Governor Kevin Stitt publicly urged the OSSAA to reconsider its ruling to bar four student-athletes from participating in basketball at Glencoe High School, following a unanimous decision by the state association’s board and the families’ subsequent lawsuit. On August 13, 2025, the OSSAA Board of Directors upheld its earlier decision, by a 12–0 vote, to render four transferring boys ineligible to participate in the upcoming high school basketball season.
The ruling hinges on OSSAA's so-called “Linked Rule” (Rule 24), which is designed to restrict transfers granted when a student is connected to a coach or trainer through camps or previous relationships. The board cited the players’ attendanceatasummerteam camp with Coach Garrett Schubert as a breach of policy.
The very next day, August 14, Glencoe Public Schools, the student-athletes’ families and Coach Schubert filed a lawsuit in the Payne County District Court. The suit challenges the OSSAA’s denial of eligibility as “collusive, unreasonable, arbitrary and/or capricious,” while also requesting an injunction that would reinstate the players’ eligibility immediately.
Glencoe’s legal counsel, HannahWhitten,emphasized thattherewasnoOSSAArule mandating that students withdrawfromtheirprevious school before attending campsorinitiatingatransfer. Additionally, she pointed out that OSSAA’s own guidance issued on May 20 stated that summer participation in a camp prior to June 1 would not impact eligibility.
Glencoe’s Superintendent Jay Reeves criticized the ruling as a blow to the ability to choose schools.
“Families are told they have the freedom to choose the best school for their kids, but this decision sends the message that your choice can be taken away by an unelected body that changes the rules at will,” Reeves said.
Coach Garrett Schubert decriedtheoutcomeasunfair.
“These boys did exactly that, and they’re being sidelined for reasons OSSAA hasn’t been able to prove,” Shubert said..” It’s wrong.”
Parents were similarly frustrated. Kip Racy said the ruling only adds confusion.
“The rules are very vague, and so it can be applied in different ways, so it’s very confusing as a parent,” Racy stated. “We are operating in good faith and want to follow the rules.”
Governor Stitt, who previously supported open school transfers, condemned the decision as contrary to the law and detrimental to students’ opportunities.
“When I fought for open transfer, it was to ensure that every student in Oklahoma had equal opportunity to succeed,” Stitt said in a statement. “It is disappointing that OSSAA would continue to perpetuate a system that bars students from the opportunity to compete. I urge the OSSAA to reconsider their position and let all eligible students compete.”
This isn’t the first time OSSAA has faced legal challengesovertransferrules. In September 2024, Attorney GeneralGentnerDrummond issued a cease-and-desist letter, leading OSSAA to suspend enforcement of Rule 24 amid concerns it conflicted with the Education Open Transfer Act (Senate Bill 783).
Earlier cases, such as that involving Kayleb Barnett in 2024, saw OSSAA reverse its stance under lawsuit pressure. Rep. Ty Burns of Pawnee, a former teacher and coach, has repeatedly criticized OSSAA’s governance structure and called for its dismantling in favor of a more independent, student-centric system.
In the current case, state Senator Avery Frix and Rep. Chris Kannady have also voiced support for reform. The evolving lawsuit and mounting pressure from the governor and legislature signal a pivotal moment for OSSAA and its transfer policies. As the legal battle unfolds, many parents and students await whether this dispute will prompt meaningful reform or uphold longstanding institutional discretion.