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Eli Lederman, ESPN Staff Writer
The NCAA has blocked Oklahoma State from placing NIL-linked QR codes on its players’ football helmets after the program announced the decision ahead of the Cowboys’ Week 1 game against South Dakota State.
On Aug. 20, Oklahoma State announced plans to put a 1.5-square-inch QR code linking to the program’s general NIL fund on the backs of helmets this fall. The Cowboys were believed to be the first college football program to use QR codes to promote NIL during a regular-season game.
However, the NCAA has barred Oklahoma State from sporting the QR codes in Week 1, and the matter, according to the Cowboys, is down to interpretation.
The program believes it is permitted under NCAA bylaws to place QR codes on its helmets as institutional decals. According to an Oklahoma State release, the NCAA views the decals as “advertising and/or commercial marks,” which are not permitted under NCAA rules.
“We disagree with the interpretation of the rule but will abide by it and work with the appropriate groups to lead on the needed change,” Oklahoma State athletic director Chad Weiberg said in a statement. “Our people came up with an innovative concept to raise NIL value of our student-athletes, but ultimately, it just serves as the latest example of how college sports are evolving at a faster pace than the rulebook.”
Oklahoma State says its decision to employ the QR codes is compliant with NCAA rules and was made in consultation with the Big 12. In a statement released through Oklahoma State, league commissioner Brett Yormark urged the sport’s leaders to consider forward-thinking solutions as college football continues into the NIL era.
“As we enter this new age of college athletics, the Big 12 Conference welcomes the opportunity to be at the forefront of innovation and creativity,” Yormark said. “I look forward to partnering with the NCAA and my fellow conference commissioners in an effort to modernize legislation that enables our schools to drive value for our student-athletes.”
While Oklahoma State will not wear QR codes on its helmets in Week 1, the image will be featured prominently throughout Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday, including on players’ equipment bag tags, drink coasters in premium areas, signage around the stadium and the videoboard.
The 17th-ranked Cowboys open their 2024 season against the back-to-back FCS national champions at 2 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN+.