The new OKC arena is called Continental Coliseum, named under a 15-year deal announced March 24, 2026 between the Thunder and Continental Resources. It's a roughly $1.028 billion building on the former Cox Convention Center block downtown, breaking ground March 26, 2026 and targeted to open in late summer 2028 for the 2028-29 season.
If you've been trying to sort out what "Continental Coliseum" actually is — a brand-new name that appeared in headlines overnight — here's the short version. It's the Oklahoma City Thunder's future home, replacing Paycom Center as the NBA arena. And the most practical thing to know right now: the Thunder keep playing at Paycom Center until the new building opens in 2028.
That matters because Thunder demand is at a franchise high. The team won the 2025 NBA championship — the first of the OKC era — and reached the 2026 Western Conference Finals before falling to San Antonio in Game 7. Every home game downtown is a lodging event now, and it will be for years before Continental Coliseum ever opens its doors.
Thunder home games run at Paycom Center through the 2027-28 season. On game and playoff nights, downtown hotel rates spike hard — and they book out earliest. Locking a whole-house stay a short drive away is the move for groups and multi-night trips.
What Continental Coliseum Is, in Plain English
Continental Coliseum is OKC's replacement NBA arena, and it will be about 30% larger than Paycom Center. Continental Resources — the Oklahoma-based energy company — bought the naming rights in a 15-year agreement, and the Thunder and city announced the name on March 24, 2026.
Groundbreaking followed almost immediately, on March 26, 2026. The stated target is to open in late summer 2028, in time for the 2028-29 Thunder season. Until then, nothing changes for fans day-to-day: games, concerts and events stay at Paycom Center.
The building rises on the former Myriad/Cox Convention Center block downtown, just north of Paycom Center across Reno Avenue. So the Thunder aren't leaving downtown — they're moving one block over into a bigger, newer venue.
What It Costs and Who Pays for It
The total price tag is approximately $1.028 billion, funded through three sources rather than one. This is the number OKC residents have been searching for, so here it is broken out.
| Source | Amount | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| One-cent OKC sales tax | $900M | A 72-month (six-year) temporary one-cent city sales tax |
| MAPS 4 | $78M | Existing voter-approved capital program funds |
| Thunder ownership | $50M | Contribution from the team's ownership group |
| Total | ~$1.028B | Combined public and private financing |
The bulk — $900 million — comes from a temporary one-cent city sales tax approved to run 72 months. MAPS 4 chips in $78 million, and Thunder ownership adds $50 million. The naming-rights deal with Continental Resources is separate from construction funding.
How the New Arena Compares to Paycom Center
Continental Coliseum grows from roughly 580,000 square feet to about 750,000 square feet — a jump of nearly 30% in floor space over Paycom Center. The design leans modern, with a 360-degree glass curtain wall wrapping the building.
| Feature | Paycom Center (current) | Continental Coliseum (2028) |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Operational through 2027-28 season | Opens late summer 2028 |
| Approx. size | ~580,000 sq ft | ~750,000 sq ft |
| Location | Downtown, south of Reno Ave | One block north, former Cox Convention Center site |
| Signature design | Conventional arena facade | 360-degree glass curtain wall |
| First Thunder season | — | 2028-29 |
The design team is MANICA Architecture with TVS, and the builders are Flintco and Mortenson. MANICA is known for large-scale sports venues, which signals the ambition here.
The Timeline: What Happens and When
The path from announcement to opening spans roughly two and a half years. Here's the sequence as confirmed so far.
- March 24, 2026 — Naming-rights deal announced; the arena becomes Continental Coliseum.
- March 26, 2026 — Official groundbreaking downtown.
- 2026-2028 — Construction underway; Thunder continue playing every home game at Paycom Center.
- Late summer 2028 — Targeted opening, ahead of the 2028-29 season.
- 2028-29 season — Thunder's first season in Continental Coliseum.
The single practical takeaway from this timeline: if you're coming to OKC for a Thunder game before the 2028-29 season, you're going to Paycom Center downtown — not the new building. Plan your lodging around downtown either way, because Continental Coliseum sits one block from Paycom Center.
What This Means If You're Coming to OKC for a Thunder Game
On game nights, downtown OKC lodging prices climb and inventory tightens — and that pressure is only growing as the Thunder stay in title contention. A downtown hotel room that's reasonable on a random Tuesday can jump sharply for a Saturday game or a playoff date.
For a solo traveler on a one-night trip, a downtown hotel near Paycom Center is often the simplest call — walk to the arena, done. But for a family, a group of friends, or anyone staying two or more nights, the math shifts fast. Two hotel rooms on a spiking game weekend can cost more than a whole furnished house 10 minutes out, where everyone sleeps under one roof with a kitchen and laundry.
BnB OKC runs 11 furnished homes across the metro — homes that sleep from 2 to 16+ — rated 4.8 stars across 1,247 verified guest reviews on Airbnb. Book direct and you save up to 35% on stays of 4+ nights versus the listing sites. Most of our homes sit a short drive from downtown, so you're close to Paycom Center tonight and to Continental Coliseum when it opens.
A hypothetical game-weekend cost example
Say six friends come in for a Friday-Sunday Thunder game weekend — two nights. On a spiking game weekend, three downtown hotel rooms at, say, $230/night would run about $1,380 for two nights (3 rooms × $230 × 2), before parking and dinners out.
A single furnished whole-house rental that sleeps six, booked direct in the $300-a-night ballpark for two nights, comes to about $600 — one kitchen, one driveway, one bill split six ways (roughly $100 per person for the stay). Numbers are illustrative; check live rates for your dates, but the pattern holds for groups: one house usually beats a block of rooms on a game weekend.
Coming in for a Thunder game or playoff weekend? Whole-house stays a short drive from downtown book out first on game nights — and cost less per person than a block of hotel rooms. Check availability and book direct.
Where to Stay for Downtown OKC Events
Because Continental Coliseum sits one block from Paycom Center, any lodging strategy that works for one works for the other. Here's how the main options compare for a downtown game or event trip.
| Option | Best for | Watch-out |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown hotel | 1 night, solo or couple, want to walk to the arena | Rates spike on game/playoff nights; multiple rooms add up |
| Extended-stay hotel | Longer solo trips needing a kitchenette | Still per-room; limited space for groups |
| Furnished whole-house rental | Families and groups, 2+ nights, one kitchen & driveway | Short drive vs. a downtown walk |
For bigger crews, our large-group rentals in OKC put everyone in one place, and several homes are dog-friendly. Staying a week or more? Extended-stay options carry monthly rates on 30+ night stays.
How to Lock a Thunder Game-Night Stay, Step by Step
- Confirm your game date — check the Thunder schedule and note whether it's a weekend or playoff night, when rates run highest.
- Count your group — a couple can do a hotel room; four or more usually saves with one whole house.
- Book early — game-night inventory downtown and nearby tightens first; the earlier you lock dates, the better the rate.
- Book direct to save — reserve at bnbokc.com for up to 35% off on 4+ night stays versus the listing sites.
- Plan your route — from a metro home, downtown Paycom Center (and future Continental Coliseum) is roughly a 10-minute drive.
If you're weighing a hotel block against a house for a group, compare direct rates for your exact dates before you commit.
When a Hotel Is Genuinely the Better Call
If you're a solo traveler or a couple in town for a single game night and you want to walk to the arena and back, a downtown hotel is the honest right answer — you're paying for one room, one night, steps from the door. Points-loyalty travelers chasing status nights are in the same boat.
Where a furnished home changes the outcome is groups, families with kids, pet owners, and anyone staying two or more nights. Once you'd need two or more hotel rooms, one house with a kitchen and laundry usually costs less per person and keeps everyone together — and it works the same whether the game's at Paycom Center now or Continental Coliseum in 2028.
Planning around other OKC dates matters too. If your trip overlaps the Route 66 Centennial in OKC or a big downtown event, book even earlier — demand stacks. And if you're a host or considering listing, our guides on OKC short-term rental rules and the OKC Airbnb enforcement crackdown cover the current landscape.
Terms You'll Hear, Decoded
- Naming rights — a company pays to put its name on a venue; here Continental Resources for 15 years, hence "Continental Coliseum."
- MAPS 4 — OKC's voter-approved capital-improvements program funded by a temporary sales tax; it contributes $78M to the arena.
- One-cent sales tax — a temporary penny-on-the-dollar city sales tax, here running 72 months to fund $900M of construction.
- Curtain wall — a non-structural exterior building skin; Continental Coliseum's is a 360-degree glass wrap.
- Book direct — reserving straight with the operator instead of a listing site, which is how you unlock our up-to-35% savings on 4+ nights.