Baker Mayfield is returning to Oklahoma City, the place he once called home in college, to buy into a new pro sports franchise, the latest Oklahoma soccer franchise.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback is joining forces with NBA star Jalen Williams and four-time Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone to invest in the newest expansion club at Oklahoma University.
They aren’t the only stars on the investor list. In fact, they’re joining an already massive celeb-investor list, that already includes Russell Westbrook, former USMNT forward Jozy Altidore, Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto, entrepreneur Nick Gross, and the Chickasaw Nation.
What’s more interesting is that this is a massive homecoming of sorts for Mayfield.
“Oklahoma made me who I am, as a player and as a person. The state shows up for its teams, and that energy is going to translate to professional soccer,” Mayfield said about his alma mater and how thrilled he is to be an investor now.
Mayfield is in the final year of his contract with the Bucs, and he will soon have another lucrative, elite-QB paycheck contract in his hands. Be it from the Bucs or another franchise.
As one of the lowest-paid franchise QBs in the league at $33.3 million Average Annual Value (AAV), Mayfield is easily looking at at least a $50 million contract, making his investment a well-timed venture into the business world.
Plus, it isn’t a simple investment. OU is getting decked out to have a fresh stadium on its map, one of the finest in the city so far.
The New Stadium Under Construction in OKC
A modern, 10,000-seat stadium designed by the legendary sports architecture firm Populous (the minds behind Vegas’ Sphere and Camden Yards).
Featuring a lightweight canopy design and fully programmable exterior LED lighting, it will serve as the home field for Oklahoma City’s professional soccer club (the former OKC Energy FC franchise, currently rebranding via a fan-vote initiative) when they begin play in the USL Championship in 2028.
While the stadium is explicitly being built to USSF requirements, it is also designed to host concerts and a future United Football League (UFL) expansion franchise.
Echo is developing 60 surrounding acres into a cultural, hospitality, and entertainment hub to connect downtown OKC, the new convention center, and the Thunder’s upcoming $900 million arena.
“Jalen, Baker, and Sydney each bring a unique platform and an authentic belief in what we are building here,” Westbrook said of the latest additions to their investor circle. “Together with Russell and Jozy, this investor roster reflects a level of conviction in Oklahoma City’s future you rarely see assembled around a single project.”
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