It’s only a matter of time before every program follow Oklahoma State’s recent NIL move

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The age of NIL in college football and college athletics has become a constant machine of chaos. Cash flow remains largely unregulated, raising concerns across the college sports landscape. Until meaningful changes are made, however, schools will continue searching for new ways to generate NIL funding. The Oklahoma State Cowboys have introduced a creative revenue stream that many schools will likely follow.

A recent press release from Oklahoma State announced a partnership between the university and the Osage Nation. Under the agreement, every Oklahoma State athletic program will wear an Osage Nation patch on its uniforms in exchange for sponsorship funding. The press release highlighted the longstanding local ties between the Osage Nation and the university:

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“The relationship builds on years of collaboration between the Osage Nation and Oklahoma State University. Located just minutes from the OSU-Tulsa campus, Osage Casino Hotel Tulsa has become a visible part of the university community through its support for the Osage Casino Hotel Student Union in North Hall, which opened in 2020 and has since become a popular gathering place for students to study, dine, and connect. Since then, partnerships between the two institutions have continued to expand across multiple areas of mutual interest.”

Reality of the NIL era

In reality, this is where college sports were always headed. The NFL, NBA, and other professional sports leagues have long embraced jersey and stadium sponsorships. It was only a matter of time before a university adopted a similar model.

Now, every university that doesn’t have the deep-pocketed athletic boosters of programs like Ohio State or Texas Tech may need to follow suit. At one point, NIL was expected to create a more level playing field. Instead, athletic departments are preparing for budgets that could reach $500 million as they try to keep pace in the recruiting arms race.

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This is simply the reality of modern college athletics. There was never a clear plan for rolling out NIL, and now everyone is trying to buy the next College Football Playoff berth. Beyond that, programs are attempting to buy college football and college basketball championships.

Although the “Protect College Sports Act” is making its way through Congress, it may already be too late. There is nothing wrong with student-athletes receiving their share of the revenue. After all, they are the driving force behind the billions of dollars generated by the NCAA.

However, the market has become a free-for-all, and it’s far from certain that things will become reasonable again. Soon, college uniforms could resemble NASCAR vehicles covered in sponsor logos. Eventually, a school may bankrupt itself trying to remain competitive in the NIL era. When that happens, local, state, and federal governments will face even greater pressure to step in.

That is the reality facing college athletics. There is no clear roadmap for what comes next. Schools will continue finding new ways to keep up in the national arms race, one jersey patch at a time.

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