OSSAA Board unanimously denies appeal on Glencoe High School basketball players' eligibility

8/13/2025 UPDATE:

The OSSAA Board of Directors has unanimously denied Glencoe's appeal to the ruling regarding the basketball players' eligibility for the upcoming season.

The board met on Wednesday in Oklahoma City to approve or not approve an appeal by Glencoe Public Schools of a Rule 24 violation.

Here's how Rule 24 reads in the OSSAA rulebook:

RULE 24 – COACHES AND PLAYERS LINKED

"A student athlete changing from one school to another, after establishing at the ninth grade or above shall be ruled ineligible for varsity participation for one year if it is proven that: 1. A coach of the receiving school coached an out-of-school team on which the athlete played prior to the transfer; OR 2. The coach at the receiving school acted as a private athletic instructor for the athlete changing schools, regardless of whether the coach was paid for his or her service and/or expertise; OR 3. The student participated in a sports camp or clinic run by a member school and/or its coach(es); OR 4. The player who played for a coach at one school (member or non-member) and subsequently (within a 12-month period) followed the coach when he/she moved to a member school or changed schools within the membership. (not applicable for the coach’s children).

Photo showing the OSSAA board meeting in Oklahoma City on August 13, 2025, to discuss an appeal to the ruling that made four Glencoe basketball players ineligible to play during the 2025-2026 season.

Now, each individual student will have the opportunity to appeal the ruling.

We'll have more on this story throughout the day.

Original story below...

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Four high school students transferred to Glencoe Public Schools in Glencoe this year and wanted to play basketball, but the OSSAA says the four boys are not eligible to play.

They say they are accused by the OSSAA of breaking several rules.

School leaders say they followed every step the OSSAA has laid out and students are all using their one-time transfer.

They say if the OSSAA has any proof that they broke the rules, they want to see it.

MADDOX’S STORY

Four Glencoe High School students wanted to play basketball in this gym with their friend, Maddox Schubert.

“It’s a different feeling, coming out here at nights, everybody in the crowd, getting to go play,” said Schubert.

Schubert is eligible to play because his father is the coach, and it allows coaches’ kids to follow their parent.

He says it’s tough to watch his friends go through this.

“It’s really just upsetting,” said Schubert. “Because, in the end, we all just want to play. We just want to play basketball together, as friends in our high school days.”

He wants the OSSAA to let them play together.

“I just hope they do the right thing and let us all play together and see the big picture,” said Schubert. “They shouldn’t have to get in the way of us playing basketball.”

TRYING TO FOLLOW THE RULES

Maddox Schubert’s father, Garrett Schubert, is the new basketball coach at Glencoe.

He came here after coaching 5th and 6th graders in Morrison.

He also coaches for a youth league and says he checked to make sure he was following all the OSSAA rules.

“I knew when I took this job that there was going to be people in the area raise concerns,” said Garrett Schubert. “That’s why before I took the job, I called down there and I made sure that we were in compliance.”

He says he has gone through the transfer process before with other children and had no issues.

“I still, today, don’t know what we did wrong,” said Garrett Schubert. “My oldest son transferred to Stillwater last year, and we did everything by the books. We were in contact with them at all times. I even sold my house last year.”

He says the students who transferred are friends of his son he has known for years.

“I think when you see the story and hear that four or five kids are transferring to one school, the first thing they are going to say is recruiting,” said Schubert. “Once they hear the story, and see I’ve had these kids in my life since first and second grade, they understand. I don’t have to recruit these kids. They’ve been in my life, their families have been in my life. We’ve traveled together, we vacation together.” 

He says he has asked the OSSAA to show him which rule he violated.

“I’ve said it since day one: if I’ve done something wrong, show me,” said Schubert. “Where’s it at in the rule book? Where do I need to learn and get better at, or any other kids that it’s going to involve down the road?”

SUPERINTENDENT’S PERPSECTIVE

Jay Reeves has been the Superintendent at Glencoe Public Schools for four years.

He says he has stayed up to date with OSSAA guidelines and procedures and Schubert did not violate any rules.

“He did not coach these kids this past summer because we asked him not to,” said Reeves. “Even though the ‘linked rule’ is going back into effect May First, we did not want these problems to follow, so we asked him not to and he did not.”

Reeves said he did not see these transfers becoming an issue.

“I did not anticipate this would be a problem because we were pretty familiar with the rules and we try to follow every single one of them,” said Schubert. “Coach Schubert himself, he called OSSAA, and he called myself, every step of the way.”

Reeves says the argument boils down to school choice.

“We want you to be part of our school,” said Reeves. “We have retained counsel because we know how important it is to them and their families, and they’re being bullied right now and that is not fair. That is not fair to these kids, they should have a right to choose where they want to go to school.”

Reeves says all of the students are using their one-time transfer.

“If a parent wants to do that, who am I to tell a parent that I know better than they do for their own child,” said Reeves. “That’s what’s at stake here.”

WHAT DO THE RULES SAY?

The OSSAA rule book says the following about coaches and players being “linked.”

“A student athlete changing from one school to another, after establishing at the ninth grade or above, shall be ruled ineligible for varsity participation for one year if it is proven that: 1. A coach of the receiving school coached an out-of-school team on which the athlete played prior to the transfer; OR 2. The coach at the receiving school acted as a private athletic instructor for the athlete changing schools, regardless of whether the coach was paid for his or her service and/or expertise; OR 3.The student participated in a sports camp or clinic run by a member school and/or its coach(es); OR 4.The player who played for a coach at one school (member or non-member) and subsequently (within a 12-month period) followed the coach when he/she moved to a member school or changed schools within the membership. (not applicable for the coach’s children). “

A link to the OSSAA rule book can be found HERE.

A link to OSSAA’s website can be found HERE.

WHAT’S NEXT

The OSSAA says it does not want to comment until after the board meeting makes its final decision.

That meeting is on Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. in Oklahoma City.

RELATED

1. OSSAA One Free Transfer Approval Opens New Door For Oklahoma Student-Athletes
2. Glencoe vs. OSSAA: Games canceled, legal action looming amid transfer eligibility dispute