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Mike Gundy makes his opinion clear.
Oklahoma State’s head coach spoke about NIL’s presence and players’ bargaining power at Big 12 Media Day on Monday, saying he and the Cowboys staff instruct players to avoid conversations during the season.
“The business side of what we’re doing now is we have to have those conversations with them,” Gundy told reporters. “Tell your agent to stop calling us and asking for more money. That’s non-negotiable now. Start again in December.”
He added that at the moment it is all about performance on the pitch.
“I told the players there are no more negotiations now,” Gundy said. “The portal is over. All negotiations are history. Now we play football. We just practice and play football.”
Oklahoma State has high hopes for 2024. The team went 10-4 in 2023 and won the Texas Bowl against former conference rival Texas A&M. More importantly, the team reached the Big 12 championship game, where it lost to Texas 49-21.
With Texas and Oklahoma leaving the Big 12 before the 2024 season, the Cowboys are likely to be among the favorites to represent the conference in the College Football Playoff. With that goal in mind, Gundy’s words show how the program is simply focused on what’s right in front of it.
The Cowboys open the 2024 season on August 31 against South Dakota State.
