Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy Has Strong Take On Helmet QR Code Being Denied

The Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach was not thrilled with the NCAA shutting down the team's plan to have QR codes on helmets.

Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy is pictured before the college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Arkansas Razorbacks at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla.,, Saturday, Sept., 7, 2024. / SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Looking for an edge in the world of NIL, the Oklahoma State Cowboys football team had a unique idea they were looking to implement during the 2024 season.

Plans were shared that they were going to have QR codes on the player’s helmets featuring a link to Pokes With A Purpose, the school’s official NIL collective. However, hours before they were set to take the field for their opener against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, a change was announced.

The QR codes would not be featured on the helmets. That was because of a rule the NCAA has barring “advertising/commercial marks”. It was a decision that the school was less than pleased about.

A day ahead of their big matchup against the Arkansas Razorbacks in Week 2, head coach Mike Gundy shared some strong comments about the NCAA’s decision to bar the QR codes. While making an appearance on SiriusXM College Sports Radio with Chris Childers and Rick Neuheisel, the Cowboys leader did not hold back.

“They pulled the uniform code violation on us,” Gundy said, via Nick Schultz of On3. “I’ll be really honest with you, Rick, I think that they do everything they can do now to show that they have a little bit of power. And this was an opportunity for them to say, ‘Okay, we have a little power. We’re gonna make a statement,’ when in theory, you and I both know they don’t have any power anymore.”

"Basically if you can't walk and chew gum at the same time, then it's tough to lead, and that's what you're getting right now from the NCAA."@CoachGundy had some harsh words for the NCAA after the QR code initiative was shut down.@ChildersRadio @CoachNeuheisel pic.twitter.com/4kyg1ATkPi

— College Sports on SiriusXM (@SXMCollege) September 6, 2024

When Gundy first shared the QR code idea during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, he presented it as a “GoFundMe” for the players. If someone had a big play, people anywhere in the world would be able to donate to help the school’s NIL collective.

While he clearly doesn’t agree with the decision, it wasn’t one that he was going to push back against. During his radio appearance, he revealed the simple reason why; he didn’t want his players to face repercussions.

Wanting to do everything he could to help his players, Gundy offered to shoulder the blame if necessary. But, the athletes would be the ones facing punishment, so he relented.

“What I did was, I said, okay, I’m gonna be a soldier,” Gundy said. “I’m gonna listen. I’m gonna do what I’m told. The reason why is this. They have told me that they would punish the player that went on the field with a QR code on their helmet. I tried to get them to punish me because then, we would roll with it and I would say, ‘Punish me. I don’t care.’

“But I’m not gonna allow them to punish a player because those stickers were on their helmets. So, I pulled them off before the first game.”

While Gundy made the move to remove the QR codes, he made it clear that it wasn’t something he agreed with and believes it goes against the goals of collectives to raise as much money as possible.

“But I’m very disappointed in the fact that we’re trying to migrate toward more revenue sharing for the gladiator sport that we’re in,” Gundy said. “As you know, these guys get beat up and they fight their ass off every day. So we’re trying to reward them, and the NCAA’s trying to go the other way. That’s why we’re in this situation in the first place.

“Basically, if you can’t walk and chew gum at the same time, then it’s tough to lead. And that’s what you’re getting right now from the NCAA.”

It will be interesting to see what Gundy and the Cowboys come up with next to help improve their NIL war chest. They picked up a solid victory in Week 2 over the Arkansas Razorbacks in overtime ahead of next week’s visit to Tulsa.