After Blasting NIL, OSU’s Mike Gundy Announces New NIL Helmet Initiative

Last week, Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy had a message for his athletes regarding name, image, and likeness deals: “Tell your agent to quit calling us and asking for more money.” The season kicks off on Aug. 31, and Gundy said deals will be “non-negotiable” until December.

But Gundy, in fact, has no intention of ignoring NIL during the regular season. 

On Tuesday, he announced through an athletic department press release that each Cowboys football helmet will feature a QR code linking to an OSU NIL collective, Pokes With A Purpose. The QR code will allow fans to contribute to a “general fund” for the entire football roster.

The helmet initiative, which also includes placing QR codes on bag tags, is believed to be the first of its kind, according to OSU. 

“This is a revolutionary step forward to help keep Oklahoma State football ahead of the game,” Gundy said in a statement—a stark departure from his comments last week.