{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-3a-3a-301","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 3A, § 3A-301","heading":"Amateur sports organizations seeking national affiliation","body":"or membership - Exemptions - Eligibility standards -\n\nNondiscrimination requirement - Penalties.\n\nA. As used in this act:\n\n1. \"Amateur athlete\" means any athlete who meets the\n\neligibility standards established by the national governing body for\n\nthe sport in which the athlete competes;\n\n2. \"Amateur athletic competition\" means a contest, game, meet,\n\nmatch, tournament, regatta, or other event in which amateur athletes\n\ncompete;\n\n3. \"Amateur sports organization\" means a not-for-profit\n\ncorporation, club, federation, union, association, or other group\n\norganized in the United States or the State of Oklahoma which\n\nsponsors or arranges any amateur athletic competition;\n\n4. \"Corporation\" means the United States Olympic Corporation;\n\n5. \"National governing body\" means an amateur sports\n\norganization which is recognized by the Corporation in accordance\n\nwith Section 391 of the Amateur Sports Act of 1978, 36 U.S.C.,\n\nSection 371 et seq.; and\n\n6. \"Sanction\" means a certificate of approval issued by a\n\nnational governing body.\n\nB. The provision of this section shall apply to those amateur\n\nsports organizations that have been or are currently seeking\n\nrecognition, sanction, associate membership, affiliate membership or\n\nfull membership of the national governing body for the sport in\n\nwhich the athletes or teams compete.\n\nC. All public or private schools affiliated with the Oklahoma\n\nSecondary Schools Activities Association (OSSAA) which sponsors or\n\nconducts amateur athletes or athletic competition shall not be\n\nconsidered an amateur sports organization under the provisions of\n\nthis section, provided however such schools shall comply with the\n\nOSSAA guidelines concerning discriminatory practices against amateur\n\nathletes.\n\nD. All public and private organizations or religious-based\n\norganizations or individuals who sponsor, support or conduct an\n\namateur sports organization or athletic competition that is not\n\nofficially sanctioned or is not seeking sanction as a full,\n\naffiliate or associate member of the national governing body for the\n\nsport being played, as defined by Section 373 of the Amateur Sports\n\nAct of 1978, 36 U.S.C., Section 371 et seq., shall not be subject to\n\nthis section and shall have exclusive jurisdiction over such\n\ncompetition and shall be entitled to establish eligibility\n\nstandards, provided however those standards do not conflict with\n\nfederal or state law or established standards set by a governing\n\nbody for which the organization or individual may seek affiliation\n\nor membership at the local, state or regional level.\n\nE. All amateur sports organizations shall follow the\n\neligibility standards established by the national governing body for\n\nthe sport in which the athlete competes and shall:\n\n1. Demonstrate that its membership is open to all individual\n\namateur athletes, teams, coaches, trainers, managers, administrators\n\nor officials who seek membership, and to all amateur sports\n\norganizations which conduct programs in the sport for which\n\nmembership is sought;\n\n2. Provide an equal opportunity to all amateur athletes, teams,\n\ncoaches, trainers, managers, administrators and officials to\n\nparticipate in amateur athletic competition without discrimination\n\non the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, geographical\n\nboundaries or national origin; and to provide fair notice and an\n\nopportunity for hearing to any amateur athlete, team, coach,\n\ntrainer, manager, administrator or official before determining that\n\nsuch individual or team is ineligible to participate;\n\n3. Not have eligibility criteria relating to amateur status\n\nwhich are more restrictive than those of the appropriate\n\ninternational sports federation;\n\n4. Provide equitable support and encouragement to women for\n\nparticipation in athletic competition where separate programs for\niner, manager, administrator or official before determining that\n\nsuch individual or team is ineligible to participate;\n\n3. Not have eligibility criteria relating to amateur status\n\nwhich are more restrictive than those of the appropriate\n\ninternational sports federation;\n\n4. Provide equitable support and encouragement to women for\n\nparticipation in athletic competition where separate programs for\n\nmale and female athletes are conducted on a statewide basis;\n\n5. Encourage and support amateur athletic sports programs for\n\nhandicapped individuals in amateur athletic activity including,\n\nwhere feasible, expanding the opportunities for meaningful\n\nparticipation by handicapped individuals in athletic competition for\n\nable-bodied individuals; and\n\n6. Encourage and provide assistance to amateur athletes of\n\nracial and ethnic minorities for the purpose of eliciting the\n\nparticipation of such minorities in amateur athletic activities in\n\nwhich they are underrepresented.\n\nF. All amateur athletes or teams who are members of an amateur\n\nsports organization shall not be restricted from playing either\n\nrecreational or competitive sports due to race, color, religion,\n\nage, sex, geographical boundaries or national origin.\n\nG. Any person, officer or amateur sports organization, as\n\ndefined by the Amateur Sports Act of 1978, 36 U.S.C., Section 373\n\nand by the provisions of this section, knowingly violating the\n\nprovisions of subsection F of this section shall be guilty of a\n\nmisdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be imprisoned in the county\n\njail for not more than six (6) months or fined not more than Five\n\nHundred Dollars ($500.00), or both such fine and imprisonment; and\n\nknowing violation of any of the provisions of this section may\n\nsubject such persons or organization to civil penalties.","path":["OK Code","Title 3A"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os3A.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"996d31e020b862891efb62d2ec6d4573369692ccbc849acd8d7c0730b2635883","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-3a-3a-282","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-3a-3a-401"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}