What do Oklahoma State and QR codes have in common? The Cowboys NIL fund
By Sam Fariss
On Monday evening, Mike Gundy cut his players off, metaphorically.
The Oklahoma State head coach shared that he had told his players to stop asking for more money, especially as the season rapidly approaches.
However, less than 12 hours later, Gundy and the Cowboys football program announced an innovative take on crowd-sourcing:
QR codes on helmets.
The scannable codes are set to send users straight to the program's general NIL fund.
Oklahoma State will wear QR codes on their helmets this season linking to general team fund for every student-athlete on the roster. It’s believed to mark 1st time a college football team will wear QR codes in regular season games to promote players’ earning potential pic.twitter.com/V4kkQz6zmd
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 20, 2024
“This is a revolutionary step forward to help keep Oklahoma State football ahead of the game," Mike Gundy said. "It gives a chance for everyday fans across the world to have a real impact when it comes to supporting the NIL efforts for Cowboy football. I’m thrilled about this opportunity for our players."
The Oklahoma State NIL fund is valued at at nearly $8 million, approximately $7.8 million according to On3.
Gundy was historically slow to change his attitude toward the changes surrounding NIL in college football but has clearly found a way to make it work for both sides of the aisle.
Beyond the QR codes, Gundy has reportedly paused negotiations between the football program and the athletes' agents until December.
"So, now we're able to direct ourselves just in football, and that part is fun," Gundy told players.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys kick off their season against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Aug. 31 at 2 p.m. ET in a non-FBS matchup.
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