Tulsa Welcomes SEC Women's Gymnastics Championship for the First Time

Tulsa is set to host the SEC Women's Gymnastics Championship for the first time on March 21, 2026, bringing a high-profile athletic event to the BOK Center.

The field is strong. Seven of the teams competing are ranked among the top 10 nationally, including Oklahoma, which holds the top overall ranking.

Visit Tulsa estimates that roughly 10,000 people will attend the championship over the weekend. KJRH 2 News examined what an event of this size could mean for the city's economy and for residents.

Johnathan Huskey of Visit Tulsa pointed to the gymnastics meet and the Big 12 Wrestling Tournament as examples of the kind of events that help make tourism the third-largest industry in Oklahoma. He noted that in 2023, tourism generated about $161 million in state and local taxes. Put another way, he said, that is $161 million in taxes Tulsans did not have to pay.

Huskey said the championship is significant on its own, but that the broader tourism industry is essential to the Tulsa economy. In his words, it helps the city keep bringing in events and "make life better and improve quality of life for Tulsans."

Local businesses say they notice the difference as well. Lance MacApline, owner of Slate Sourdough in the Arts District, said the shop generally sees "a small uptick in business, in foot traffic," when events come to the BOK Center.

Visitors are also arriving from out of state. The Reid family flew in to cheer on the Georgia Bulldogs and to see the city. Michelle Reid said her family is originally from the Greenville area of South Carolina but lived in Georgia, where they became fans, and that their daughter loves the sport, so they brought her along.

With lunchtime approaching, Reid said she was hoping to find barbecue, which she called her favorite. Tulsa had already made a good impression, she indicated, even with temperatures reaching 90 degrees on the first day of spring. "The timing was perfect," she said.