Even before the BOK Center officially opens on August 30th, performances had already been booked.  The Eagles will be the first act to perform in the new building on September 6th and a second date has also been added for November 11th.  Just announced today, August 28th, Janet Jackson will be coming to Tulsa on October 26th for her Rock Witchu tour.

The BOK is 565,000 square-feet and will play host to a wide variety of events, including preseason NBA basketball featuring the new Oklahoma City team, men’s college basketball, Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey circus, and Cirque du Soleil’s Saltimbanco.  Also already booked are musical performances with local ties.  American Idol winner and Checotah native, Carrie Underwood is scheduled to perform on October 29th and American Idol season 10 winner David Cook, who lived and worked in Tulsa, will be there September 13 along with the rest of the top 10 contestants from that season.

For information about upcoming events and tickets, go to the BOK Center website.

The Tulsa 66ers announced last week they would now be the NBA developmental team for both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Seattle SuperSonics starting in the 2008-09 season. The marriage of the SuperSonics with the 66ers seems a natural fit considering the Sonics will be moving to Oklahoma City within the next two years. Of course the move is contingent on the outcome of an ongoing legal battle between the city of Seattle and the new ownership of the Sonics, headed by Oklahoma City businessman Clay Bennett. Regardless of the ruling, the team is headed to Oklahoma City, it’s just a matter of when. Along with the new affiliation, the 66ers will soon have a new home. Starting in November the team will be moving into the new SpiritBank Event Center located at 101st and Memorial in South Tulsa. They currently play at the fairground in the Expo Square Pavilion.

All this bodes well for both Tulsa and Oklahoma City. In order for the Sonics’ move to Oklahoma City to be successful, the entire state will have to support it, not just OKC. With only 90 miles separating the two largest cities in Oklahoma, Tulsa should have no problem helping support the team. Also, by adding another affiliate to the 66ers, this means more NBA level talent will be passing through Tulsa on their way to “the show.”