Everything Oklahoma State athletic director Chad Weiberg said about NIL and revenue sharing at a press conference this week.
STILLWATER, Okla. — At the end of a lengthy morning filled with press conferences on Thursday, Oklahoma State athletic director Chad Weiberg addressed the audience to share updates regarding Oklahoma State athletics and emphasize the significance of fundraising in the evolving landscape of college sports.
Here’s a summary of Weiberg’s remarks from Thursday:
Opening statement:
“I just wanted to add to what the coaches have shared here. It was fantastic to hear from Coach Meacham, Coach Grantham, and of course, Coach Gundy. We’re excited about the future of our football program as we move into this fall. You all know about the letter I sent to our fans, and I want to emphasize something that Coach Gundy pointed out: the last season didn’t go as we had hoped. This comes after 19 years of exceptional football, during which Coach Gundy has established a high standard for our program. It’s understandable that we’re not satisfied with how the last season turned out, but that shouldn’t diminish the success of the previous 18 or 19 years. Our focus now is to return to that standard.
The key to achieving this is having the support of our fans, donors, and alumni. There has probably never been a more crucial time for this support. Some circumstances are beyond our control, such as the timing of these changes. We would have preferred to experience this transformation after a perfect 12-0 season, which we have enjoyed in the past, but it didn’t occur this year. This doesn’t alter our pathway forward, and we need our fans to help make it happen.
We are in a period of transformation. I may not have lived long enough to recall past transformative times, but I think of significant moments, like post-World War II when troops returned to the U.S., which transformed college sports, particularly college football. Some programs capitalized on those opportunities, while others fell behind and have spent decades trying to catch up. It’s vital for us to recognize that we can either fully engage in this moment and kick off this new era with the vigor that Oklahoma State can muster, or we can find ourselves lagging for decades because we didn’t seize this opportunity. I firmly prefer the former.
It’s essential for our fans to grasp how important they are to this process. Following the July 2021 conference realignment, we saw significant changes in how we view college football. The discussion of the Power Five has now shifted to the Power Four, and if we think this is where it’ll end, we’re being unrealistic. There’s much at stake as we progress correctly. I’m confident that Coach Gundy and his staff will steer us back on course for winning football, which is crucial for competing at the highest level. But we must do our part to support this new reality; they can’t do it alone. We all need to work together, including the administration. I’m very grateful for President Shrum, the Regents, and the support they’ve provided, but our fans and donors are equally critical in this journey.”
What gave you trust in Gundy moving forward?
“I stand by what I said earlier. There are 19 years of solid evidence supporting trust in him for the future. It’s truly impressive what we’ve accomplished during that time. Before this year, we had an exceptional run of consecutive winning seasons—only two other schools can claim that. Many prominent programs lost that streak long before we did. He didn’t suddenly lose all his knowledge and expertise. There’s a strong sense of confidence in him; he knows this place inside and out—having played and coached here for many years. His loyalty and love for this program are what instill our confidence in him.”
How much pressure is on Gundy to make that a blip on the radar?
“I believe there’s pressure every year, whether here or anywhere else. That’s the reality of high-stakes college football and sports at this level. It’s a constant source of pressure. He mentioned it himself—it’s not just something he feels at the end of the season; he wakes up in the middle of the night sensing that pressure. It’s something we all feel every day when we come to work. This is our job; we don’t just watch the games on Saturdays and then do other things during the week. This is our mission, and he’s dedicated to it as well. Yes, pressure is part of the experience, and we embrace it. It’s part of the standard he has established here. The worst situation would be if there wasn’t any pressure because that would indicate a lack of care. Pressure shows that people are invested, and that’s what we want. It gives us the opportunity to strive for excellence and compete at the highest levels.”
Do all of the changes make it harder to communicate how radical this shift is that’s coming up?
“It’s a complex situation with many layers to consider. We need to balance the question of why we’re asking fans to support us in this manner and ensure they understand the reasoning behind it. It’s very intricate. I wrote a two-page letter and tried hard to condense everything into that space, but I could have easily expanded it into a whole chapter to explain what’s happening. The key point is that there are numerous factors beyond our control influencing the landscape of college athletics—things like court rulings, the attorney general, and legislation. We didn’t choose for things to be this way, so all we can do is manage our response to these changes. That was my main message to our fans. While we can discuss our likes and dislikes, and the changes occurring, it doesn’t alter the fact that we need their support now more than ever to achieve our goals of winning games and competing for championships. We’ve always relied on them, but given the current situation, their involvement can make an even greater difference.”
On Gundy’s restructured contract to encompass NIL:
“There’s a crucial difference to note. It can be confusing because we’ve talked extensively about NIL, but now we should focus on revenue sharing. We’re planning to share revenue directly with our players, primarily benefiting football players. This is vital for us to remain competitive. Coach Gundy recognizes this, as he mentioned here. He is devoted to this program and wants to be part of it. While there will still be NIL opportunities through endorsement deals, this is specifically about revenue sharing. This is another area where fans can directly assist us in generating the income necessary for this initiative. We will consider various options, such as hosting concerts, to boost revenue. A significant part of this effort involves filling the football stadium as we have in recent years.”
Regarding mending relationships with fans and Coach Gundy:
“The main focus is recognizing that last season didn’t go as we had hoped. We need to consider the bigger picture, especially the progress we’ve made over nearly two decades. Thanks to individuals like Mr. Pickens, Coach Gundy, our donors, and our fans, we’ve made significant strides in that time. We can’t afford to lose the ground we’ve gained because of one tough year. That’s not our approach.”
On the question of firing Coach Gundy:
“No, I won’t go into the specifics of our discussions. Our priority was figuring out how to improve the situation. This is a high-stakes environment, and you only need to look at the challenges faced by programs in places like Corvallis, Oregon, or Pullman, Washington, to understand the pressures involved. We can’t assume that current conference alignments will remain unchanged for the next century; that’s unrealistic. Our focus remains on ensuring that our program, athletic department, and university are positioned for future success. I believe the board and the president share this understanding. Although we didn’t create these rules, it’s evident that they significantly affect enrollment, donations to academics, and overall interest in the university. It’s essential for us to get this right and work in harmony, moving together in the same direction—that was the conversation we had.”
On making athletics profitable overall:
“All sports will need to be part of the solution as things evolve. While we’ve discussed ticket prices for football, we also need our fans to support growth in revenue across all sports. Fortunately, at Oklahoma State, we have only 18 sports, which allows us to be competitive without the burden of 30 or 35 sports, like some other programs face. We aim to be competitive in all of our sports, and our track record reflects that; we have 34 national championship banners, with recent successes in cross country and ongoing achievements in softball and wrestling. Athletics is not just a straightforward business; it operates on business principles but was never meant to function like a conventional company. If it were, we would only focus on one or two sports. Our goal is to compete across the board, and football remains central to supporting all these efforts. That’s why we need our fans to continue their support.”
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