TULSA ROUGHNECKS (1978-1985)

Oklahoma’s first professional soccer team, Tulsa Roughnecks, started when the club moved from Hawaii to Tulsa in 1978. The club competed in the North American Soccer League, the top level of professional soccer in the U.S. at the time. Matches were played at Skelly Stadium on the campus of the University of Tulsa, and huge crowds as big as 30,000 saw the Roughnecks win multiple championships over the club’s early history. The largest soccer crowd in Tulsa history occurred on April 26, 1980 when Tulsa hosted and defeated the New York Cosmos 2-1. 

The Roughnecks were crowned NASL Indoor champions in 1978 via a tournament title. Then in 1983, Tulsa Roughnecks captured Oklahoma’s only professional sports championship to date when it defeated Toronto Blizzard 2-0 in Soccer Bowl ’83 in front of over 53,000 fans. After the disbanding of the original NASL in 1984, Tulsa continued to play friendlies during its final year of operations in 1985. 

Nearly 40 years since the founding of the original Roughnecks, professional soccer returned to Tulsa with the expansion Tulsa Roughnecks FC of the United Soccer League, then the third division of pro soccer in the U.S. Owned by the Tulsa Drillers, Tulsa’s MiLB AA baseball team, the Roughnecks competed for five years in the league, making the playoffs once in 2017.  That year, the Roughnecks also made it to the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup before falling to FC Dallas of Major League Soccer. 

The Roughnecks competed at ONEOK Field, sharing the facility with the Drillers. During the five-year stretch, the Roughnecks featured two players who made USL Best XIs in Juan Pablo Caffa (2017 Second Team) and Rodrigo da Costa (2019 Second Team). 

Beginning in 2017, with sanctioning granted by the USSF, the USL and now USL Championship have been the second division of pro soccer in the U.S. Because of its involvement with the league, Roughnecks FC has been a Division II team since 2017, it’s highest place on the U.S. soccer pyramid since 1984. 

In August of 2019, J.W., Ryan and Kyle Craft, brothers native to Tulsa, purchased the franchise, ushering in a new era of professional soccer in Tulsa. They stated their commitment to a new level of investment in the club on the field and in the Tulsa community.

On December 4, 2019, the Crafts and the club announced that the team name would change to FC Tulsa with a beautiful new crest featuring the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, the state bird of Oklahoma, and a vibrant new color scheme.

The club’s new direction manifested itself during the 2020 offseason as FC Tulsa made splash signings to bolster the roster. With a number of elite players, FC Tulsa’s roster stood up to the USL Championship’s best the club notched its second-ever USL Championship Playoffs appearance.

In 2021, FC Tulsa made the move to the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference where it once again earned USL Championship Playoffs berths, marking back-to-back campaigns in which FC Tulsa both made the postseason and won the Wrench, the trophy that goes to the season series winner of the Black Gold Derby, the club’s annual rivalry with OKC Energy FC. 

The following season, ONEOK Field was established as one of the rowdiest crowds in the league as the club rattled off 30 points at home during the season and in 2023 – the club posted a flurry of high-scoring outputs, including a five-goal showing to close the regular season.

The Craft brothers selected Mario Sanchez as the club’s third head coach under their ownership to begin 2024. Sanchez brought a wealth of experience from his decorated career, including roles as Technical Director and Assistant Coach at Racing Louisville FC, where he also served as Interim Head Coach in August 2021, and as Youth Academy Director for both Louisville City FC and Racing Louisville FC.

In May, the club reached the big stage as it squared off against Sporting Kansas City in the U.S. Open Cup. The club followed up its efforts by going unbeaten in three of four matches in June before paving the way for its best defensive stretch ever.

FC Tulsa allowed just one goal during the month. It came four minutes from defensive perfection, allowing its lone goal in stoppage time (90+3) to Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on July 4. The historic stand garnered national attention as goalkeeper Johan Peñaranda earned USL Championship Player of the Month honors, becoming the first player in club history to receive the prestigious accolade.

On November 13, 2024, the club announced it had promoted assistant coach Luke Spencer to the role of head coach, with Mario Sanchez returning as its technical director ahead of the 2025 season.