Oklahoma State is taking an innovative approach to NIL fundraising by putting QR codes on the back of every helmet during the 2024 college football season. The timing of the announcement is tremendous, considering that head coach Mike Gundy publicly shut down any further financial negotiations just a few days prior.
It is yet another example of the ever-changing landscape of collegiate athletics!
NCAA athletes were finally allowed to profit from their Name, Image and Likeness on July 1, 2021. However, it quickly became a pay-for-play system with the creation of collectives— whether the largely incompetent governing body of collegiate athletics wants to admit it or not.
College football programs with greater NIL funds have a better chance of signing top high school talent through traditional recruiting means. The same goes for the transfer portal, where top athletes frequently receive contracts worth $500,000 or more for one or two-year rentals. Financial agreements vary from athlete to athlete, but everyone is getting paid. It is a professional sports model with very little regulation.
In an effort to raise as much money as possible for the ‘Pokes with a Purpose’ collective, Oklahoma State slapped a QR code on the back of its football helmets. Scanning the code takes you directly to the donation page for the general team-specific fund.
Although the QR stickers will be too small to scan from the stands, they will be visible on television broadcasts for the fans at home. The Cowboys will also put a QR code on every player’s travel bag tag, as well as on sinage at Boone Pickens Stadiums and on the football equipment truck.
This is a great idea. College football programs need to get creative when it comes to fundraising. Every athletic department in the country is actively pandering. Every team in the country needs more money.
Even if the QR codes raise only one dollar, it is one dollar more than before!
With that in mind, imagine this scenario:
An Oklahoma State fan is at the bar with his buddies on a college football Saturday. They’ve had a few libations. They’re pretty drunk when superstar running back Ollie Gordon breaks off a huge first down.
In that moment, the T.V. broadcast cuts to Gordon and zooms in on his helmet. The sauced-up Pokes see the QR code, which inspires them to send a few dollars over to the boys in Stillwater. Brilliant!
Gundy recently sent a stern message to his players about their agents. He doesn’t want to hear from them until the new year.
NIL contract negotiations are over for the time being. Nobody will get more money until next season and some of that money will come from the QR codes on the back of their helmets!
