Oklahoma Legend Raises Concerns Over Keeping Up with Bitter Rivals NIL

Barry Switzer questions Oklahoma’s ability to compete with Texas in the NIL era, citing financial disparities and NIL resources.

Barry Switzer walks the sidelines in the first half of an NCAA football game between Oklahoma (OU) and Temple at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Oklahoma Sooners rivalry with the Texas Longhorns has long been a benchmark of the program’s success. But as college football adapts to the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) era, the financial dynamics of recruiting have shifted dramatically, leaving legendary coach Barry Switzer with some doubts about on Sooners’ ability to keep pace with their high-powered rival.

During a candid interview on The Paul Finebaum Show, Switzer highlighted Oklahoma's mounting challenge in matching Texas’s NIL resources. “I question sometimes with NIL whether we can or not, whether we can compete against Texas every year. They can raise more money than we can.” Switzer explained. “We’re a small state, we’ve only got 3.5 million people, and it’s gonna be more difficult than it is for the University of Texas, where they’ve got 35 million people. A wealthier state and people to be able to support the programs. We’ll have to wait and see.”

Regarding NIL backing, Texas’s Texas One Fund, a top-ranked NIL collective, holds a considerable advantage, providing support to around 60 players under contract. Oklahoma’s collective, 1Oklahoma, has similarly aimed to support athletes, but the disparity in resources and scale remains significant. As Switzer sees it, this gap is significant enough it could shape the future of the Sooners’ competitiveness.

Switzer also didn’t hold back in assessing the current state of the Sooners’ roster. “We’re short in a lot of areas, Paul. We need help all across there. Defensively, we’re probably better than we are offensively. We’re short on offensive line, with running backs, receivers, quarterback. Every area of the offense needs help, and it’s gonna take a while to get there. But I think they can. I don’t know.”While he believes time and investment could improve these areas, the NIL gap between Oklahoma and Texas looms as a substantial long-term challenge.

Reflecting on the broader transformation of college football, Switzer pointed to a cultural shift in recruiting priorities. He observed that, “Back when I coached, parents wanted their kids to get an education. That was the main goal.” In contrast, today’s players often have a sharper focus on their professional prospects and NIL earnings. A telling story he shared involved former Alabama coach Nick Saban, who reportedly decided to retire after a 19-year-old player asked about NIL money before even discussing his development as an athlete. “Nick knew it was time to get the hell out,” Switzer noted, understanding the toll this shift takes on coaches accustomed to a different era.

Oklahoma, led by Brent Venables, is feeling the weight of these changes as it navigates a tough inaugural season in the SEC, currently sitting at 4-3 overall and 1-3 in conference play. While Sooner Nation remains hopeful, Switzer’s comments underscore the mounting pressures and heightened financial stakes facing Oklahoma as they strive to keep up to snuff in the increasingly competitive NIL landscape.