Oklahoma House of Representatives
December 31, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: State Rep. Gus Blackwell
Capitol: (405) 557-7384
Goodwell: (580) 349-2263


OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma Panhandle State University is not banning prayer for coaches, players, or athletic teams as the Daily Oklahoman reported recently, state Rep. Gus Blackwell said Wednesday.

The school "is simply following guidelines that all public universities must follow in this area," the Goodwell Republican said. "A coach can't force players to pray or comply with the coach's religious preference or teaching. The university made it perfectly clear that
players are free to express their personal religious beliefs through prayer, with or without the coach present."

The key issue Athletic Director Wayne Stewart was trying to address was player recruitment, Blackwell asserted.

Several players have quit the men's basketball team, "leaving only a minimal number who suited up for the games," Blackwell related. "The letter to the coach stressed that more players needed to be recruited, and practice needed to be scheduled around their classes to maximize the team's numbers."

The "actions and attitudes" of the men's basketball coach "about the players' need to conform to his religious beliefs" had led a couple of players to leave the team, Blackwell said. "The administration was stressing that this type of behavior had to change. It did not ban the coach or players from praying."

OPSU had a winning football season this past year for the first time in its history as an NCAA Division II school, "and the players prayed at the games," the legislator continued.

"The present administration is pushing for this type of excellence throughout the university," not just in its athletic programs. The men's basketball team "was not heading in this direction of excellence, and the administration was trying to work with the coach to correct this problem." In fact, Blackwell said, of the two basketball coaches who resigned recently, neither won more than three games at OPSU in either of the last two years. The women's coach as well as the men's resigned in December.

"OPSU is striving for excellence at all levels of its academic and athletic programs alike," Blackwell said.

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