Oklahoma City University to house Olympic athletes during 2028 Games

More than 170 Olympic athletes will call Oklahoma City University home for two weeks as Oklahoma City stages the canoe slalom and softball competitions during the 2028 Summer Olympics. 

“We look forward to creating the best Olympic Games experience possible for the athletes, right here in Oklahoma City,” said Michael Byrnes, president of Team OKC. 

Oklahoma City will stage the full slate of canoe slalom and softball events, with competitions taking place at RIVERSPORT Rapids and Devon Park. 

Because those events are taking place outside of Los Angeles, athletes competing in Oklahoma City will live and train locally rather than in the main Olympic Village. Oklahoma City University will serve as home base, housing athletes and team officials throughout their time in competition. 

The satellite village model has become a standard part of Olympic planning for events held outside the host city, with recent Games using similar setups to support athletes while maintaining Olympic-level services and security. 

OCU’s selection also reflects its ties to both sports. The university’s Devon Boathouse helped anchor early investment in the Boathouse District and now serves as a high-performance training site, while its softball program has built one of the most successful resumes in NAIA history with 11 national championships. 

OCU President Kenneth Evans called the selection “a historic moment” for the university and the city as it prepares to welcome athletes from around the world. 

Canoe slalom competition is scheduled for July 14–22, 2028, followed by the softball tournament from July 23–29.