When Oklahoma State travels to Eugene to face No. 5 Oregon this weekend, there will already be plenty of buzz surrounding the matchup. But thanks to comments from Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy and the sharp response from Oregon’s Dan Lanning, there’s now a little extra heat on a non-conference clash that was scheduled long before NIL transformed the college football landscape.
It started with Gundy. On his weekly radio show, the longtime Oklahoma State coach took aim at Oregon’s deep financial resources and the realities of roster building in the NIL era.
“We spent around $7 million over the last three years, and I think Oregon spent close to $40 (million) last year alone,” Gundy said. “That was just one year. Now, I might be off a few million. What I’m saying is they’re spending a lot of money. There’s some schools that are doing that.”
Gundy went further, suggesting that resource disparities should play into how teams schedule non-conference opponents. “Oregon is paying a lot, a lot of money for their team,” he added. “From a nonconference standpoint, there’s coaches saying they should play teams that are spending the same amount of money.”
It didn’t take long for Lanning to answer back, and his words landed with the confidence of a coach who knows his program has the upper hand.
“Ultimately, how blessed are we to be in a place that’s invested in winning?” Lanning said at his weekly press conference. “If you wanna be a top-10 team in college football, you better be invested in winning. And we spend to win. Some people save to have an excuse for why they don’t, right?”
That last line was the dagger. Without ever mentioning Oklahoma State directly, Lanning framed Gundy’s comments as more excuse-making than legitimate critique.
And the truth is, it’s hard to argue with him.
Context Matters
Oregon has become a lightning rod in the NIL conversation because of its connection to Nike co-founder Phil Knight and the perception that the Ducks are swimming in resources others simply don’t have. That perception isn’t totally off base — Oregon’s facilities, NIL collectives, and booster backing are among the most robust in the country. But none of this developed overnight. The Ducks have invested in athletics for decades, and the payoff has been consistent national relevance across multiple sports.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma State is coming off its worst season under Gundy, a 3-9 campaign in which the Cowboys went winless in the Big 12. They gave up nearly 36 points per game, ranking among the nation’s worst defenses. The Cowboys didn’t miss a bowl game for nearly two decades, but last season was a reminder that the floor can be low if things unravel.
That’s why Gundy’s comments come across more like deflection than revelation. NIL is a reality for everyone now. Some schools, like Oregon, have embraced the new landscape. Others, like Oklahoma State, are clearly behind.
The Scheduling Argument
The other flaw in Gundy’s logic is his suggestion that teams with vastly different financial resources shouldn’t be playing each other in non-conference games. That idea collapses under the slightest bit of scrutiny.
First, Oklahoma State scheduled this series with Oregon in 2018 — years before NIL and revenue sharing became legal. Second, the Cowboys have willingly scheduled Arkansas and Alabama in the coming seasons. If the premise is that only schools with equal NIL budgets should play each other, then OSU should cancel the Alabama series immediately.
Third, Oklahoma State just opened the 2025 season against Tennessee-Martin, an FCS opponent with a fraction of the resources that even OSU has. If Gundy is serious about scheduling only teams with comparable spending, then those matchups should be off the table too.
You can’t simultaneously complain about playing a big spender like Oregon while cashing in on the guaranteed win against an FCS team.
Why This Really Matters
Beyond the back-and-forth, there’s a larger truth here: Gundy’s comments highlight a growing divide in college football, but they also expose a choice that programs have to make. Either adapt to the NIL reality or fall behind.
Oregon is thriving because it has leaned into investment. Dante Moore, their new starting quarterback, looked the part in Week 1 and represents exactly the kind of talent that NIL helps secure. The Ducks are coming off a 13-1 season, a Big Ten championship, and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. They aren’t apologizing for spending to win — nor should they.
Oklahoma State, on the other hand, is stuck between the old model and the new reality. Gundy is one of the longest-tenured coaches in college football, and he has built a solid program in Stillwater, but his words suggest frustration with the changing rules of engagement. Instead of attacking Oregon’s spending, the Cowboys might be better served ramping up their own efforts to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape.
Saturday’s Stakes
Of course, all of this chatter ultimately sets the stage for Saturday’s game in Eugene. On paper, Oregon is a heavy favorite. The Ducks are loaded on both sides of the ball, and Lanning’s team is a legitimate national title contender. Oklahoma State, meanwhile, is searching for an identity and still dealing with quarterback questions after Hauss Hejny’s injury.
The irony is that the scoreboard, not the balance sheet, will determine the outcome. Gundy can talk about $40 million rosters all he wants, but if the Cowboys can find a way to compete in Autzen Stadium, the narrative changes. Conversely, if Oregon rolls — as many expect — then Lanning’s point about investment and excuses will ring even louder.
Final Word
Mike Gundy has always been outspoken, and in many ways, that’s part of his charm. But in this case, his words feel like an attempt to shift focus away from the on-field product. NIL is reshaping the sport, and schools like Oregon are leading the way. The rest have a choice: catch up, or complain from behind.
As for Saturday? One program is looking to prove it’s still relevant in the Big 12. The other is chasing a national championship. The dollars may be different, but the game itself will tell us plenty about where both teams stand in 2025.
Matt Hofeld is a college football analyst and contributor covering the Big 12. Follow him for more Oklahoma State and conference-wide analysis throughout the 2025 season.
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