Former OU and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams have joined the investor group for OKC For Soccer, the United Soccer League announced Thursday.
The additions bring more star power to the ownership group behind Oklahoma City’s new professional soccer club, which is set to launch in the USL Championship in 2028.
Mayfield, a Heisman Trophy winner at OU, becomes the second former Sooner in the group, joining Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto.
The USL is a second-tier American soccer league that is a competitor with the MLS’s Next Pro league. Notably, OKC previously had a USL team, OKC Energy FC, but the new club will be a new brand, not a revival of the city’s original team.
The club will play at the Metropolitan Area Projects Pan’s Multipurpose Stadium, part of the MAPS 4 plan, which broke ground in early June and is scheduled to open in 2028. The venue will seat just over 10,000 and is expected to host soccer, concerts and other major events.
Mayfield and Williams join a growing roster of athlete investors that already includes former Thunder guard Russell Westbrook and former professional soccer player Jozy Altidore, along with cultural entrepreneur Nick Gross and the Chickasaw Nation. Echo Investment Capital wrote in a press release that the group is part of its Connective Capital model, which is designed to unite athletes, operators and community leaders around long-term development in Oklahoma City.
“This is a defining moment for Oklahoma City,” Echo Investment Capital CEO Christian Kanady wrote in the release. “We have always believed sports can be a catalyst for community and economic growth, and to have athletes of this caliber put their names and capital behind that vision is extraordinary. … Together with Russell and Jozy, this investor roster reflects a level of conviction in Oklahoma City’s future you rarely see assembled around a single project.”
Williams, who helped lead the Thunder to the franchise’s first NBA title in 2025, added that the investment helps him have an impact on the city outside of basketball.
“Oklahoma City has given me so much, and being part of this investment is a chance to give something back beyond what I do on the court,” Williams said. “The Thunder organization, the fans and the entire community here show up for each other in a way that is rare in pro sports. Helping bring a soccer club and stadium district to life is exactly the kind of long-term impact I want to have in Oklahoma City.”
Mayfield noted the project reflects both his Oklahoma roots and the state’s passion for sports.
“Oklahoma made me who I am, as a player and as a person,” Mayfield said. “The state shows up for its teams, and that energy is going to translate to professional soccer. To partner with Christian and this group of exceptional athletes on a project rooted to grow Oklahoma City is something I’m genuinely proud of.”
The club’s name, colors and branding will be unveiled later this year.
Joshua McDaniel edited this article
