Tulsa Athletic is an American soccer team and are based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States. The 2023 NPSL National Champion, 2013 was their inaugural season in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), which is a national league at the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid. They compete in the NPSL's Heartland Conference. The team maintains amateur status under NPSL rules, allowing college players to participate without losing their collegiate eligibility. The club currently plays at Athletic Community Field at Hicks Park since the 2022 season, having previously played at Veterans Park (2018–21), LaFortune Stadium (2017) and Drillers Stadium (2013–16), the former home of the Tulsa Drillers baseball team.

On May 20, 2024, Tulsa Athletic were suspended from the NPSL, meaning that they wouldn't defend their title. On July 31 they announced that they would leave the NPSL in order to start their own amateur league entitled "The League for Clubs", with Athletic being founding members alongside Atlantic City FC, FC Davis, Kingston Stockade FC and Napa Valley 1839 FC.

Crest and colors The green that Athletic wears is symbolic of "green country", the moniker given to the area of Oklahoma where Tulsa sits. The gold in the pinstripes that appear on the home kit (and are the dominant color of the away kit) represents trophies, championships, and victory. The crest is a pink shield featuring a unicorn facing a lion surrounding a soccer ball, symbolizing both strength and magic. The pink color of the crest is designed to illustrate the heart. The badge's location over the heart on the jersey signifies that all who wear the crest (players and fans alike) share the same heart.

Support A supporters group associated with Tulsa Athletic are the Athletics Armory, who congregate behind the north goal at home matches.

Fans have given the team several unofficial nicknames, including "the A's" and "The Foxes", named after 'Lester', a lone fox who resides in the team's stadium.

Rivalries In 2014 Oklahoma City FC left PDL to join the NPSL, which created an in-state rivalry. The two clubs separated by just 100 miles played in the OK Derby.

The inaugural Red River Cup was contested in May 2014. Four clubs (Fort Worth Vaqueros, Liverpool Warriors, Oklahoma City FC) met in a two-day tournament hosted by Tulsa, who won the title over Oklahoma City FC.

Oklahoma City 1889 FC joined the NPSL in 2021 which resulted in another in-state rivalry, with supporters choosing the name “The War for I-44.”

A crosstown derby against FC Tulsa was established in 2022 through the U.S. Open Cup nicknamed the Tulsa Derby.

Tulsa Derby

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Date Competition Winner Score Location March 18, 2025 U.S. Open Cup 0–1 Hicks Park April 5, 2023 U.S. Open Cup 1–0 Hicks Park April 5, 2022 U.S. Open Cup 1–2 ONEOK Field

War for I-44

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+ResultsDateCompetitionWinnerScoreLocationJune 25, 2025TLFC 0–2Oklahoma City, OKJune 11, 2025TLFC 2–0Tulsa, OKMay 31, 2025TLFC 2–1Oklahoma City, OKMay 10, 2025TLFC 1–2Tulsa, OKJune 19, 2024Friendly (draw) Oklahoma City, OKJune 12, 2024Friendly 2–1Tulsa, OKJuly 15, 2023NPSL Playoffs 2–1Claremore, OKJune 17, 2023NPSL 2–1Claremore, OKMay 24, 2023NPSL 0–1Oklahoma City, OKJuly 16, 2022NPSL Playoffs 5–1Tulsa, OKJuly 16, 2022NPSL 5–1Tulsa, OKMay 25, 2022NPSL 3–0Oklahoma City, OKJuly 14, 2021NPSL Playoffs Tulsa, OKJune 27, 2021NPSL 2–0Edmond, OKMay 16, 2021NPSL 1–3Tulsa, OK

Current squad

Year-by-year

YearDivisionLeagueRegular seasonW-D-L(GF-GA)PlayoffsW-D-L(GF-GA)U.S. Open CupW-D-L(GF-GA)National Amateur CupW-D-L(GF-GA)20134NPSL1st, South Central(44–9)South Region Semifinal0–0–1did not qualifyDid not play20144NPSL1st, South Central9–0–1South Region Final3–0–1(14–6)2nd Round0–0–1(0–2)Did not play20154NPSL3rd, South Central7–3–4(52–33)did not qualify1st Round0–0–1(1–3)Did not play20164NPSL1st, South Central11–0–1(38–9)South Central Conference Final1–0–1(5–3)did not qualifyDid not play20174NPSL2nd, Heartland 5–1–4(25–16)Heartland Conference Final1–0–1(2–5)1st Round0–0–1Did not play20184NPSL3rd, Heartland6–0–4(26–17)Heartland Conference Semifinal0–0–1(0–1)did not qualifyDid not play20194NPSL1st, Heartland 7–3–0(24–8)South Region Final3–0–1(12–7)did not qualifyDid not play20204UPSL1st, Central-North13–0–1(60–11)Central Region Semifinal1–0–1(4–4)not heldDid not play20214NPSL2nd, Heartland6–3–1(32–9)NPSL National Championship Runner Up4–0–1(8–9)not heldDid not play20224NPSL1st, Heartland9–2–1(36–10)NPSL National Semifinal4–0–1(8–3)2nd Round1–0–1(4–2)Did not play20234NPSL1st, Heartland 7-2-1(23-8)NPSL National Champions6-0-0(15-6)3rd Round 2–0–1(2–3)Region III Final2-1-220244––3-2-0(11-3)American Champions Cup Winners1-0-0(2-1)1st Round 0–0–1(1-4)Did not play20254The League for Clubs1st, Mid-American Conference6–2–2(20–7)National Semifinals1–0–2(6–4)1st Round 0–0–1(0–1)Did not play–20264The League for Clubs2nd, Mid-American Conference5–1–4(20–13)Conference Finals1–0–1(3–2)2nd qualifying round1–0–1(10–5)Did not play–20272nd qualifying round0–0–1(2–1) Notes

All time Table

Match TypeRegular SeasonPlayoffsU.S. Open CupNational Amateur CupTotal

Head coaches Includes all competitive matches: regular season, playoffs, and open cup.

Coach Nationality Start End Games Win Draw Loss GF GA GD Win % Joey Ryan 2013 2019 Levi Coleman 2020 2023 Jason Rogers 2023 Present

Honors

Club USASA American Champions Cup Champions (1): 2024 NPSL National Champions (1): 2023 National Runners-Up (1): 2021 NPSL Midwest Region Champions (1): 2023 NPSL South Region Champions (2): 2021, 2022 Runners-Up (2): 2014, 2019 NPSL South-Central Conference Champions (2): 2013, 2014 NPSL Heartland Conference Champions (4): 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 Regular Season Shield (3): 2019, 2022, 2023 Red River Cup Champions (1): 2014 UPSL Central Conference-North Division Champions (1): 2020

YearHonor2013South-Central Conference Champions2014South-Central Conference Champions2014South Region Runners-Up2014Red River Cup Champions2019Heartland Conference Shield2019Heartland Conference Champions2019South Region Runners-Up2020Central Conference-North Division Champions2021Heartland Conference Champions2021South Region Champions2021National Championship Runners-Up2022Heartland Conference Shield2022Heartland Conference Champions2022South Region Champions2023Heartland Conference Shield2023Heartland Conference Champions2023Midwest Region Champions 2023NPSL National Champions2024American Champions Cup Winners

Individual YearPlayerPositionHonor2016Dave LeungForwardSupporters' XI – First Team2016Terence SmithDefenderSupporters' XI – Second Team2017Joe GarciaMidfielderSouth Region Best XI2018Damieon ThomasForwardHeartland Conference XI2018Declan FitzpatrickMidfielderHeartland Conference XI2019Aboubakr DialloForwardHeartland Conference XI2019Joseph RuizMidfielderHeartland Conference XI2019Gustavo VargasDefenderHeartland Conference XI2019Joey RyanManagerHeartland Conference XI2019Joseph RuizMidfielderSouth Region XI2019Gustavo VargasDefenderSouth Region XI2020Santiago RiverosMidfielderUPSL Central Best XI2020Hunter HarrisonGoalkeeperUPSL Central Best XI2021Aboubakr DialloForwardHeartland Conference XI2021Joseph GarciaMidfielderHeartland Conference XI2021Joseph RuizDefenderHeartland Conference XI2021 Levi ColemanManagerHeartland Conference XI2021Levi ColemanManagerSouth Region XI2021Levi ColemanManagerNational XI2021Levi ColemanManagerNPSL Coach of the Season2022Reed BerryForwardHeartland Conference XI2022Vinicius De OliveiraMidfielderHeartland Conference XI2022Joseph RuizDefenderHeartland Conference XI2021 Levi ColemanManagerHeartland Conference XI2022Joseph RuizDefenderSouth Region XI2023Aboubakr DialloForwardHeartland Conference XI2023Rio MelloMidfielderHeartland Conference XI2023Vitor TurnesDefenderHeartland Conference XI2023Bryson ReedGoalkeeperHeartland Conference XI2023Aboubakr DialloForwardMidwest Region XI2023Vitor TurnesMidfieldMidwest Region XI2023Bryson ReedGoalkeeperMidwest Region XI2023Aboubakr DialloForwardNational XI

Records

Biggest win: 13–0 vs BCS Clash, May 11, 2014 First win: vs Liverpool Warriors, May 18, 2013 50th win: vs Demize NPSL, May 19, 2018 100th win: vs Laredo Heat, July 20, 2022 First goal: Omar Mata vs Liverpool Warriors, May 18, 2013 100th goal: Damieon Thomas vs Corinthians FC of San Antonio, July 13, 2014 250th goal: Gustavo Vargas vs Demize NPSL, June 24, 2018

References

External links