The Oklahoma Department of Corrections (DOC) is preparing to take control of the state’s last privately operated prison next month, marking a major shift in how the state manages its incarcerated population.

DOC officials announced Saturday that the agency will assume operational control of the Lawton Correctional Facility on July 25. The facility was recently purchased by the state for $312 million, a move state lawmakers say saves taxpayer dollars compared to the estimated $1.5 billion it would take to build a new prison from scratch.

“This is a ‘how do we fix a problem’ situation,” said Rep. Trey Caldwell. “Are correctional officers in the state of Oklahoma safe? How do we make sure that we are being humane in the treatment of the people that we do have incarcerated?”

>> Oklahoma lawmakers propose $312 million to buy last private prison

According to Director Steve Harp, all current employees at the Lawton facility will be offered jobs with DOC, pending successful background checks.

The transition is part of a broader effort to bring Oklahoma’s prison system under direct state oversight, improve safety conditions for staff and inmates, and ensure consistent standards across all facilities.

The Lawton Correctional Facility has housed state inmates under private management for years. Once the DOC takes over in late July, all state correctional facilities will be publicly run.

Before Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer takes the field for the first time in Norman, he’ll rub shoulders with the Mannings.

Mateer will be one of 27 counselors at the 2025 Manning Passing Academy, the clinic announced in an Instagram post. Counselors at the camp are current college football quarterbacks, and others may be announced in the near future.

The Manning Passing Academy is held annually on the campus of Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, LA. This year’s clinic, from June 26 to June 29, is the 29th edition of it.

The Manning family — Archie, Peyton, Eli and Cooper — all help lead the camp, alongside current college football players, who serve as counselors.

Mateer is one of nine quarterbacks from the SEC who will be counselors at the 2025 clinic. 

Other SEC signal callers include Arch Manning (Texas), Garrett Nussmeier (LSU), Lanorris Sellers (South Carolina), Blake Shapen (Mississippi State), Gunner Stockton (Georgia), Taylen Green (Arkansas), Austin Simmons (Ole Miss) and Ty Simpson (Alabama). Manning is the son of Cooper Manning, nephew of Peyton and Eli and grandson of Archie.

Three counselors — Sam Leavitt (Arizona State), Cade Klubnik (Clemson) and Kevin Jennings (SMU) — were starting quarterbacks for teams that reached the College Football Playoff last season.

This is the second year in a row that OU will be represented at the Manning Passing Academy, as Jackson Arnold was a counselor in 2024.

Arnold was the Sooners’ leading passer last season, finishing the year with 1,421 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions. He transferred to Auburn after the 2024 campaign, and he is expected to be the Tigers’ starting quarterback in 2025.

OU Softball: Should Oklahoma Add a Transfer Portal Pitcher?
Observations from Oklahoma Brent Venables Football Camp Session II
Oklahoma Freshman Aaliyah Chavez Invited to U19 National Team Trials

Mateer enters his first season in Norman with lofty expectations.

In 2024 — his first season as Washington State’s starter — Mateer threw for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions, completing 64.6 percent of passes.

Mateer, a Texas native, transferred to Oklahoma in December alongside new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who also came to Oklahoma from Washington State. With Arbuckle and Mateer leading the offense, the Cougars finished 12th nationally in scoring offense, averaging 36.8 points per game.

Oklahoma, on the other hand, struggled offensively in 2024, particularly in the passing game. The Sooners finished No. 119 in passing offense out of 134 teams that play NCAA Division I FBS football, averaging 175.8 passing yards.

247Sports ranked Mateer as the No. 6 overall prospect in the 2025 transfer portal and the No. 3 quarterback, behind Nico Iamaleava (Tennessee to UCLA) and Carson Beck (Georgia to Miami).

Attendees at the Manning Passing Academy must be incoming eighth graders at the youngest, or rising high school seniors at the oldest.

According to the camp’s website, it “embraces the basic fundamentals of football while catering to the offensive skill positions” of quarterback, wide receiver, tight end and running back.

Nearly every analyst coming into this year’s NBA finals had the Oklahoma City Thunder beating the Indiana Pacers comfortably. The first three quarters of Game 1 did very little to contradict those predictions until the final minutes, when all hell broke loose.

The reigning NBA MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, looked like, well, the NBA MVP for much of the game as he led the scoring with 38 points. His Thunder team went out to an early 7-0 lead and were 57-45 up by half-time. The second half seemed to be going the same way with the Thunder 15 points up at one point in the fourth quarter.

And then the Pacers, as they so often have in these playoffs, started to fight back. With a minute remaining they had made it a one-point game at 110-109. With a second to go it was still 110-109 and Tyrese Haliburton had a chance to steal the game for the Pacers in outrageous fashion. Just as he had against the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, he did not miss when it mattered. His basket put the Pacers up 111-110 and won them the game. Remarkably, the Pacers led for just 0.3 seconds – the blink between Haliburton’s shot and the buzzer.

Haliburton’s shot was the latest game-winner in an NBA finals contest since Michael Jordan’s buzzer-beater to sink the Utah Jazz in 1997, also in Game 1.

“We’ve just had to figure out how to win in so many ways all year,” said Haliburton. “We’re just a really resilient group, I’m just really proud of this group. We keep believing and we stay together. It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.”

Once again, Indiana had found a way back in these playoffs. On 29 April, they trailed Milwaukee 118-111 with 34.6 seconds left in overtime and won 119-118. On 6 May, the Pacers trailed Cleveland 119-112 with 48 seconds left and won 120-119. On 21 May, they trailed New York 121-112 with 51.1 seconds left in regulation and won 138-135 in overtime. Thursday’s comeback was the Pacers’ fifth from 15 or more points down this postseason, an NBA record.

“That’s a really good team,” Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. “Credit them for not only tonight but their run. They’ve had so many games like that that have seemed improbable. And they just play with a great spirit and they keep coming. They keep playing.”

The Pacers had staged the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in a finals game since Dallas came from 15 down to beat Miami in 2011. The coach of those Mavericks: Rick Carlisle. The coach of these Pacers: Rick Carlisle. His decisions on Thursday certainly helped. When the Pacers were 15 points down early in the fourth, Carlisle called time and subbed out all five players, seeking a spark. It worked. The Pacers outscored the Thunder 15-4 over the next 3:26 to make it 98-94 with a little over six minutes remaining. It was a foundation that would help them stage their remarkable comeback.

Haliburton’s last-gasp heroics spoiled a brilliant outing by Gilgeous-Alexander, whose 38 points were the third-most in an NBA finals debut behind only Allen Iverson (48 in 2001) and George Mikan (42 in 1949).

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is on Sunday night in Oklahoma City. Both teams may just about have recovered by then.

“Man, basketball’s fun,” Haliburton said, reflecting on the end of the game.

It was hard to disagree.