LSU football coach Brian Kelly made it clear this week that he’s not a fan of what Oklahoma State is doing when it comes to collecting NIL money for players using QR codes. But was that a subtle jab at Mike Gundy?
Last week, news broke that Oklahoma State would use its helmets to encourage fans to donate to the Cowboys’ NIL fund. At every game this season, players will have QR codes on the back of their helmets that would allow fans at home to use their phones to donate. The idea seemed unusual and could potentially work if you have a good enough picture on your TV.
OK, it’s not a bad idea, even if it might be a little complicated, but that’s OK. When LSU’s Brian Kelly was asked about the idea of doing something similar, the Tigers’ head coach said it undermines the “college feel” of a college football game.
COLUMBIA, MO – OCTOBER 7: LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly hugs linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. (4) after an SEC football game between the LSU Tigers and Missouri Tigers on October 7, 2023 at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
What? It doesn’t feel collegial to try everything possible to raise money for players at a time when athletic departments are looking for new ideas. That’s the feeling Brian Kelly had on the SEC coaches’ conference call this week.
“We can keep NIL off the field,” Brian Kelly said this week when asked about the OK State QR code idea. “I think we can create the things we need here at LSU regardless of the game day atmosphere, the college feeling that you have. That’s just my personal feeling. Putting a QR code on your helmet just doesn’t feel like college to me.”
“As far as keeping this game, if the band and the college-age kids are playing it (we should). I get it, right? NIL is here to stay and that’s great, but I think we can separate ourselves from that and still work on NIL at the end of the game.”
Come on, Coach. Are we really going to pretend that a QR code on the back of a player’s helmet will ruin the “college experience” of a football game? What about the various ways LSU tries to collect NIL funds during a game, even though it may not be written on the back of a helmet?
How will Brian Kelly feel if LSU decides to sell space on the football field for corporate logos to raise money for the athletic department? Will a “Raisin’ Canes” logo spoil the college experience on game day?
College game days are evolving in this new NIL era. Sorry, Brian Kelly
All college sports today seem to revolve around NIL, and if a school doesn’t have ideas on how to stay competitive in that area, then it falls behind other schools. Does selling players’ jerseys during a game affect the college experience for fans attending a game?
That’s up to you to decide, but I can’t imagine fans of LSU or any other school in the country complaining about having a QR code on the back of a player’s helmet to raise money for a NIL fund.
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA – NOVEMBER 5: LSU fans storm the field to celebrate their win against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Tiger Stadium on November 5, 2022 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
The point is, everything is changing in college sports, even the game experience. I don’t see Brian Kelly complaining that the starting quarterback is getting paid a huge amount of money to take snaps, which gives the situation a more professional feel.
At the end of the day, the LSU band will continue to play “Neck” while over 100,000 fans have a fantastic time in one of the best college stadiums in the country. If you don’t believe the “college experience” is evolving, then you are certainly blind to what is happening in college sports.
But go ahead, Brian Kelly. I just know that a QR code isn’t going to stop people from having fun at a college football game, whether it’s in Oklahoma or Death Valley.
