Oklahoma City broke ground on Continental Coliseum, the new OKC Thunder arena, on March 26, 2026. The $900 million downtown building is projected to open in mid-2028 for the 2028-29 season. Until then, the Thunder keep playing at Paycom Center, directly across the street from the construction site.
Key Takeaways
- Oklahoma City broke ground on Continental Coliseum, the new $900 million Thunder arena, on March 26, 2026.
- The arena is projected to open in mid-2028 for the 2028-29 season, and the Thunder keep playing at Paycom Center until then.
- The new arena is going up directly across from Paycom Center, so downtown lodging near today's arena stays near the new one.
- OKC voters approved the new arena on December 12, 2023, with 71% approval, and a one-cent special sales tax funds most of it.
This guide covers what's confirmed about Continental Coliseum, how it's funded, when it opens, and where Thunder fans can stay downtown when Paycom Center is packed.
Planning a game trip? The arena you'll walk into for the next two seasons is still Paycom Center. Continental Coliseum is the future home rising across the street, and it won't host a game until 2028.
Either way you're headed to the same downtown blocks, and downtown hotel rates spike hard on game weekends.
Downtown hotel prices climb as game day approaches, and playoff weekends sell out early. Booking a furnished home well ahead of your dates is the reliable way to avoid surge pricing near the arena.
What Is Continental Coliseum?
It's the name of the Thunder's new downtown arena, confirmed when Continental Resources purchased the naming rights on March 24, 2026, in a 15-year partnership. Two days later, on March 26, 2026, the city held the official groundbreaking.
OKC voters approved the arena on December 12, 2023, with 71% approval. It will replace Paycom Center as the Thunder's home once it opens.
MANICA Architecture was selected as designer on October 22, 2024, and the contractor team of Mortenson and Flintco was chosen on March 11, 2025. According to Visit OKC, the building will span more than 750,000 square feet with a 360-degree glass curtain wall, an elevated main entrance and a "Thunder Alley" fan zone.
The Thunder's history in its current downtown home:
The Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA) has called Oklahoma City home since the 2008–09 season , when owner Clay Bennett relocated the franchise from Seattle , Washington.
Wikipedia: Oklahoma City
Where Is the New Thunder Arena Being Built?
On the former Cox Convention Center and Prairie Surf Studios block in downtown OKC, directly across from Paycom Center. The current arena and the future one sit on the same downtown footprint, steps from Bricktown.
So a place within walking distance of Paycom Center today will be within walking distance of Continental Coliseum in 2028. Your lodging math stays the same when the Thunder move across the street.
How Is the $900 Million Arena Funded?
The cost is split across three sources, none of which raises your ticket price directly. Here's the breakdown from the city and the project's public records.
| Source | Amount |
|---|---|
| 72-month one-cent special sales tax | Minimum $772 million |
| MAPS 4 | $78 million |
| Thunder ownership entity (PBCS&E) | $50 million |
| Total project cost | ~$900 million |
Most of it comes from the one-cent special sales tax voters approved, which runs for 72 months. MAPS 4 and the ownership group's investment cover the rest.
When Will Continental Coliseum Open?
The arena went from ballot to groundbreaking in a little over two years, and it's tracking toward a 2028 opening.
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| Dec 12, 2023 | OKC voters approve the arena (71% approval) |
| Oct 22, 2024 | MANICA Architecture selected as designer |
| Mar 11, 2025 | Mortenson & Flintco selected as contractors |
| Mar 24, 2026 | Continental Resources buys naming rights (15-year deal) |
| Mar 26, 2026 | Official groundbreaking |
| Mid-2028 (Visit OKC: "late summer 2028") | Projected opening, ahead of 2028-29 season |
Where Do the Thunder Play Until 2028?
At Paycom Center, for every game through the 2027-28 season. Here's how the two arenas compare for a visiting fan.
| Detail | Paycom Center (now to 2028) | Continental Coliseum (2028+) |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Current Thunder home | Under construction |
| Location | Downtown OKC, edge of Bricktown | Directly across the street |
| Size | Existing NBA arena | 750,000+ sq ft |
| Features | Established concourses | 360° glass curtain wall, Thunder Alley fan zone |
| Best nearby stay | Bricktown-adjacent homes | Same Bricktown-adjacent homes |
Where Should Thunder Fans Stay for a Game Weekend?
Whether your game is this season at Paycom Center or later at Continental Coliseum, the lodging play is the same downtown-adjacent stay. A furnished home usually beats downtown hotel surge pricing on game and playoff weekends.
Hotels near the arena raise rates aggressively when the Thunder are home, and more for weekend and playoff games. A group splitting a furnished home a short drive or rideshare away often pays less per person and gets a full kitchen, laundry and beds for everyone instead of two cramped hotel rooms.
Our Bricktown-adjacent homes sit close to both the current arena and the Continental Coliseum site. We hold 9.5 out of 10 across 1,580 verified guest reviews on Airbnb and Vrbo, and booking direct takes up to 35% off on 4+ night stays.
Coming to OKC for a Thunder game? Book a Bricktown-adjacent home direct and skip downtown hotel surge pricing. Check availability for your game dates.
A hypothetical game-weekend cost example
Say four friends come in for a Friday to Sunday Thunder weekend (two nights). Two downtown hotel rooms at a game-weekend rate of roughly $220/night each runs about $880 for two nights before taxes and parking. That's four people in two rooms with no kitchen.
A furnished home from our published from-rates (starting around $165/night, higher for a larger home) at, say, $265/night for two nights is about $530. Split four ways, that's roughly $133 per person, with a full kitchen, laundry and a place to gather after the game. This is a hypothetical to show the math; your rate depends on the home, the dates and how far ahead you book.
The savings usually grow on longer stays. Direct-booking discounts of up to 35% apply on stays of 4+ nights, so a playoff run or a multi-game trip stretches the gap further.
How Close Are Downtown-Adjacent Homes to the Arena?
OKC's downtown core is compact, so "near the arena" covers a lot of good options. Bricktown sits at the arena's doorstep, and several of our homes are a short rideshare or drive from the Paycom Center / Continental Coliseum block, near the Paseo and Plaza districts and other walkable neighborhoods.
You get game-night proximity without the premium hotels on the arena block charge. Browse our furnished OKC homes or, for a big crew on a playoff push, our large-group rentals.
What to Check Before Booking a Game-Weekend Stay
- That your game is at Paycom Center (every game through 2028 is).
- How hotel rates have moved as game day gets closer.
- Parking and taxes, which a hotel room rate leaves out.
- Whether the home sleeps your whole group.
How to Book a Thunder Game-Weekend Home, Step by Step
- Confirm your game date and how many nights, including any pre- or post-game nights.
- Count your group so you can match a home that sleeps everyone.
- Compare the per-person cost against two-plus downtown hotel rooms on the same dates.
- Book direct early at our book-direct page to lock the rate before it climbs toward game day.
- Call or text (405) 870-2146 with questions about parking, arena distance or availability.
How Does the Arena Boom Connect to OKC Rental Rules?
The groundbreaking is part of a broader downtown building wave that's also reshaping how OKC handles visitors and short-term rentals. OKC has tightened its rules for short stays; see our guide to OKC short-term rental rules and the recent OKC Airbnb enforcement crackdown. Neighboring Norman has its own short-term rental license and a hotel tax increase that affect what visitors pay. And the metro's other big 2026 draw, the Route 66 Centennial in OKC, will pull travel demand the way marquee games do.
When Don't You Need a Furnished Home?
A solo traveler in town for a single weeknight game who collects hotel points may be better off in a downtown hotel. One night, one person, loyalty perks. A whole home makes no sense there.
A furnished home pays off for groups, families and multi-night trips: four or more people, anyone with a dog, playoff runs, or several nights where hotel rooms multiply fast and a kitchen and laundry start to matter.
Terms You'll Hear
- Continental Coliseum: the name of the Thunder's new downtown arena, after Continental Resources bought the naming rights in March 2026.
- Paycom Center: the Thunder's current home, hosting every game through the 2027-28 season, directly across from the new site.
- MAPS 4: the OKC voter-approved capital program contributing $78 million to the arena.
- Book direct: reserving straight through the operator (up to 35% off on 4+ night stays here) instead of a third-party platform.
The Bottom Line on the New OKC Thunder Arena
Continental Coliseum opens in 2028, and until then every game is at Paycom Center across the street. Count your group, compare a furnished home's per-person cost against downtown hotel rooms, and book direct at our book-direct page or call/text (405) 870-2146 before game-weekend rates climb.