Since last summer, the Lincoln Christian Bulldogs were scheduled to shift to 4A in 2024 and 2025 due to amendments to the Oklahoma School Activities Association’s Rule 14, which elevates private school classification based on postseason achievement instead of enrollment.

Two weeks ago, however, Oklahoma County District Judge Richard Ogden ruled in a lawsuit brought by five Oklahoma Cityarea private schools that Rule 14 remains, but those amendments adopted before the 2023-24 school year must be voided effective July 1.

As a result, Lincoln Christian and several other schools had their classifications changed when the OSSAA announced new classifications for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, based on enrollment figures from October 2023. The classifications when they were set last August were based on enrollments from June 2023, but the OSSAA board voted last week to use updated figures, resulting in additional changes.

A huge difference is Wagoner, Lincoln will drop back to 3A. Also returning to 3A instead of moving up to 4A are perennial private school powers Holland Hall and Heritage Hall.

But moving from the other direction to 3A are perennial powers Cascia Hall and Victory Christian, who were going to be in 2A-I.

Public schools wanted private schools to move up one classification to make the playing field as fair as possible. Now with the rule change being struck down and the new transfer rule by the OSSAA, public schools and high school student athletes will change the landscape of high school athletics.

Nearly all the coaches I have talked to about this subject wanted Oklahoma to apply the “Texas Rule” which is private schools can play public schools in the regular season but must play other private schools in their own division in the post-season.