Oklahoma State may have just changed the college football uniform forever. Now more than ever, college football is about making every dollar possible whenever possible. Whether it is adding more commercial breaks, expanding the college football playoff, or using NIL to promote the sport and players, college football has officially crossed the line of amateurism and become a professional league.
Last year, fans and the media thought it was crazy when Coach Deion Sanders and Colorado took the NIL world to another level by replacing players’ names on the back of practice jerseys with their X handles to help promote the players on their social media pages.
Oklahoma State has found a way to top that.
Oklahoma State Debuts QR Codes on Helmets
Reported first by Fox Sports College Football, Oklahoma State players will wear QR codes on their helmets that will link to the donations page of ‘Pokes with a Purpose’, the largest NIL collective for the Cowboys. The QR code is placed on the backside of the helmet down the middle.
While the idea is certainly innovative, one has to wonder how effective it can be. Sure, the idea of Ollie Gordon rumbling into the endzone and then having hundreds of fans scan the QR code to donate while he celebrates in the endzone is a good idea, but unless a camera is zoomed in and following Gordon just right with the right angle, the QR code won’t go very far in getting anyone to scan it in real-time.
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
Mike Gundy and NIL
Mike Gundy has an interesting relationship with NIL and any change to college football. Earlier this week, Gundy came out to reporters and shared the following regarding players negotiating NIL deals during the season:
“I told the players there’s no negotiating now,” Gundy said. “Portal’s over. All negotiation’s history. Now we’re playing football. Just coaching and playing football…Tell your agent to quit calling us and asking for more money. It’s non-negotiable now. Start again in December.”
Gundy has also been very critical of players leaving a program to chase NIL money elsewhere. Despite this, he doesn’t seem to have any issue with the NIL QR codes that will be on the back of every one of his players’ helmets.
Why may this be?
While he may not want his players to be focused on getting bigger NIL deals, if NIL funds can be made up in ways other than asking million-dollar donors to give their money to NIL, those donors can instead use that money to go towards things like recruiting, facilities, and other desperately needed services.
Oklahoma State Has Very High Aspirations
Last year the Cowboys played in the Big 12 Championship game behind Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon and solid play from starting QB Alan Bowman. After fans expected both players to move on, they both returned, along with a majority of last year’s talent and they hope to make it again to the Big 12 Championship Game, this time with a spot in the College Football Playoff on the line.
Of course, getting there won’t be easy, as teams like Kansas, Kansas State, and newcomer Utah also have a real shot at winning the conference.
