Mike Gundy has found himself in a few unnecessary controversies in the years that have more job security than almost any coach would in college football. The answer was more than evident when Gundy asked the Oklahoma State media on Monday whether they wanted the truth or coach-speak about how his staff manipulated to recruit the 300-plus-pound Obi Ezeigbo as a transfer to Gannon University, Division II.
While that exists, Gundy’s comments garnered attention because we don’t get to listen to coaches as clearly as he was when drawing a line between their name, image, likeness, budgets, and recruiting. What he said about Ezeigbo did not receive nearly the same backlash. But this is one of the most promising changes we have observed since NIL started three years ago. The coaches and administrators are experiencing this environment as individuals who, throughout their careers, are now being called upon to assign a figure to a player.
The athletes are going through it differently, with most of them using agents who are, in most cases, illiterate and charge ridiculous commissions to actually inform them of their options and what awaits them. The fans need more information and gossip about an athlete’s worth and are expected to pay big money to NIL collectives for a continuous stream of players. One cannot argue that Oklahoma State has the financial might to compete for the top players on the market or transfer targets.
Salary caps in professional sports have been suitable for the product or the players. Still, they have undoubtedly made fans aware of how rosters are constructed and the strategic situational thinking that goes into a player’s existence on a team.
When a player wanted to sign the contract, people understood at what point in the salary cap a player would be, what was required for that point in the contract, and the weather conditions that would make a player switch sides. Thus, this information does not only assist them in explaining why a player opted for one situation and not the other or why a team opted to sign one player and not the other. And, yes, you are right. That will make some athletes worth more than others, and that will alter the kind of schools they will be paying for.
After the past three years of experimentation with the NIL, we are now in a position to state facts. Gundy should be applauded for having the courage to bring this information to the conversation.
