The challenges that Men's College Basketball face in Oklahoma are numerous. Competition with the Thunder NBA team is just one challenge.

Here is a quote from an article from AthleticBusiness.com from June 2012.

"The arrival of the NBA's Thunder in Oklahoma City is believed to be one contributor to what the Tulsa World in March termed an attendance "crisis" among the state's major college men's programs. In recent years, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State have both witnessed double-digit percentage declines in attendance, and Tulsa University's arena was more than half empty for most games last season. "People only have so much money to spend on basketball, so what game do you want to take your son to? Probably a Thunder game," former TU player Jason Parker told World sportswriter Bill Haisten. "I've been to three TU games this year, and I've been to three Thunder games. The Thunder games are always a great show, no matter where my seat is. That building is electric."

Have things improved since 2012? Maybe the Thunder novelty effect has worn off?

https://www.athleticbusiness.com/college/men-s-college-basketball-programs-facing-attendance-declines.html