma, the All Sports Association, the ASA, and the city have worked together and have a lot invested in the event. Without each organization’s volunteers and using the available resources, the Women’s College World Series wouldn’t happen. It takes everyone.”

The original stadium field opened in 1987 and featured permanent seating for 2,046. The main stadium field also featured a press box and VIP room. The entire complex sat on just 19 acres of land. The facility’s land is owned by the City of Oklahoma City and the Oklahoma City Zoological Trust. The ASA leases the land from the city, and, as a result, the city can invest in the land since it owns the property.

“All of the land is owned by Oklahoma City or the Zoo Trust,” Loehrs said. “As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, the ASA is the caretaker of the facility, and we provide the maintenance. It’s a tremendous investment for us. We put $2.5 million of our own money into the renovations, and if we ever left Oklahoma City, we can’t take it with us since we don’t own the land. We’re invested in the city and committed to remaining here for years to come.”

The first year of the stadium saw just fewer than 9,000 fans attend events there. Today, more than 60,000 people walk through the gates annually just for the Women’s College World Series. The permanent seating area holds more than 5,000 seats. Longtime fans and media members familiar with Hall of Fame Stadium know the transformation is remarkable. 

Organizers of the tournament, including Oklahoma City All Sports Association Executive Director Tim Brassfield, know the increased attendance is a positive sign of the event’s outreach. The goal is to continue to bring those fans from out of state to the state of Oklahoma to bring in more fans.

“The attendance at the Women’s College World Series continues to increase,” Brassfield said. “With the construction renovation completed in 2003, the number of permanent seats increased by 3,000. It only took us three years to sell that out. We’re bringing in 3,000 additional seats in the outfield, and it’s still filled.

“Eighty-seven percent of the people who attend the Women’s College World Series are from out of state. Oklahoma City has become the destination for college softball much like Omaha has for baseball’s College World Series,” Brassfield added. “We believe that a consistent growth for the event resets in our local community. We want the people who live here to attend this event, especially the championship series.”

While the need for more space has grown, Hall of Fame Stadium’s neighbors continue to support the facility. The area where the stadium is located, along the Interstate 35 and Interstate 44 crossing, is known as the Adventure District.

Thanks to the efforts of the late Stanley Draper, Jr., former executive director of the Oklahoma City All Sports Association, and others, the dream of creating a softball haven became a reality. In October 2000, the citizens of Oklahoma City passed a bond issue allocating funds for a complete facelift of the Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Complex.

Not only have coaches, organizers, and participants noticed the changes in the facility, so have the fans. Shelley Prather of El Paso, Texas, has been attending the Women’s College World Series since 1999. While the event has become an annual reunion for her family, it started as a graduation gift for her niece, and she continues to come back year after year.

“The expansion has made it possible for more fans to enjoy this great event,” Prather said. “The parking lot expansion has been a bonus. Oklahoma City is such a great host for this event because of the venue and the city’s central location, and friendly residents. I have made friends with a few residents and look forward to visiting annually.”

Renovations began in July 2002, and among the changes were 519 additional parking spaces and the construction of a new Hall of Fame Plaza and Sports Festival Esplanade. Today, the 300-foot long, 40-foot wide Esplanade is full of vendor tents and Fan Fest activities during the Women’s College World Series and other large tournaments. 

In addition to the changes outside the fences, changes were made inside. An additional 3,000 permanent seats were added along the first and third base sides to increase stadium capacity to 5,000. New bathrooms were added, along with a new upper concourse connecting the north fields with the concessions and restrooms. 

The first phase of the renovation was complete in May 2003, with the second phase beginning shortly after. Two new fields with lighting and covered concrete stadium seating were constructed west of the existing complex during the next stage. Permanent seating was also added to the north field.

“It’s been amazing to see the changes that have happened at the stadium during the past decade,” said Jenni Carlson, a columnist from The Daily Oklahoman who has covered the event for the past several years. “I remember the days of the grass berms, and while it was sad to see those areas replaced by permanent seating, it was needed progress. The continued improvement to seating, parking, team areas, and so many other facets of the park has been crucial for the teams participating and the fans enjoying the games. Is it the perfect finished product? I don’t think anyone would say that. But the combination of the facility, the fans, and the organizers makes Hall of Fame Stadium the perfect home for the Women’s College World Series. The NCAA could look high and low and not find a better fit.”

The addition of the fields benefits the larger tournaments held at the site. There is adequate seating and electronic scoreboards located at each. They also provide Women’s College World Series teams with a quality practice area.

In all, the expansion cost about $5 million, with $3.5 million coming as a result of the initial bond issue passed in 2000. The remaining $1.5 million was approved by the ASA board of directors to add the new fields.

“We embarked on the expansion to add more seats, additional parking spaces, and two additional fields,” ASA Executive Director Ron Radigonda added. “The upgrade was dramatic. It turned into a positive situation for us. The additional fields turn into practice fields for the Women’s College World Series and allow us to host larger events here. By bringing those events here, we feel we’re returning the investment on the facility.”

The old scoreboard was replaced in 2008. The new board is more energy-efficient and uses an LED lighting system to show high-quality videos, photos, and other images. The board also can be segmented into different areas for a variety of uses.

“The new, larger scoreboard lends a high-quality professional perspective to the events, both national and international,” said Rayburn Hesse from SPY Softball. “Not only are players identified, but replays on the larger screen are valued by the media and public, as well as the teams. I’ve been to almost every park in the country, and the scoreboard operation at Hall of Fam is one of the best.”

The stadium personnel also added a television booth, showing just how much the sport has grown. The Women’s College World Series is among the annual events to air on ESPN. The network also televises numerous college games throughout the season and World Cup action in the summer. 

Among the newest additions is a meeting facility located behind the stadium field. The facility is set to be completed later this summer and features team rooms, umpire rooms, and restrooms. It will accommodate team meetings and serve as a base for many umpires on hand during numerous events at the facility. Another bond issue funded the facility, again passed by the citizens of Oklahoma City.

Organizers continue to see an increase in attendance each year in Oklahoma City. When evaluating plans for the future, everyone agrees additional permanent seating is high on the list.

“There is a great conversation going on between all of the local organizations involved with trying to replicate what was done in Omaha,” Radigonda added. “We’d love to keep the event here. We have a plan in place to add more permanent seating in the current facility. We had to turn people away during the Friday night session last year because the fire marshal wouldn’t allow more people. We recognize that and see our numbers continue to grow and need to improve with that.”

In addition to permanent seating, additional plans include upgrading the media facilities and adding bathrooms in the dugouts. 

“We certainly hope this event is here in the future,” Brassfield added. “We have plans to expand the stadium to somewhere between 9,000-12,000 seats. The event can grow and be successful here.”

As the sport’s popularity grows, so does the number of events being held at the complex. As a result, the ASA continues to evaluate the needs of the facility.

“We have seen an increase in youth fastpitch teams,” said Chris Sebren of the ASA. “The exposure we get on national television during the Women’s College World Series is more than 50 hours. Seeing competition at that level encourages young girls to play the sport. There are more opportunities out there for young ladies now, and we as an organization realize the need to provide a venue that’s growing as the sport does.”

With a strong commitment from the organizing parties and the citizens of Oklahoma City, it’s evident all are willing to do whatever it takes to make Hall of Fam Stadium the ultimate road trip stop for college sports fans worldwide.

“Our active sporting events show a community moving forward,” Brassfield added. “We are continuing to grow, not only with our NBA team, but we continue to bring in various Big 12 events, the All-College Classic, and the Women’s College World Series. We’re planning on bidding on future NCAA events. The economic impact of these events can be off the charts. There is energy in Oklahoma City. It’s an exciting place to live, work, and visit.”

And organizers hope Hall of Fan Stadium continues to grow as the sport does.

After all, there is no place like home.