Alabama High School Basketball Team Placed on Probation After Exceeding Game Limit

With the probation effective immediately, Oakwood Adventist Academy is eliminated from the postseason

SBLive Sports

A high school boys basketball team in Alabama has been fined and placed on probation for a year after the program exceeded “the maximum number of contests allowed in the regular season,” the Alabama High School Athletic Association announced on Thursday.

With the probation beginning immediately, the Oakwood Adventist Academy boys basketball squad has also been eliminated from the AHSAA Class 1A Area 16 Tournament. 

The Mustangs must forfeit all 2025-26 regular season contests after going over the 30-game limit, AHSAA stated. AHSAA’s restitution rule will also require Oakwood to “sit out the same number of contests in which they played ineligibly.”

The rule is stated on page 29 of the AHSAA’s sports book: “Schools are permitted to play a maximum of 30 regular season games (inclusive of tournament and regular season area games).  Post play (area tournament, sub-regional, regional, state) is not included in the maximum number allowed. All tournaments must be held on weekends or during school holiday periods except for one. One tournament may be held on regular school days with principal approval .”

According to AL.com, Oakwood played its extra game at home against Whitesburg Christian on Tuesday. Oakwood coach Jarrett Swain told AL.com that before Tuesday’s contest, he was in contact with AHSAA, and the extra game was permitted.

The Mustangs, which AHSAA said self-reported the violation, was the No. 1 seed in the Class 1A Area 16 playoff and set to host the tournament. The probation, however, leads to second-seeded Skyline hosting the tournament, which starts on Monday.

Skyline will face third-seeded Ider in the semifinals, while fourth-seeded Woodville goes up against fifth-seeded Valley Head in the other matchup. The Area 16 championship is slated for Wednesday.

Oakwood capped its season with a 14-16 record. The Mustangs entered the postseason as the top-ranked team in the latest Alabama Sports Writers Association poll.

In the 2024-25 season, Oakwood advanced to the AHSAA state semifinals before they fell to eventual Class 1A champion R.C. Hatch.

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