OSSAA to discuss NFHS Network contract
The Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association’s board of directors made the first steps to terminate the association’s exclusive streaming rights contract with the NFHS Network.
The board voted 11-2 to approve a motion that would give notice to the NFHS Network of a breach of contract. The motion came after guidance with OSSAA attorney Mark Grossman, who board members consulted with during the hour and a half deliberation Wednesday afternoon during the monthly board meeting.
The OSSAA began a contract with the NFHS Network during the 2014-15 school year to have exclusive streaming rights for its state championship events. The contract is set to expire in 2027-28.
The board made the motion stemming from the incident March 11 when an announcer, who the NFHS Network hired as a vendor, directed racist comments toward members of the Norman girls basketball team as the kneeled for the national anthem.
Mark Koski, the CEO of NFHS Network, gave a presentation to the board about what changes were being implemented to prevent another situation
arising in the future.
Board members plan to discuss further possible action during the June board meeting.
Every state championship event in Oklahoma is live streamed via the NFHS Network, including all of the state tournament basketball games at every site.
There was discussion about terminating the contract Wednesday, but with numerous questions from the board members surrounding the legal and financial ramifications, more discussion was tabled until the June board meeting.
Newcastle’s appeal to overturn OSSAA decision fails
Newcastle won’t be able to host playoff events until March of 2022.
The board denied an appeal from the district following an OSSAA decision in March to disallow Newcastle to host any OSSAA playoff events for a calendar year.
The OSSAA’s decision came following a high school basketball playoff contest on Feb. 25 between Newcastle and John Marshall. Members of John Marshall’s basketball team were subjected to racial slurs from some members of Newcastle’s student section while walking off the court, which resulted in a fight between some Newcastle students and John Marshall students.
After an investigation from both schools and the OSSAA, the OSSAA determined the punishment would be to sanction Newcastle from hosting any OSSAA playoff events for an entire year, which started on March 4.
The board voted 11-0 to not approve Newcastle’s appeal.
No changes soon in fall/spring baseball
The debate about small-school baseball carries on.
The board struck down a motion 10-3 that would have sent a proposal to baseball-playing schools in Class 2A and below to discuss changes in classification. The changes would classify schools based on whether they play two seasons of baseball, one in the fall and one in the spring, or those that play football in the fall and baseball in the spring.
There have been multiple discussions in the past about changing classifications for spring baseball based on whether a school plays baseball or football in the fall.
Many schools who play football in the fall believe schools who play baseball in the fall have an unfair advantage come springtime because baseball-only playing schools get two full seasons compared to one for football-only schools.
Since 2000, only one school (Christian Heritage in 2016) who plays football in the fall has won a spring baseball state title in Class 2A and below.
New spring football policies
Spring football could look a bit different this year.
In the past, schools would have spring practice for two weeks before going to a larger team camp against other teams.
Now schools have an option for another type of spring football, following the board’s decision to approve this new rule.
Schools now can forgo having any spring practice, which begins in May, but would be able to attend two team camps instead. Each school will have the option to pick one or the other, OSSAA associate director Mike Whaley said.