Oklahoma State Will Have Players Wear QR Codes On Their Helmets That Link To The Team's NIL Fund
Look I hate to be the guy to provide problems instead of solutions, but how are fans going to scan these helmets? I'll get into my weekly rant on how College Football, while still the best product in all of sports by a mile, is getting worse and worse by the day because of everything from conference realignment to how the NIL system operates, but before we do any of that.....isn't this just a stupid idea? The only people that are going to be close enough to scan these helmets are the coaches themselves. I'm sure some dumb, old ladies in the 300 level of the stadiums will try to see if their iPhone 11s can reach that far, but everyone else realizes that this QR code should be on the scoreboard.
The fact of the matter is that it has to simply be for show. It has to be Oklahoma State football reminding their fan base that they need more money to put a quality product onto the field. Which, if you think about the timing of this announcement, is hilarious considering Mike Gundy's statement to the media just last week....
I actually feel bad for these old school football coaches. You know damn well they think NIL is a bunch of horseshit and that a free education and free housing and free food and being treated like a king on campus for 4 years is plenty of repayment for running the football, but they can't say it or they won't get recruits. And they have to sign off on dumb ideas like putting QR codes on helmets or else they won't have money to sign recruits and/or keep their good players.
Bottom line, having the QR code is a good idea in principle. Could you imagine Ollie Gordon running for a 52 yard TD in the 4th quarter, not to win the game, but to cover for the home crowd? Everyone and their drunk ass uncle would want to send him $100. Which honestly has gotten me to thinking that Oklahoma State might not have perfected the idea, but they're certainly onto something. Can schools put individual players QR codes on the scoreboard after big plays? Now THAT would get players paid. Ohio State might be able to give you $200K to come to campus, but they could say that after every touchdown they'll throw your QR code on the scoreboard in front of 106,000 fans. I think I may have just come up with the best idea ever....