In the midst of a tough season on and off the field, the Tulsa Roughnecks are on the verge of a potential change of fate.
On Tuesday, The Athletic understands that the USL Championship club will announce that it has been purchased by local businessmen and siblings J.W., Ryan, and Kyle Craft. The trio are the sons of Joseph Craft III, a Tulsa native and a giant of the coal industry as President, CEO, and Director of Alliance Resource Partners, which is headquartered in Tulsa.
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The financial specifics of this takeover were not disclosed. However, a USL spokesperson confirmed that the recent average price of a USL Championship club on the secondary market is between $15-$20 million.
In order to meet USSF requirements (which spell out the need for “one principal owner with a controlling interest who owns at least 35% of the team”), J.W. Craft will serve as the leading partner.
“We care deeply about the community,” he told The Athletic. “It’s where we live, where all of us grew up, and we really wanted to build something that the city can be proud of. People are choosing to live where they have a good balance of work, livelihood and play. As you think about soccer specifically, it’s a sport that really combines that competitive nature and the thrilling environment of cheering for sport. It also brings a culture and community together in a way that other pro teams can’t. As we thought about what we could do to be an attractive place to retain (current residents) and attract that next generation of people who want to live in Tulsa, I think this is a critical element of making it a destination.”
The family does have a history within the sport. Kyle was a member of Notre Dame’s soccer team for four years after earning all-state honors in his senior year of high school. He made one appearance for the Fighting Irish and was a three-time Big East Academic All-Star. Having graduated in 2014, he currently works in education technology.
There is a history of success with the Roughnecks name in Tulsa as well. The Roughnecks of the old NASL won the 1983 Soccer Bowl and drew 12,415 fans per match. To the Crafts, it’s a reminder that the market can sustain a greater interest in the sport.
The Roughnecks’ re-launch in 2015 was considered a success, with the club drawing an average of 4,714 fans per match and narrowly missing the USL playoffs. However, attendance dipped each year thereafter through 2018 (3,094 per game), and that number has plummeted below 2,400 thus far in 2019 — the 23.2% drop is the steepest among non-MLS2 teams in the Championship.
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“From a brand awareness perspective, it’s hard not to have heard about the glory days of the Roughnecks,” Craft said. “Our family has had season tickets from the very beginning since it was relaunched in 2015. I think when you look at the growing popularity of the game both globally and within the USL Championship, we’re trying to ensure that Tulsa is on that same growth path. It was clear to me that this was a great opportunity to come in and buy the team out to really make that vision a reality.”
Craft said the family was first notified of the team’s availability toward the end of 2018. The Roughnecks were owned and operated by the Tulsa Drillers, a minor league baseball franchise that serves as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ AA affiliate.
#USLSupportersWeek#VamosTulsa#SupportTulsaSoccer
— Tulsa Roughnecks FC (@RoughnecksFC) August 19, 2019
Attention to their soccer side of the operation has been thin at best. Much of the club’s operations have been controlled by the Drillers’ staff. On the Roughnecks’ website, there isn’t a listing for any employees aside from the technical staff. When the takeover goes into immediate effect, the Crafts will take their first steps to revitalize the club. In part, a major focus will be in hiring a more soccer-concentrated staff to improve day-to-day operations. Beyond that, it means working with the fanbase to find areas for improvement.
“A lot of it goes back to listening to supporters and understanding how we can better serve them,” Craft said. “We’re having those conversations and will continue to have those conversations. I think some of the biggest things are investing and improving the gameday experience for the supporters. It’s going to be a big priority to continue to invest and improve upon the on-field product. I think really engaging the community and bringing new people to the stadium that haven’t had that opportunity to engage with us before will be crucial. Once they see those improvements we’re going to make and how personally invested we are in building a successful club, that will lead to our fan base beginning to grow organically.”
Craft did say that the Roughnecks will continue to play at OneOK Field, the Drillers’ home stadium “while we develop our strategy for a soccer-specific (stadium).” This is the first concrete reference to a potential new venue since the team relaunched in 2015. As the USL continues to mature, clubs that control their own venue will have a significant advantage in terms of culture-building and financial flexibility.
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As far as improving the on-field product, Craft gave a vote of confidence in head coach Michael Nsien, general manager Wayne Farmer, and the rest of the technical staff. He made clear that turning the Roughnecks into a perennial playoff contender with a “culture of winning” was a top priority for the group. He also alluded to potential new additions before the close of the summer transfer window.
“We have confidence in our technical staff,” Craft said. “On the roster side, they have gone out and identified international players who have recently been awarded their visas and will be joining us soon. We’ll continue to monitor other players for the remainder of the transfer window.”
Off the field, one area the Crafts are immediately looking to address is the role of president. Barry Williams took on the role as well as a minority ownership stake in November 2018, helping stabilize the club during the search for new ownership. He also served as a vocal ally to OKC Energy defender Atiba Harris after a Roughneck player was accused of racially abusing Harris. Tulsa ultimately terminated the contract of the player in question, Fabián Bastidas.
While Williams won’t remain as president, his role with the club is to be determined. For now, the search for a new day-to-day operator is in full swing. Craft said they hope to find someone that is a “forward thinker, a creative leader, and who can excel in the startup” of club operations. Previous experience in soccer would be a boost.
“We’ve already launched a search for a club president to come in and basically be the face of the club and lead, develop, and attract key employees,” Craft said. “They’ll really manage the day-to-day operation, as well as collaborating with us to bring our shared vision into reality. We need somebody who is truly passionate about unlocking that vision here in Tulsa. If that happens to include direct experience in soccer, that would be perfect. For someone that has other sports experience but really has a passion for how soccer can do that in our communities, I think that’s great.”
Even before the role is filled, the first steps of rejuvenating the club will remain finding ways to tap into the greater Tulsa sports scene. The success of the old NASL club isn’t the only evidence that soccer has potential in the city. Tulsa was the 10th-ranked TV market in the country for 2018 World Cup viewership. Padding their USL potential is an in-state rival, the Oklahoma City Energy, located a mere 106 miles southwest on I-44.
However, if that could be a marquee moment to grow interest in the market, it will have to wait for 2020. Both matchups between the Oklahoman clubs have played out this season (each to a 1-1 draw). For now, Craft continues to believe in the potential of Tulsa as a USL market.
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“It’s critical that we tap into that larger community as a whole,” Craft said. “When you look at our youth soccer participation, if you look at those in the TV viewership statistics, and you look at what’s happening as young people move back and take advantage of all of the things that are happening in the greater downtown Tulsa area. We have all the ingredients to make this successful. What we’ve got to do is engage the community as best we can and pull them in whether or not they’re a passionate soccer fan. But I think we can, transform and attract those casual fans and make them passionate fans.”
(Photo: Joe Hicks/Getty Images)
Jeff Rueter is a staff writer for The Athletic who covers soccer in North America, Europe, and beyond. No matter how often he hears the Number 10 role is "dying," he'll always leave a light on for the next great playmaker. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffrueter
