The Oklahoma State University football team is pioneering a new way for fans to directly contribute to the school’s NIL fund. Forget ‘scan QR code for menu’ at restaurants, now fans can ‘scan QR code for NIL donations’ while watching games on their TVs.
For fans watching live, at the stadium, there will be similar QR codes on coasters, stadium signage and the equiptment truck.
According to ESPN, “The QR codes on the back of each helmet will be 1.5 square inches. The school said that while the codes won't be visible from the stands on game day, fans watching during television broadcasts will be able to capture them on their phones. Oklahoma State believes this will help raise the team's NIL value throughout the year.”
Oklahoma State believes they are the first program to introduce the QR code system. It allows fans to take an active part in the financial well-being of their favorite team and gives the players a chance to just focus on football, not the business side of their college athletics career.
Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy said, “The good news is, the next five months we can just play football," Gundy said. "There's no negotiating now. The portal's over. All the negotiation's history. Now we're playing football.”
The announcement of the QR codes comes at a pivotal time for this team, as recently Gundy was quoted as lamenting the new NIL era of college football. In an article titled, “Oklahoma State players told to stop ‘asking for more money’” Gundy shared his frustrations at the new business side of the sport.
QR codes should be taking a load off his shoulders. When fans scan the QR code, they are taken to the ‘Pokes with a Purpose’ website. The landing page includes dollar amount options ranging from $100-$5,000 and one-time or monthly, recurring donations. Fans can credit the specific player whose QR code they scanned, and they can add a custom message.
From there, fans input credit card information manually or with the automatic payment options on their mobile device. Once they press ‘Finish’ the funds are automatically transferred just like any other payment.
Oklahoma State kicks off against South Dakota State on August 31st when the QR codes will be the true rookie on the field.
