Paycom Center new name for downtown arena, renovations could start soon

In this artist’s rendering, Oklahoma City’s downtown arena bears its new name – Paycom Center. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Paycom recently announced the naming rights agreement. (Photo courtesy Oklahoma City Thunder)

Downtown Oklahoma City will be even greener in the near future as the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder and Paycom recently announced a 15-year partnership agreement that will give the Oklahoma City company exclusive naming rights to the downtown arena. The arena will now be known as Paycom Center.

The naming rights agreement will take effect immediately with exterior signage featuring Paycom’s green logo to be completed by the time the Thunder takes the court for its first home game of the 2021-22 NBA season.

In a joint news release announcing the partnership, Oklahoma City Thunder Chairman Clay Bennett, who also serves on the board of directors for the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, said the Thunder organization is proud to enhance their relationship with Paycom.

“The Thunder shares Paycom’s always-onward vision, grit and relentless pursuit of excellence, combined with a passion for impacting our community. Together, we are committed to working hand in hand to create the best for our fans and city. On behalf of our ownership group and the entire Thunder organization, we look forward to presenting our new arena partner, Paycom, to the NBA global audience,” Bennett said.

Paycom, a long-time Chamber member, is a leader in payroll and human resources technology, and employs more than 4,000 people locally.

Paycom founder and CEO Chad Richison stated, “Oklahoma City is home to thousands of our employees, and I am happy that Paycom Center will be the home of the Thunder. We are committed to our community and remain focused on the future as we support the home team.”

Brian Byrnes, the Thunder’s senior vice president for sales and marketing, said the fact that Paycom is a local company with similar values was important for the Thunder organization as they looked for a new naming partner.

“Paycom has a great vision for the future and wants to continue impacting Oklahoma City and be an influence on how the city grows. And we think the same way,” Byrnes said. “To bring these two brands together is exciting, and it has been thrilling to work through this process knowing that when we reopen Paycom Center in the fall for the NBA and the Thunder, we can bring our fans back, fill our building and get back to the energy and excitement that brings us all together. We are excited we can do all of that with Paycom as a partner.”

Byrnes said the 15-year partnership agreement speaks volumes to the confidence that Paycom has in the Thunder to deliver value over a long period of time. On the flip side, it also gives the Thunder confidence that they have a partner that will be with them throughout the next chapter of the team’s history.

“I know there is a high degree of trust and confidence between the two partners to continue to elevate Oklahoma City and to have it be a place where people are proud to live, work and play. I think that longevity is at the heart of what makes this such a great partnership for us,” Byrnes said.

That longevity will no doubt involve future renovations to improve the fan experience, which were approved by Oklahoma City voters in 2019 as part of MAPS 4. Working with a budget of $115 million, the city will make improvements to various areas throughout the facility over the next several years, including a new food court; an expanded south entrance; upgrades throughout Loud City; locker room and technology upgrades, including a new scoreboard; and replacing seats on all levels within the bowl area. Some renovations could begin soon once the City Council approves the implementation plan.

This story originally appeared in the August 2021 edition of the VeloCity newsletter.