Procedural blunders and missing court orders have paralyzed the NCAA’s fight against Owen Heinecke, as the Oklahoma Sooners linebacker remains eligible for 2026 while national officials scramble to fix paperwork
As of Wednesday, May 13, 2026, the NCAA’s appeal against University of Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke’s additional year of eligibility remains stalled in the Oklahoma Supreme Court due to ongoing procedural disputes.
The association must respond today to a motion seeking dismissal of its appeal, while questions linger over the lack of a properly memorialized lower court order. Heinecke continues to benefit from the preliminary injunction, keeping him fully eligible for the 2026 season.
The NCAA used the wrong type of court document to appeal Owen Heinecke's additional year of eligibility, according to the Oklahoma Supreme Court in records available online.
The NCAA filed an appeal on April 24, and the Oklahoma Supreme Court is giving the association until May 11 to refile with the correct paperwork. Heinecke's eligibility relief stays in effect until then.
"The Court notes the April 17, 2026, order attached is not a memorialized appealable interlocutory order," the file reads.
"The following shall not constitute a judgment, decree or appealable order: minute orders or minute entries; docket entries or docket minutes; a verdict; an informal statement of the proceedings and relief awarded, including but not limited to, summary orders or summary minutes, or a letter or other writing to a party or parties indicating the ruling or instructions for preparing the judgment, decree or appealable order."
Heinecke’s lawyers filed a motion April 28 asking the Supreme Court to throw out the NCAA’s appeal entirely on the belief that it was filed prematurely.
"Appellee Owen Heinecke respectfully moves for dismissal of this premature appeal by Appellant National Collegiate Athletic Association ("NCAA") for lack of appellate jurisdiction due to the absence of an appealable order from the District Court of Cleveland County," the file reads.
"Absent an appealable order, dismissal of the NCAA's appeal without prejudice is mandatory under Oklahoma law."
The NCAA was directed April 29 to respond to Heinecke's motion to "dismiss Appeal as premature on or before May 13," according to the Oklahoma Supreme Court in records available online.
That response deadline is today.
In a further development, the NCAA filed a motion May 4 to associate counsel pro hac vice, adding two attorneys from Tennessee—Taylor J. Askew and David J. Zeitlin—to practice in the case.
On Wednesday, the court granted the motion, and the attorneys entered their appearance on Thursday.
Heinecke requested on May 8 that the Supreme Court would enter an order "making clear the May 11 deadline is suspended until resolution of his motion to Dismiss Appeal, or that all deadlines are suspended until a proper journal entry has been entered in District Court."
Additionally, the NCAA has tried to "manufacture an emergency in the District Court by claiming the District Court's rules for submission of a journal entry do not apply, and that a journal entry must be entered by May 11."
The NCAA has been "unable to comply with this Court's Order" to file an amended petition in error by May 11. "The district court has yet to enter a memorialized certified copy of its April 17, 2026, order," the file reads.
"Appellant's efforts to prompt entry of a memorialized order have been unsuccessful."
The file also notes that the NCAA "sought cooperation of (Heinecke's) counsel in presentation of an agreed form of order to the district court" but was rejected.
A Cleveland County court judge granted Heinecke an injunction for additional year of eligibility on April 16. If the appeal moves forward, the full trial court record must be submitted to the Supreme Court before June 16.
Background and Significance
Owen Heinecke, a redshirt senior linebacker who earned All-SEC Second Team honors in 2025, originally began his athletic career at Ohio State as a lacrosse player.
Limited participation in three lacrosse games in 2021, combined with COVID-19 impacts and other circumstances, led the NCAA to count that season against his eligibility clock. After two denied waiver requests, Heinecke turned to the courts.
Following a full-day hearing on April 16 featuring testimony from head coach Brent Venables and GM Jim Nagy, Judge Thad Balkman ruled in Heinecke’s favor, issuing the injunction that restored his eligibility and barred NCAA retaliation.
The ruling was a significant victory for athlete rights and the application of the “totality of the circumstances” standard in waiver cases.
The procedural back-and-forth now centers on technical appellate requirements rather than the substantive merits of eligibility. Heinecke’s team argues the absence of a formal, appealable order deprives the Supreme Court of jurisdiction at this stage.
The NCAA, meanwhile, is pushing to formalize the record while bringing in specialized counsel.
Current Outlook as of May 13
With the NCAA’s response to the dismissal motion due today, the Supreme Court could rule soon on whether the appeal proceeds at all. Even if it does, the case will likely take additional months to resolve on the merits.
In the meantime, Heinecke remains cleared to participate fully with the Sooners, providing Oklahoma with veteran leadership and depth at linebacker heading into the 2026 campaign.
For Sooners Nation, the delays represent continued good news: one of the program’s top defenders is locked in for another season unless the appeal ultimately succeeds.
The situation remains fluid. Today’s deadline for the NCAA’s response could bring the next major development in what has become a closely watched procedural chess match in Norman and beyond.