Mike Gundy: OSU Players Could've Been Suspended if Team Wore QR Codes on Helmet
The NCAA struck down Oklahoma State’s new NIL initiative, but the team isn’t sure it was warranted.
On Saturday, just an hour before OSU kicked off its season, the team announced that the NCAA blocked it from placing QR codes leading to the general team fund on helmets. After the Cowboys’ 44-20 win against South Dakota State, OSU coach Mike Gundy said he learned about the NCAA’s ruling around Tuesday.
“They called me and said the NCAA had met and said it was a uniform violation,” Gundy said. “And that it was punishable by the players being suspended if we put the QR codes on the helmets.”
Although OSU has run into issues with the NCAA in the past, potentially suspending players for an NIL initiative seems a bit extreme. Still, the Cowboys were wise and chose not to take any chances.
Considering the expectations for the team this season, the QR codes on the back of the helmet could have easily garnered national attention and donations. The Cowboys might not be able to do that, but the program still feels it is important to get those not close to Stillwater involved.
“All we’re trying to do is the most we can do to maximize our players’ opportunities with fans across the world that don’t have a chance to be involved if they’re not local,” Gundy said.
Gundy also noted that while the QR code was barred from the helmet, it was strictly because it was deemed a uniform violation. OSU still has the QR codes in every other place it originally planned. Along with it popping up around the stadium and on players’ bag tags, it is placed on the walls of restaurants, bars and just about anywhere else on campus and beyond.
Although it has been nearly two decades since his infamous “I’m a man, I’m 40” rant, Gundy’s mindset has not changed. While he is willing to take the fall, he does not want to see his players get caught up in something like this.
“What I didn’t want to do is take a chance on them trying to drop the hammer on a player because that wouldn’t be fair to the player,” Gundy said. “Now, if it was me, if they were going to drop the hammer on me, I don’t care. I would’ve wore it. But I don’t want a player to get penalized for something like that.”
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IVAN WHITE
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.