Less Than 24 Hours After Gov. Kevin Stitt’s Speech, Oklahoma Lawmakers Move to Reshape High School Sports Oversight

A newly introduced bill would replace the OSSAA with a state-run commission, escalating a fast-moving debate over athlete transfers, eligibility rules and who controls high school athletics.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt publicly called for major changes to how sports are governed during his State of the State speech on Monday. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Less than a day after Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt publicly called for the elimination of the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association, state lawmakers introduced legislation that would dissolve the organization and replace it with a new state-run governing body.

Senate Bill 1890, authored by Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, would eliminate the OSSAA and create the Oklahoma Athletics and Activities Commission, a government entity that would assume oversight of high school sports and activities statewide. The bill was introduced Tuesday, hours after Stitt’s remarks during his final State of the State address at the Capitol.

If enacted, the new commission would begin overseeing secondary school activities starting with the 2027-28 school year.

Stitt targets OSSAA over transfer eligibility

In his address Monday, Stitt criticized the OSSAA while discussing Oklahoma’s open-transfer law, which took effect in 2022 and allows students to change school districts under specific conditions.

Stitt argued that while students are permitted to transfer schools, athletes can still face barriers to participation because of OSSAA eligibility rules.

“A student can transfer to a new school, but if they want to excel in sports, their opportunity may be blocked by an unelected and unaccountable high school athletic association: the OSSAA,” Stitt said.

Under the new legislation, Oklahoma high school student-athletes would be allowed to switch schools and continue playing without fear of losing eligibility. / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The governor framed his remarks around what he described as systemic problems rather than a single isolated decision.

The eligibility dispute Stitt pointed to

In explaining his criticism of the OSSAA, Stitt referenced a recent eligibility fight involving Glencoe Public Schools that became a flashpoint in the broader debate over transfers and enforcement.

The case involved multiple boys basketball players who transferred to Glencoe after a coaching change and were later ruled ineligible under OSSAA rules governing athlete movement. The families challenged the decision in court, arguing the players had followed transfer requirements but were still barred from competition.

The dispute was ultimately resolved later in the year, restoring eligibility, but Stitt cited the episode as an example of what he described as an uneven system—one in which families felt forced into legal action to secure playing time for their children.

“Your ability to play sports should not depend on your parents’ ability to pay for a lawyer,” Stitt said during his address.

OSSAA responds as legislation advances

In response to Gov. Stitt's remarks, OSSAA emphasized that it is a member-driven organization that abides by decisions rendered using policies and rules set forth by its member schools. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The OSSAA issued a response Monday afternoon following the governor’s remarks, emphasizing that it is not a state agency and is governed by its member schools.

“The OSSAA is a member-driven organization governed by the 482 Oklahoma schools that voluntarily choose to join the association,” the organization said in a statement. “Every major decision, policy and rule is shaped by these member schools.”

The association noted that its Board of Directors is composed of elected school leaders, including superintendents, principals and athletic directors, chosen by their peers.

OSSAA executive director David Jackson also responded, expressing disappointment that the governor had not reached out before calling for the organization’s elimination.

“While we are disappointed that Governor Stitt did not reach out to learn more about how the OSSAA operates, we welcome the opportunity to visit with him at any time,” Jackson said. “We would be glad to help him better understand our member-governed structure and the work our schools do collectively to support students across Oklahoma.”

By Tuesday, however, OSSAA’s response was overtaken by the introduction of Senate Bill 1890.

What the new bill would change

Under SB 1890, the proposed Oklahoma Athletics and Activities Commission would consist of 19 members representing large and small public and private schools across the state, including school administrators, athletic directors and parents. Appointments would be made by the governor, the Senate president pro tempore and the House speaker.

The commission would be subject to Oklahoma’s Open Meeting Act and Open Records Act, a provision supporters say addresses transparency concerns raised about the OSSAA.

Statement from OSSAA. / Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association

The bill also repeals an existing law that requires many transferring students to sit out for a year before participating in sports or other regulated activities.

Sen. Murdock said the bill reflects long-standing frustrations with the OSSAA’s direction.

“I think the OSSAA has forgotten who they are working for, and it’s the kids,” Murdock said. “What it’s looked like to me for the last several years, I think all they’re concerned about is making money.”

What comes next

SB 1890 is awaiting a hearing before the Senate Education Committee. No hearing date has been announced.

If passed, the legislation would mark the most significant restructuring of high school sports governance in Oklahoma history, replacing an association run by member schools with a state-controlled commission—a move that would reshape eligibility enforcement, transparency requirements and oversight beginning in 2027.

For now, the OSSAA remains in place, even as the debate over athlete transfers, eligibility and governance has moved rapidly from a State of the State speech to proposed law in less than 24 hours.