Paycom Center is the downtown Oklahoma City arena that has served as home to the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder since the team relocated from Seattle in 2008. Opened on June 8, 2002 as the Ford Center, the venue was built as the centerpiece of the city’s original MAPS (Metropolitan Area Projects) redevelopment initiative, a public investment program that transformed downtown Oklahoma City.
Over its history the arena has carried several names, including Oklahoma City Arena and Chesapeake Energy Arena, before payroll and HR technology company Paycom acquired naming rights in 2021. The venue hosted the 2012 NBA Finals between the Thunder and Miami Heat and remains one of the loudest, most tightly packed arenas in the league, though it is slated to be replaced by a new downtown arena later in the decade.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA)
- Location: Downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Opened: June 8, 2002
- Capacity: About 18,203 (basketball)
- Architects: The Benham Companies with Sink Combs Dethlefs
- Notable fact: Hosted the 2012 NBA Finals
From Ford Center to Paycom Center
The arena opened in 2002 as the Ford Center, part of the original MAPS program that funded a wave of downtown Oklahoma City civic projects. It briefly hosted the New Orleans Hornets after Hurricane Katrina displaced that franchise, which helped demonstrate the city’s readiness for a permanent NBA team.
When the Thunder franchise moved to Oklahoma City in 2008, the building became the team’s permanent home. It has since carried the Chesapeake Energy Arena name from 2011 to 2021 before Paycom, an Oklahoma City-based payroll software company, signed a naming rights deal that runs through the Thunder’s eventual move to a new arena.
A Home Court Advantage
Paycom Center seats about 18,203 fans for basketball, with the lower bowl pulled close to the court, a design that has made it one of the NBA’s most intense home environments for opposing teams. The arena also converts for hockey, concerts, and other live events, having hosted the Oklahoma City Blazers and Oklahoma City Blue alongside the Thunder.
The building’s signature moment came in 2012, when it hosted the NBA Finals as the Thunder faced the Miami Heat, cementing Oklahoma City’s arrival as a major professional sports market just four years after the franchise relocated there.
Explore more: Explore more iconic stadiums and arenas.
Paycom Center FAQs
What team plays at Paycom Center?
The Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA have played their home games at Paycom Center since 2008, and the NBA G League’s Oklahoma City Blue also use the arena.
What was Paycom Center previously called?
The arena opened in 2002 as the Ford Center, was briefly known as Oklahoma City Arena in 2010-2011, then became Chesapeake Energy Arena from 2011 to 2021 before taking the Paycom Center name.
How many people does Paycom Center hold?
Paycom Center seats about 18,203 people for basketball games, with capacity varying for hockey, concerts, and other events.
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Photo: Quintin Soloviev / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.