From COVID Mandates to Crony Cover-Ups: Why Oklahoma Must Dismantle the OSSAA and Restore Local Control Over Student Athletics

Investigative Analysis: In Oklahoma, where freedom and local control have long been cherished values, an unelected nonprofit bureaucracy has quietly amassed power over the lives of thousands of young student athletes. The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA), founded in 1911 as a voluntary organization, now wields near-monopolistic control over high school interscholastic activities, from athletics to music and debate. This entity, governed by a board of superintendents and principals without direct accountability to voters or taxpayers, enforces eligibility rules, classifications, transfers, and safety protocols that often trample on individual liberties and school choice. From 2019 to 2025, the OSSAA’s missteps have exposed it as a prime example of government overreach by proxy, meddling in decisions best left to local school boards, families, and communities.

As proponents of limited government, the Sooner Sentinel believes in empowering parents and local districts, not distant associations. Why should an unelected body dictate who can play football or compete in track, especially when its rules hinder homeschool families and favor insiders? This investigative report delves into the OSSAA’s blunders during the specified timeframe, spotlighting Superintendent Mike Simpson’s dual role as a board leader and Guthrie Public Schools chief. We’ll examine the COVID-19 overreactions that should have been handled locally, the cronyism in the 2024 football scandal, and the urgent need for legislation to open public school activities to homeschoolers, modeled after Florida’s successful approach. Ultimately, we call for the immediate disbandment of the OSSAA, returning authority to local school boards to ensure all students, public, private, or homeschooled, can participate without bureaucratic barriers.

OSSAA State Playoff Referee Assignments and Ticket Sales

The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA), exerts significant control over state public school playoff events by setting rules, classifications, eligibility standards, brackets, and schedules as outlined in their annual manuals and regulations. This includes determining playoff structures for sports like football and basketball, enforcing policies on game formats, and handling disputes or appeals, such as eligibility rulings that can bar players from semifinals or championships. The OSSAA generates substantial revenue from playoff ticket sales, which form a key part of its $9.7 million annual income (with 83% from program services in 2024), including setting ticket prices (e.g., $7 for preliminary rounds and $10 for championships since 2020) and collecting portions of gate receipts, such as retaining $7 per $10 cash ticket after host sites keep $3, while potentially profiting from penalties by claiming forfeited playoff earnings. For referees in playoff games, the OSSAA maintains exclusive control by requiring officials to register annually (with fees like $64 for enrollment), compiling a list of eligible playoff officials, and overseeing assignments, schools submit preferred lists of 15 officials post-district meetings, but only OSSAA-approved referees from the available pool are selected for postseason duties.

A Timeline of Bureaucratic Blunders: 2019–2025

The OSSAA’s recent history is riddled with controversies that highlight its detachment from Oklahoma’s ethos of self-reliance. In 2019, operations hummed along with routine enforcement of eligibility and transfer rules, but board discussions on Rule 14, classifying schools by enrollment and success, foreshadowed future inequities. Dr. Mike Simpson, a Guthrie superintendent since 2012 and OSSAA board member since 2014, served as vice president, representing the Northwest Quadrant. No major disruptions hit that year, but the stage was set for the pandemic-era overreach.

By early 2020, amid budding COVID-19 concerns, the OSSAA elevated Simpson to president for the 2020–21 term. Then came the March 12 suspension of state basketball tournaments, mirroring national hysteria like the NBA’s halt. Smaller classes finished without fans, but this top-down decision ignored not only local variances in case rates but also the fact that young student athletes were far less susceptible to severe COVID-19 than their grandparents, who comprised the majority of those severely affected and hospitalized by the virus, representing 80% of hospitalizations and facing a 23-fold greater risk of death than those under 65. Why not let rural districts proceed if safe?

April’s unanimous cancellation of all spring activities was a hammer blow, costing schools $1.1 million and robbing students of irreplaceable experiences. Simpson called it his “most difficult vote,” yet as president, he endorsed this blanket shutdown, prioritizing uniform control over local discretion. This era saw the OSSAA face lawsuits and criticisms for abusing power, such as in the 2025 Glencoe case where Rule 24 (the “Linked Rule”) barred transfers, prompting calls for accountability.

In May 2020, a 7–6 vote rejected strict phased guidelines for summer activities, opting for local flexibility, a rare win for limited government. Ironically, Simpson seconded the motion for the restrictive plan and voted yes, favoring statewide mandates over district autonomy. His post-vote disappointment underscored a preference for centralized safety nets, even as rural board members pushed back against urban overcaution. June’s cancellation of the “dead period” allowed more prep time, but overall, the OSSAA’s mask recommendations and protocols, advisory for non-players, mandatory in some contexts, encroached on local choices. Districts like Oklahoma City enforced stricter rules, but why impose any statewide edicts when Oklahoma lacked a mask mandate?

From 2020–2021, fall sports limped on with hygiene and attendance limits, easing by late 2021. But post-COVID, 2021–2023 refinements to transfer rules sparked recruiting debates, with nearly 900 moves criticized for harming smaller schools. Simpson remained on the board until June 2024. That year, a shot clock for basketball passed, but December’s football incident exposed favoritism.

In 2025, updates to sports manuals coincided with more scandals: February’s court bid for Rule 14 amendments to curb private school edges, a September loss in a basketball eligibility fight, and August’s opaque ruling in a lawsuit case. Lawmakers like Rep. Burns lambasted the OSSAA as “unfair to student athletes,” fueling disbandment talks.

COVID-19: When Bureaucrats Played Doctor

The pandemic laid bare the OSSAA’s paternalistic instincts. Suspensions and cancellations weren’t just precautions, they were edicts that overrode local knowledge. In March 2020, postponing tournaments prioritized “health” without consulting districts on their readiness. April’s full shutdown, backed by Simpson, ignored that some areas had minimal cases.

Mask protocols exemplified overreach: Recommendations for coaches and staff, with locals like OKCPS mandating more. But why not leave it entirely to districts? The rejected May guidelines, phased with temperature checks and distancing, would have imposed uniformity, stifling innovation. Simpson’s support for them clashed with Oklahoma’s anti-mandate spirit, as Gov. Stitt resisted statewide orders. This wasn’t governance; it was bureaucracy usurping parental and local rights.

The 2024 Football Fiasco: Protecting “One of Their Own”

December 2024’s Class 5A semifinal saw Guthrie edge Newcastle 35-30, but allegations surfaced of a Deer Creek assistant (former Guthrie coach) on the sideline, holding play sheets, potentially violating Rule 16 against post-season participation. Simpson, no longer on the board but Guthrie’s superintendent, led an “internal investigation,” declaring no violation (nothing to see here). The OSSAA quickly concurred, deeming it a personnel matter.

Newcastle appealed, hiring counsel and arguing literal rule breach. The board’s unanimous denial focused on “intent,” not text, smacking of cronyism, especially given Simpson’s OSSAA history. Legal expert Ed Blau called it “punting.” This echoed 2011’s Guthrie forfeiture but highlighted insider protection over fairness.

Barring Homeschoolers: A Blow to School Choice

OSSAA rules bar pure homeschoolers from public extracurriculars, requiring enrollment and attendance, erecting barriers to choice. Narrow exceptions for online enrollees don’t suffice. Failed bills like 2024’s HB 2983 and 2025’s HB 2088 sought access but died amid fears of regulation. The Constitutional Home Educators Alliance opposed, but Florida proves inclusion without overregulation.

Florida’s 1996 §1006.15 allows homeschoolers to participate with minimal burdens: compliance with home ed rules, 2.0 GPA, progress demos via existing methods, no extra fees. It hasn’t increased regulation; homeschooling thrives unregulated. Oklahoma needs this to honor freedom.

Recent Chaos at a Youth Football Game in Guthrie

On October 11, 2025, where the local Guthrie team walked off the field amid a 30-0 drubbing by the Shawnee Wolves, exposes deep-rooted flaws in the Guthrie School system’s approach to athletics and youth development. Instead of modeling resilience and sportsmanship, Guthrie coaches and supporters reportedly resorted to aggressive confrontations, including finger-pointing, throat-slitting gestures, and obscenities directed at young players and families, behavior that necessitated police intervention twice. This disgraceful display, captured on video and widely reported, reflects a toxic culture permeating Guthrie’s community sports, which are inextricably linked to the public schools through shared facilities, alumni involvement, and district oversight. The Guthrie Youth Football Organization’s refusal to comment while submitting “evidence” against Shawnee smacks of deflection, highlighting how the school system fails to hold its affiliates accountable for fostering such hostility.

At the helm of this dysfunction is District Superintendent Dr. Mike Simpson, whose leadership has allowed athletics to become a breeding ground for controversy rather than character-building. Despite being named Oklahoma Superintendent of the Year in 2025 by the American Association of School Administrators, Simpson’s tenure has overseen repeated scandals, including investigations into the high school football program for improper sideline personnel during a 2024 state semifinal and forfeits due to ineligible players violating residency rules. His administration’s apparent indifference to extending sportsmanship standards to youth leagues, evident in this most recent incident’s escalation, undermines the district’s mission to empower students as “productive members of society,” as stated on the Guthrie Public Schools website. Simpson’s accolades ring hollow when elementary-aged athletes are exposed to such rage under the shadow of his district.

The Guthrie School Board bears equal blame for enabling this pattern of poor governance, turning a blind eye to recurring athletics controversies that tarnish the community’s reputation. From social media-fueled allegations against the football program to appeals over rule violations in playoff games, the board has consistently prioritized wins over ethics, allowing unwritten rules and retaliatory tactics, like those used to deem Shawnee ineligible for playoffs, to flourish in affiliated leagues such as Red Dirt Football.

This incident isn’t isolated; it’s symptomatic of a board more focused on protecting insiders than ensuring safe, fair environments for all children. Until Simpson and the board face real scrutiny and reform, Guthrie Athletics will continue to embody entitlement over merit.

Time to Disband the OSSAA & Restore Local Control

The OSSAA’s reign has bred inequities, lawsuits, and resentment. Simpson’s involvement, from COVID votes to the 2024 whitewash, exemplifies insider bias. I am reminded of a statement on governance which so eloquently explores the concept of individual liberty; that is, effective governance must prioritize maximizing individual liberty above all else, as it is an “integrative” value above all other challenges, such as maximizing equity, that always leads to dystopian outcomes of communism, a “despicable” cautionary tale. We consider this to be the “most central governance principle of all”, as it underscores why liberty stands apart, demanding holistic solutions to avoid centralized control or ideologically rigid structures of governance.

It’s time we disband the OSSAA and let local boards handle safety and inclusion, welcoming all students. Oklahoma’s future depends on less bureaucracy, local control, and more freedom, where liberty serves as both the goal and benchmark for governance at all levels.

Drafting Reform: A Proposed “Oklahoma Student Athlete Access Act”

To rectify this, we draft HB [Number] for the 2026 session, modeled on Florida and prior OK attempts.

STATE OF OKLAHOMA
61st LEGISLATURE
2026 REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. [To Be Assigned]
By: [Sponsor, e.g., Representative of Choice]

AN ACT

RELATING TO SCHOOL ACTIVITIES; PROVIDING FOR PARTICIPATION IN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES BY STUDENTS EDUCATED BY OTHER MEANS; DEFINING TERMS; REQUIRING SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO ALLOW SUCH PARTICIPATION UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS; PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION; REQUIRING COMPLIANCE WITH EXISTING HOME EDUCATION LAWS; PROVIDING FOR ACADEMIC ELIGIBILITY; REQUIRING INSURANCE COVERAGE; PROHIBITING ADDITIONAL FEES; DIRECTING THE OKLAHOMA SECONDARY SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION TO COMPLY OR FACE CONSEQUENCES; PROVIDING FOR CODIFICATION; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:

SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 70-24-101.1 of Title 70, unless there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:

A. As used in this section:

1. “Extracurricular activities” means any school-authorized or education-related activity occurring during or outside the regular school day, including but not limited to interscholastic athletics, music, speech, debate, and other competitive events.

2. “Home education student” means a student lawfully participating in a home education program pursuant to Section 70-10-105 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

3. “Governing association” means the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association or any successor organization.

B. Each public school district shall allow a home education student residing in the district to participate in extracurricular activities sponsored by a school in the district, provided the student meets the requirements of this section. Participation shall be at the student’s zoned school or, for athletics, another district school with agreement.

C. To be eligible, the home education student must:

1. Comply with all requirements for home education under Oklahoma law, including filing a notice of intent and maintaining records as required.

2. Demonstrate satisfactory educational progress in all subjects of the home education program, as determined by a method agreed upon by the parent and the school principal, which may include:

a. Review by a certified teacher selected by the parent,

b. Grades from accredited courses or institutions,

c. Standardized test scores at or above the 35th percentile, or

d. Any other method permitted under home education statutes. Such demonstration shall not exceed existing home education requirements.

3. Maintain a minimum 2.0 grade point average or equivalent in required subjects, or enter an academic performance improvement plan if below.

4. Meet the same residency, registration, standards of acceptance, behavior, performance, and conduct as required of enrolled students.

5. Register intent to participate before the activity begins. If the activity requires enrollment in a related class, the student must enroll in that class.

6. Comply with transfer and ineligibility rules, with grace periods for transitions between home education and public school.

D. The district shall provide insurance coverage for participating home education students at no additional cost beyond any premium paid by enrolled students. No extra fees shall be charged beyond those for enrolled participants.

E. The governing association shall not discriminate against home education students or associations and must allow their membership. Public schools may not join associations that discriminate based on educational choice.

F. If the governing association fails to comply, member schools may face loss of eligibility for state funding or recognition.

G. This act shall not impose additional regulations on home education programs beyond existing law.

SECTION 2. It being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval.

About the author: Marven Goodman publishes “The Sooner Sentinel” on Substack and invites readers to subscribe for free at this link which is where this story first appeared. Goodman is an author, former
Logan County Commissioner, and retired Army Lieutenant Colonel with a passion for digital electronics and computer science. His career began in 1973 as a U.S. Marine Corps avionics bench technician,
troubleshooting circuits and exploring binary logic. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1993, blending military training with computer science studies.
Goodman served as Chief Information Officer on the Oklahoma Adjutant General’s staff and retired from the military in May 2000. First elected as Logan County Commissioner in June 2014, he served through January 2023, bringing his technical and leadership expertise to writing, governance, and public service