Sports Team History

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Search in posts
Search in pages
  • Home
  • Sports History
    • Baseball History
    • Basketball History
    • College History
    • Football History
    • Hockey History
    • Soccer History
  • Greatest Player Polls
  • STH News

Oklahoma Outlaws Team History

NFL Logo Tourney
Sports Market History
Sports News History
Oklahoma Outlaws




  • 1984
  • 1985
  • Oklahoma Outlaws 1984

    Outlaws Team Formation

    The Outlaws were originally slated to play in San Diego. However, under pressure from baseball’s Padres, the NFL’s Chargers, and the NASL’s Sockers, the city refused to grant Tatham a lease for Jack Murphy Stadium. Scrambling for a home, Tatham seriously considered playing in Honolulu for its inaugural 1984 season. However, he settled on Tulsa, Oklahoma—even though the city had ...
    Read More
    See Full Story
  • Oklahoma Outlaws - Doug Williams

    Time to Leave Oklahoma

    The Tathams were not exaggerating about Skelly Stadium’s inadequacy as a professional venue. There was virtually no parking around the stadium, which would have held down attendance even without the weather problems. With no other facility in the Tulsa area suitable even for temporary use, they started searching for a new home. They initially planned to move to the University ...
    Read More
    See Full Story

Outlaws Primary Logos

History of the Outlaws

The Outlaws were originally slated to play in San Diego. However, under pressure from baseball's Padres, the NFL's Chargers, and the NASL's Sockers, the city refused to grant Tatham a lease for Jack Murphy Stadium. Scrambling for a home, Tatham seriously considered playing in Honolulu for its inaugural 1984 season. However, he settled on Tulsa, Oklahoma—even though the city had not even been included in a list of possible expansion sites for the USFL.

Tatham was initially skeptical about basing a team in Tulsa. It was only the 60th-largest television market, which would have made it by far the smallest market in the league. Moreover, the only viable facility, the University of Tulsa's Skelly Stadium, needed major renovations in order to bring it to something approaching professional standards.

However, Tatham had roots in Oklahoma and eventually concluded that putting his team there would give something back to the state. He christened his team the Oklahoma Outlaws. The club was the second major-league sports team to play in the state, after the North American Soccer League's Tulsa Roughnecks.

The Outlaws were competitive for much of the first half of the season, starting out 6-2 off the strength of Williams' arm. Unfortunately, the team could not consistently run the ball. (The Outlaws finished with a league-worst total of 1537 total rushing yards --- almost 200 yards less than the 17th ranked team.) Two blowout losses sent the team into a downward spiral. They did not win another game that season, dropping 10 straight to finish 6-12.

In spite of those factors, the Outlaws averaged 21,038 fans (in a 40,000-seat stadium), 14th in the league. It might have been even higher if not for brutally cold and wet early-season weather and what amounted to season-long lame duck status. While Tulsa as a USFL host city had a number of legitimate problems, fan turnout was surprisingly respectable, especially compared to the unsustainable attendance numbers seen by USFL teams in Chicago (7,455), Washington (7,694), and Los Angeles (15,361). They were also one of eight teams whose average attendance was 45 percent or more of listed capacity. The Outlaws would draw decent crowds of 25,403, 21,625, 22,017, and 29,324 later in the season.

During the team's season in Tulsa, all six of their wins came during inclement weather, 4 at home. Wins against Pittsburgh, Michigan, Houston, Washington, and San Antonio came in rainy conditions, and a win against Chicago came in a Chicago snowstorm.





Established
1983

City
Tempe – Oklahoma City – Tempe

League History
1983 – 1986 / United States Football League

Team History
1985 / Arizona Outlaws
1983 – 1984 / Arizona Wranglers
1984 / Oklahoma Outlaws

Nickname
Outlaws – The Outlaws name comes from the gunslingers known to be in the Oklahoma region.

Original USFL Team
Yes

Final USFL Team
No

Team’s Final Outlook
Despite advancing to the championship game, Dietrhich wanted out after losing millions for the second year in a row. He sold the Wranglers’ assets to Tatham, and Tatham relocated the Outlaws to Arizona for the 1985 season as the Arizona Outlaws, and took the Wranglers’ place at Arizona State University’s Sun Devil Stadium. Since Tatham inherited all of the Wranglers’ player contracts, this deal was reported by some outlets as a merger.

Championship
USFL Championship 0

Stadium
1983 – 1985 / Sun Devil Stadium

*Oklahoma*
1984 / Skelly Stadium

Owner
1984 – 1986 / William R. Tatham Sr., William R. Tatham Jr.
1984 / Dr. Ted Diethrich
1983 / Jim Joseph

Coaches
1985 / Frank Kush (8 wins – 10 losses)
1984 / Woody Widenhofer (6 wins – 12 losses)
1984 / George Allen (12 wins – 9 losses)
1983 / Doug Shivley (4 wins – 14 losses)

Who is the greatest Oklahoma Outlaws?
  • Add your greatest player

To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.

Accomplishments
Averaged 21,038 fans (40,000 seat stadium)

*Blue is this team’s history

Sports News History

Sports News Worth Knowing

RSS Headline News

  • David Goffin vs. Cameron Norrie live updates, highlights from Wimbledon 2022 quarterfinal
  • ‘Terrified’ Griner appeals to Biden for her freedom
  • Wimbledon 2022 live: Nick Kyrgios reaches quarterfinals, Rafael Nadal Centre Court updates to follow
  • Astros notch MLB record-tying 20 K’s, top Angels
  • 2022 NHL Mock Draft – Entire First Round Picks 1-32

Sports Market History

Sports Team Marketplace of Champions!

Sports Team Water Bottles

  • Tervis Alabama Crimson Tide Insulated Tumbler CupTervis Alabama Crimson Tide Insulated Tumbler Cup
    Printed with eco-friendly plant-based inks or powder coated with BPA-free material directly on the stainless…
  • Duck House NCAA Ohio State Buckeyes Glass Water BottleDuck House NCAA Ohio State Buckeyes Glass Water Bottle
    ✔️【OFFICIALLY LICENSED NCAA PRODUCT】Designed with your favorite team’s authentic logo/colors and bears the official holographic…
  • NCAA Auburn Tigers Glass Water Bottle with Carrying HandleNCAA Auburn Tigers Glass Water Bottle with Carrying Handle
    Make sure this fitsby entering your model number. ✔️【OFFICIALLY LICENSED NCAA PRODUCT】Designed with your favorite…
  • Fanatic NCAA Baylor Bears Stainless Steel Water BottleFanatic NCAA Baylor Bears Stainless Steel Water Bottle
    SHOW OFF YOUR SCHOOL SPIRIT - Whether you're a student, alumni, or superfan, show off…
  • Tervis NCAA Clemson Tigers Water BottleTervis NCAA Clemson Tigers Water Bottle
    Double-wall insulation to keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold BPA free <p>The post…

USFL Logo Battle

USFL Logo Battle

USFL Teams
Menu
  • Birmingham Stallions
  • Houston Gamblers
  • Michigan Panthers
    • Oakland Invaders
  • New Jersey Generals
  • New Orleans Breakers
    • Portland Breakers
    • Boston Breakers
  • Philadelphia Stars
    • Baltimore Stars
  • Pittsburgh Maulers
  • Tampa Bay Bandits
  • Past Teams
    • Arizona Outlaws
      • Arizona Wranglers
      • Oklahoma Outlaws
    • Chicago Blitz
    • Denver Gold
    • Jacksonville Bulls
    • Los Angeles Express
    • Memphis Showboats
    • Orlando Renegades
      • Washington Federals
    • San Antonio Gunslingers

STH News

"Latest Sports Team History News"

The History and Evolution of the Most Famous Premier League Clubs

June 20, 2022

Who are the Best Premier League Teams in 2022?

June 14, 2022

Titans of Tennessee: The Story Behind the Team

June 14, 2022

Biggest Comeback in College Football History

June 13, 2022

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Search in posts
Search in pages
Sports Logo History
Sports News History
Sports Market History
  • About
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer Sports Team History
  • Privacy Policy

Sports Team History
© 2013 - 2022 Sports Team History
Managed by Sports History Group
  • Home
  • Sports History
    • Baseball History
    • Basketball History
    • College History
    • Football History
    • Hockey History
    • Soccer History
  • Greatest Player Polls
  • STH News