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Oklahoma Supreme Court rules Rock Creek Plan referendum petition legally insufficient

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Oklahoma Supreme Court rules Rock Creek Plan referendum petition legally insufficient


The Oklahoma Supreme Court upheld a judge’s rule that a Referendum Petition for the Rock Creek Entertainment District Project Plan in Norman is legally insufficient.

On Sept. 20, 2024, the Referendum Petition was submitted seeking an election for Norman voters to approve or reject the two TIF Districts for the Rock Creek Plan.

The Supreme Court says in its ruling that the gist in the petition misstates the maximum amount of public assistance made to the plan and omits that the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts will remain active until either $230 million in principal plus interest is repaid to the lender, $600 million in public assistance is provided, or 25 years passes, whichever occurs first.

Those against the petition claim, “The gist in this case suggests that the incremental taxes would last for a period of up to twenty-five years, rather than ending at the first of three occurrences.” They also say the gist misidentifies the categories of incremental sales/uses taxes allocated to the Rock Creek Plan.

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Protestants also claim “The phrasing of the authorized costs in the gist inaccurately conveys that the Ordinance and the Rock Creek Plan authorize $600,000,000 in project costs in addition to $230,000,000 in financing instead of $600,000,000 and $230,000,000 as two of three separate triggers.”

The Oklahoma Supreme Court agreed that the gist misstates the maximum amount of public assistance and omits that the TIF districts will remain active until the first of the three triggering events, ultimately ruling that the referendum petition is legally insufficient.

Cleveland County Commissioner Rod Cleveland issued a statement after the Supreme Court’s decision, saying he is thrilled with the Supreme Court’s decision against the petition.

Today marks a pivotal milestone for Cleveland County, the City of Norman, the University of Oklahoma, and our broader community following the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s ruling on the Rock Creek Entertainment District TIF appeal. As County Commissioner, I am thrilled to see this project advance after more than 12 years of dedicated work on my part to bring it to fruition.

This development represents smart, responsible growth that does not raise property taxes while delivering significant benefits to our community’s quality of life. OU Athletics stands as the largest economic driver for Cleveland County, and this project will further amplify its impact, drawing even more visitors, investment, and vitality to Norman.

Sports and entertainment districts like this one have proven successful across the country, creating vibrant hubs where people eagerly visit, spend their time and money, and build lasting connections. In collaboration with the University and the County Trust, we’ve advanced key steps, including a design-build RFP, to ensure this initiative is poised for success.

This district, set to host several OU Athletics programs and other great entertainment for the community, embodies a shared vision of progress, partnership, and purpose. This is for our community. Together, we’re forging a brighter future where families, students, and professionals can live, work, play, and thrive in a community that’s stronger than ever.

The University of Oklahoma also issued a statement after the ruling, saying the entertainment district will become home to several OU Athletics programs and community events. The development would expand the University North Park to add additional hotel, office, residential, and retail spaces with a multipurpose arena and a public plaza.

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Oklahoma Ford Sports Blitz: Mar. 1, 2026

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Oklahoma Ford Sports Blitz: Mar. 1, 2026


Big night in downtown OKC as the Oklahoma City Thunder welcome the Denver Nugget and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is back on the floor.

Steve McGehee reports live from Paycom Center with the latest on SGA’s return after missing nine games, the Thunder’s push to hold the top spot in the Western Conference, and what getting healthy means for OKC’s title hopes.





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How Oklahoma GM Jim Nagy ‘Put More Around’ John Mateer During Offseason

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How Oklahoma GM Jim Nagy ‘Put More Around’ John Mateer During Offseason


Oklahoma general manager Jim Nagy experienced great success during his first year in Norman.

Nagy, who joined OU’s staff in February 2025, oversaw the Sooners’ scouting staff as Oklahoma reached the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019. He also helped OU sign a top-15 2026 recruiting class and land several key transfer portal players after the 2025 season.

Though the wins outweighed the losses in Nagy’s first year, the Sooners’ general manager knew that there was much to fortify during the offseason.

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Oklahoma’s offense sputtered late in the season, as the Sooners scored fewer than 25 points in each of their last four games.

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For Nagy, a major focus was surrounding OU quarterback John Mateer with quality talent.

“(We wanted to) just really put more around John Mateer,” Nagy said on The Dari Nowkhah Show on KREF on Friday.

Nagy and his scouting team added plenty of pieces from the portal that should elevate Oklahoma’s offense.

The Sooners signed three portal wideouts — Trell Harris (Virginia), Parker Livingstone (Texas) and Mackenzie Alleyne (Washington State) — after the 2025 season to join returning receivers Isaiah Sategna, Jer’Michael Carter and Jacob Jordan.

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Sategna, who transferred to OU from Arkansas after the 2024 season, served as Mateer’s safety net in 2025. The receiver finished the year with 965 yards and eight touchdowns on 67 catches.

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Harris and Livingstone are both proven producers at the Power Four level, and Nagy believes that those two will make OU’s receiving corps stronger in 2026.

“Those two, we’re very excited about both of those guys,” Nagy said.

Nagy also did plenty of work to ensure that OU’s run game improves in 2026.

The Sooners added three tight ends — Hayden Hansen (Florida), Rocky Beers (Colorado State) and Jack Van Dorselaer (Tennessee) — from the portal. They also added three transfer offensive linemen: Caleb Nitta (Western Kentucky), E’Marion Harris (Arkansas) and Peyton Joseph (Georgia Tech).

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OU will have its two top running backs from the 2025 squad, Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock, back in 2026.

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For those two to reach their full potential, the Sooners’ blockers will have to regularly open up running lanes — and Nagy is confident that they will.

“We have to run the ball better, there’s no way around that,” Nagy said. “Our job is to create more competition in every room in the offseason. I feel like we’ve done that.”

On the show, Nagy revealed that the Sooners added nearly 9,000 collegiate snaps to their roster during the offseason. 

The general manager believes that both sides of the ball will be stronger as a result of his scouting team’s offseason efforts and their collaboration with OU’s coaching staff.

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“I’ve tried to be really intentional with our communication,” Nagy said. “There’s a common goal: We’re trying to win a national championship. This is a true partnership, and we all have the same goal in mind. It’s going to continue to evolve and get better.”

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Oklahoma will open its 2026 season against UTEP on Sept. 5.



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Elgin’s Ritson Meyer becomes four-time Oklahoma high school wrestling state champion

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Elgin’s Ritson Meyer becomes four-time Oklahoma high school wrestling state champion


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The loss was on Ritson Meyer’s mind all week as he prepared for his final state wrestling tournament. 

A senior 215-pounder at Elgin, Meyer isn’t used to getting beaten, but he got a wake-up call when he lost against Coweta senior Aiven Robbins by five points in their regional championship match. 

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For Meyer, it set in that winning his fourth state championship wouldn’t be an easy task. 

“I lost to him last week and I’m not a loser, so it was eating on me all week in practice,” Meyer said. “So (in) practice, I really leveled up everything. Everything about it.” 

Meyer and Robbins met again on Saturday, this time with the Class 5A state championship on the line. 

Intensely focused from the start, Meyer came out aggressive. And although it was another great match, Meyer did just enough to etch his name in the state history books. 

Meyer held on to beat Robbins in an 8-7 decision in the new OG&E Coliseum as he claimed his fourth state championship, while Coweta won the team title. 

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An Abilene Christian football signee, Meyer’s wrestling days are over, but he leaves the sport with satisfaction. 

“I came out here — even though it hurt, even though I was tired — I got it done,” Meyer said. “I’m so happy. I got to celebrate with my parents, my family, my friends. It’s a crazy feeling.” 

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A standout running back and linebacker on the gridiron, Meyer helped his team win the Class 4A state title in football as a junior before Elgin lost to Tuttle 23-20 in the 2025 championship game in December. 

It’s a different sport, but that loss fueled Meyer’s wrestling season in a way. 

“I like to tell people that wrestling is like offseason football,” Meyer said. “I can’t go out, lose. Everybody wanted me to win this. I won it for the whole entire community. First four-timer at Elgin. And that football (loss) really did eat me alive. It didn’t feel good at all, and I didn’t want that same feeling again.” 

Meyer had a great start against Robbins on Saturday and never trailed, but Robbins battled to set up a great finish and both were gassed when it was over. 

“I just gave it my all,” Meyer said, “and I got it done.” 

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This article will be updated.

Nick Sardis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Nick? He can be reached at nsardis@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at@nicksardis. Sign up forThe Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Nick’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing adigital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.





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