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STILLWATER — While Mike Gundy was slow to embrace some of the recent changes to college football, the next wave of movement in the game intrigues the Oklahoma State coach.
University leaders are waiting for U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken to finalize the NCAA antitrust settlement that will open the door for colleges to directly pay athletes, and the implications of it often occupy Gundy’s mind.
“It’s very intriguing,” he said last week. “Everybody’s waiting to see if she signs off on this settlement. Then we’ll have parameters and then we can start attacking how you distribute $20 million amongst 105 people.
“So it’s very interesting to even think about that, almost unfathomable.”
Yet Gundy’s primary message to his team right now remains simple: Focus on football, and only football.
“The good news is, the next five months, we can just play football,” he said. “There’s no negotiating now. The portal’s over. All the negotiation’s history. Now we’re playing football. The business side of what we do now — we have to have those conversations with them. ‘Tell your agent to quit calling us and asking for more money. It’s non-negotiable now. It’ll start again in December.’
“So now we’re able to direct ourselves just in football, and that part is fun.”
More: Will Oklahoma State football opponents continue to avoid throwing at Korie Black?
Head coach Mike Gundy walks on the field during an Oklahoma State football practice in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024.
Pieces of that quote made the rounds on social media in recent days, but often taken out of context of his full message — instead trying to suggest Gundy was fighting back against name, image and likeness deals that the OSU collective, Pokes with a Purpose, has made with football players.
Rather, Gundy’s…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-oklahoma-state-coach-mike-000517168.html
Author : The Oklahoman
Publish date : 2024-08-20 00:05:17
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