Retiring Denton ISD AD Joey Florence asks that Colton Nussmeier be ruled eligible in letter to UIL
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On Thursday, four-star quarterback Colton Nussmeier had his appeal for varsity eligibility denied by a 4-1 vote by the University Interscholastic League’s state executive committee.
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The UIL upheld a ruling by a local district executive committee that Nussmeier transferred for athletic purposes when he moved from Flower Mound Marcus to three-time state champion Denton Ryan in the offseason. The UIL’s decision makes him ineligible for varsity football at Ryan for the 2026 season unless he takes the case to court, which is a possibility.
It was a significant ruling, as Nussmeier is the No. 1 quarterback in the Dallas area, the 17th-ranked quarterback in the nation and is committed to Georgia. It was also a somewhat surprising vote by the UIL given that in Thursday’s hearing, Flower Mound Marcus coach Mike Alexander said he didn’t believe Colton transferred for athletic purposes based on new information that came out in the state executive committee meeting.
Alexander said in the previous DEC hearing that he didn’t have any evidence or documentation against Colton but felt obligated from an integrity standpoint to check the box indicating he moved for athletic purposes. He reiterated that Thursday and said he has never had a problem with Colton or his family.
Retiring Denton ISD athletic director Joey Florence told the UIL that he didn’t think Alexander should have marked on the previous athletic participation form (PAPF) that Colton transferred for athletic purposes because he didn’t have any evidence.
“I’m disappointed in today’s results,” Florence told The Dallas Morning News after Thursday’s hearing. “We feel like there was no evidence provided that the kid was moving for athletic purposes and that they met all UIL and all Denton ISD regulations.”
Florence spoke at Thursday’s hearing because the Nussmeier situation happened on his watch, before he retired at the end of the school year. But before the state executive committee meeting, he sent a letter to the UIL because he was concerned that the UIL is moving away from fact and evidence-based decision making and encouraging people to vote their opinions and beliefs.
He was afraid that Nussmeier would be affected by that. That is why Florence asked the UIL to reverse the DEC’s decision and to rule Nussmeier eligible.
That didn’t happen.
Here is a copy of Florence’s letter.
Mr. Chairman and Members of the State Executive
Committee,
My name is Joey Florence. I recently retired after nearly 40 years in public education, and I asked the Nussmeir family for permission to speak on their behalf today because this matter began under my watch as Director of Athletics for Denton ISD.
With all due respect, I ask that you reverse the District Executive Committee’s 3-3 tie vote and declare Colton Nussmeir eligible for varsity competition.
Throughout my career, I have been an unwavering supporter of public education, the Texas High School Coaches Association, and the UIL. The UIL is one of the reasons Texas high school athletics are the finest in the country. We are different from every other state, and because of the UIL, we are the gold standard. I believe in its mission, its leadership, and the intent behind its rules.
We must have safeguards in place to protect community-based athletics and preserve a level playing field.
But I also ardently believe UIL eligibility rules must be applied fairly, consistently, and, most importantly, based on evidence.
I cannot and will not support what is happening to the Nussmeir family. We can do better, and we should.
I stand with the UIL in holding those who cheat accountable. If there is recruiting, inducement, or manipulation of the rules, those responsible should face the consequences. During my career, I have seen legitimate recruiting violations. I have seen families misrepresent their residence. I have seen attempts to circumvent the rules. I know what cheating looks like.
The Nussmeir family are not cheaters. They followed the rules. They have not broken any UIL rules.
I found them to be genuine, credible, and consistent throughout this process. They have maintained from the beginning that this move was made because they believed it was best for their family and for Colton. They had the means to move, the legal right to move, and there is no evidence this move was made for athletic purposes.
As part of our due diligence, we spoke with Coach Alexander many times and conducted our own investigation.
We found:
• No evidence of recruiting by Denton Ryan coaches.
• No evidence of recruiting by Denton Ryan parents or boosters.
• No evidence of prior relationships with Ryan players or coaches.
• Colton did not play 7-on-7 with any Ryan players. He did not work out at any Ryan athletic facility.
• No emails expressing dissatisfaction with the football program at Marcus.
• No text messages expressing dissatisfaction with the football program at Marcus.
• No social media posts criticizing the Marcus football program or suggesting the family was seeking better athletic opportunities at Denton Ryan.
• No parent meetings concerning dissatisfaction with the Marcus football program.
• No angry phone calls.
• No documents supporting that this move was made for athletic purposes.
For all intents and purposes, what we found was the opposite: the family had been supportive of the football program and coaches at Marcus for nearly 10 years.
Simply put, we found no evidence that this move was made for athletic purposes.
Most importantly, before the DEC hearing, Lewisville Athletic Director Cristi Liles and Coach Alexander were asked whether they wished to provide any evidence supporting the claim that this move was for athletic purposes for inclusion in the hearing packet. They declined, because they had none.
The question before this committee is not whether someone believes this move could have been for athletic purposes. The question is whether there is credible evidence proving that it was.
Those are two very different standards.
I had a very candid discussion with Ray Zepeda, the UIL Athletic Director. I have tremendous respect for Ray. I believe he is a man of integrity who is doing what he believes is best for the UIL, our coaches, and our student-athletes.
However, we fundamentally disagree on one very important issue.
Ray believes Coach Alexander was honor-bound to answer “yes” to Question 6 because he believed Colton was moving for athletic reasons, thereby triggering a DEC hearing.
I respectfully disagree.
I believe Coach Alexander was obligated not to check that box because he has repeatedly acknowledged that he has no evidence of any kind to support that belief.
Without evidence, there should have been no allegation.
Without an allegation supported by evidence, there should have been no DEC hearing.
No evidence — No hearing
This is a textbook example of member schools making a decision without evidence rather than making a decision based on evidence.
In my career as a head coach and athletic director, I made difficult decisions involving employees, coaches, and students. Those decisions were never based on rumor, speculation, opinion, or feelings.
They were based on evidence and supporting facts.
I believe Colton deserves that same evidence-based standard. He did not get in the DEC Hearing.
Belief is not evidence.
Suspicion is not evidence.
Opinion is not evidence.
Feelings are not evidence.
A 3-3 split vote should not make a student-athlete ineligible when no evidence supports the allegation. For many years, tie votes did not result in this outcome.
Somewhere along the way, that changed. I believe that when there is genuine doubt — and no evidence proving an athletic-purpose move — we should err on the side of the student-athlete.
When in doubt, the kids should play. When in doubt the kids should play.
This committee serves as the appellate body to ensure that the UIL’s rules are applied fairly, consistently, and according to the evidence. That responsibility is especially important in cases like this.
Today’s decision is about more than Colton.
It is about whether evidence — not opinions, assumptions, or feelings — will continue to be the standard for determining eligibility in Texas.
I have chaired DEC hearings. I have been a voting member of DEC hearings. I have advised principals and athletic directors for years on DEC procedures. Never — not once — did I vote to declare a student-athlete ineligible based solely on my personal feelings. Traditionally, athletic directors and principals have voted based on the evidence before them.
If there were credible evidence proving this move was made for athletic purposes, I would not be here today.
But there isn’t.
Not one witness produced evidence.
Not one document established athletic intent.
Not one communication proved this move was made for athletic purposes.
The evidence simply does not exist.
No evidence exists because they are not moving for athletic purposes.
The facts do not support the allegation.
So today, I respectfully ask you to judge this case the same way you have judged difficult decisions throughout your careers.
Not by speculation.
Not by assumptions.
Not by feelings.
But by the evidence.
If evidence determines eligibility, Colton should play.
If a 3-3 DEC tie occurs when no evidence has been presented, Colton should play.
If opinions determine eligibility, then no student-athlete in Texas is truly protected.
More DEC hearings will follow. If eligibility decisions become based on feelings rather than evidence, inconsistent outcomes are inevitable. Similar cases will produce different results, not because the facts are different, but because the opinions are different. That is not the consistency the UIL has always strived to achieve.
I am concerned that if we continue to treat the people we serve in this manner, we risk undermining confidence in the very institution that has made Texas high school athletics the envy of the nation. The UIL has earned its reputation by insisting on fairness and consistency. Those principles are strengthened — not weakened — when decisions are grounded in evidence.
Today, I respectfully ask you to let the evidence decide or in this case the total lack of evidence.
I respectfully ask that you reverse the decision of the District Executive Committee and declare Colton eligible for varsity competition.
Thank you for your time, your service, and your thoughtful consideration.