Oklahoma Thunder The Oklahoma Thunder are a minor league American football team based in Tulsa , Oklahoma . Starting with the 2011 season , the team competes in the Gridiron Developmental Football League , playing in the Midwest - North Division in the GDFL ' s Impact Conference . Players include Bacone College alumni , former major college standouts , and former NFL players including Willie Ponder . The team was founded by James " Sonny " Ashford in 2007 and the team ' s name pre - dates the relocation of the Seattle Supersonics to Oklahoma City to become the Oklahoma City Thunder . The team ' s official colors are silver and blue . The team ' s cheerleader s are known as the Thunder Cats . From its founding in 2008 through the 2010 season , the Thunder competed in the Central Division of the new World Football League . Team founder Sonny Ashford was also an owner of the new WFL and served as its president . Through these three seasons , the team was undefeated with a 40 – 0 record and three consecutive league championships . History . World Football League ( 2008 – 2010 ) . 2008 season . In their 2008 inaugural season , the Oklahoma Thunder finished with a perfect 16 – 0 regular season record under head coach Bruce Madden . After beating the previously undefeated Texas Bulldogs 84 - 6 in the semi - final game , the Thunder rolled to 29 – 6 victory over the Austin Gamebreakers in World Bowl II on October 18 , 2008 , at Independence Stadium in Shreveport , Louisiana . ( The new minor - league WFL retained the numbering from the original 1970s WFL . ) After the game , Thunder head coach Bruce Madden was presented the WFL Coach of the Year Award and linebacker Joey Crawford was named WFL Player of the Year . 2009 season . In 2009 , the team posted another unbeaten record and went on to defeat the Dallas Diesel 41 – 12 in World Bowl III on August 29 , 2009 , at LaFortune Stadium in Tulsa . The Team ended the season with several award winners and many players making all - star game appearances . During the Hall of Fame ceremony in Las Vegas , Thunder players received the following awards : QB Rico Watkins took home Quarterback of the Year , Offensive Player of the Year , and Overall Player of the Year . Coach Bruce Madden took home Coach of the Year . Corey Curtis won Offensive Lineman of the Year . Jeremy Gray won Defensive Player of the Year and Linebacker of the Year . T . J . Covington took home the Defensive Back of the Year award . There awards were not just for the Thunder team or the WFL , but the entire minor league football community . 2010 season . Fifteen Thunder players were named to the All - WFL Team in late - July 2010 , more than any other team in the league . Quarterback Rico Watkins , wide receivers Marcus Pugh and Michael Swalley , tight end Clayton Froese , offensive lineman Jeremy Gray , defensive end C . B . Boyd , defensive tackle Aaron Littell , linebackers Joey Crawford and Jeremy Nethon , defensive back Quito Lightbourne , and special teams player Eli Kennard were all named to the first team . The second team included Thunder offensive linemen Josh Toops and Corey Curtis , defensive tackle Calvin Wychoff , defensive back Kurtis Dawson , and kicker Brandon Hawley . After a 10 – 0 regular season in 2010 and a playoff win over the Fort Worth , Texas - based Eagle Mountain Marauders , the Thunder competed in their third straight World Bowl on July 31 , 2010 , where they faced the Des Moines Blaze at the East Tulsa Sports Complex in Tulsa , Oklahoma . The Thunder defeated the Blaze , 52 – 10 , to claim their third consecutive league championship and extend their unbeaten streak to 40 games . Joey Crawford was named World Bowl MVP , his second such honor . Gridiron Developmental Football League ( 2011 – present ) . 2011 season . For the 2011 season , the Thunder moved from the WFL to the larger Gridiron Developmental Football League . , the team ' s general manager and president is Steven Roper . Other key personnel for 2011 include Tracey Flemons as Director of Player Personnel , Ven Movva , M . D . , as Director of Sports Medicine , Renita Baker as Director of Community Events , Jason Admire as Equipment Manager , Pastor Jeff Voth as Team Chaplin , and Steven Braun as Team Announcer . Coaches for 2011 include Rashid Lowe as Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator , Daniel Cornelison and Lamar Baker as Co - Defensive Coordinators , Khalid Lowe as WR and special Teams coach , Ty Forbes as RB and DL coach and Shannon Mayfield as Co - Offensive Coordinator . The team played its 10 - game regular season in the Midwest - North Division in the GDFL ' s Impact Conference . The Thunder ' s home field was LaFortune Stadium in Tulsa . On August 7 , the Thunder broke two league records in their game against the Kansas Diamondbacks . They broke the league record for points scored ( 96 ) and largest win margin ( 90 ) . After the blowout win , the Thunder became the # 1 ranked team in the GDFL . After defeating the St . Louis Bulldogs on August 13 , the Thunder finished the 2011 regular season with a perfect record , winning the Midwest North Division and clinching the top seed in the playoffs , and were ranked as the # 1 team in the GDFL . Home stadium . In 2008 , the team played its home games at Booker T . Washington Stadium and S . E . Williams Stadium in Tulsa . For the 2009 season , home games were moved to Exchange Bank Stadium in nearby Skiatook , Oklahoma . The Thunder played most of their 2010 home games at LaFortune Stadium in Tulsa , Oklahoma , before relocating to the East Tulsa Sports Complex . The Thunder ' s home field for 2011 is Lafortune Stadium in Tulsa . Media affiliations . Home games are televised on KWHB - TV and Cox cable channel 7 in Tulsa on a one - hour delay .