• Loading stock data...
Saturday, September 6, 2025
Fox Analyst and Media Entrepreneur Greg Olsen to Speak at Tuned In Get your ticket now!

NCAA Nixes Oklahoma State Helmet QR Codes

  • Oklahoma State announced the plan just 10 days ago to stamp QR codes on players’ helmets linking to an NIL fund.
  • According to the school, the NCAA views the QR codes as prohibited advertising.
Oklahoma State’s Alan Bowman (7) warms up before the college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and South Dakota State Jackrabbits at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Aug., 31, 2024.

Oklahoma State says “the NCAA is blocking” the school from applying stickers with a QR code to players’ helmets ahead of its season opener at home Saturday against South Dakota State, according to a statement issued by the OSU Athletic Department.

The news was first reported by 247Sports Oklahoma State beat reporter McClain Baxley, who shared the press release from OSU just before the school’s home opener.

The QR codes, first announced on Aug. 20, were intended to link to an NIL (name, image, and likeness) collective called Pokes With a Purpose.

While the NCAA generally allows helmet stickers, the fundraising nature of the decals is apparently too much for a governing body that is still navigating the NIL world in which college players are entitled to profits from their appearances. 

“Oklahoma State interprets the QR code stickers as institutional decals permitted under NCAA bylaws,” the release reads. “The NCAA interprets the QR code stickers as advertising and/or commercial marks, which are not permitted.”

The NCAA sent Front Office Sports this comment on the news: “Based on current NCAA football playing rules, a QR Code would not be allowed on the players uniform, which also includes the helmet. These are the rules in place for the 2024-25 season. Any discussions to adjust the approach to advertising and/or commercial marks would be a broader discussion for conference commissioners and NCAA committees that manage the playing rules across all sports.”

OSU A.D. Chad Weiberg said, in the school’s press release, “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.”

Head coach Mike Gundy announced the NIL Helmet Initiative earlier this month, even days Gundy had griped about player agents contacting him about NIL deals: “Tell your agent to quit calling us and asking for more money.” The NIL helmet QR code initiative, thought to be the first of its kind, was potentially a way for the program to focus on the season while also keeping athletes happy.

While fans in the stands likely wouldn’t get close enough to scan the 1.5 square inch stickers, supporters watching on television or scrolling through social media photos would be able to donate.

Now the Cowboys have to give the initiative the boot before it even got off the ground. But supporters don’t need to fret: OSU Athletics says it will plaster the QR code across the stadium and on the video screen.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) and linebacker C.J. Hicks (11) shake hands while leaving the field following the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. Ohio State won 14-7

How Ohio State Rebuilt Its NIL Strategy in the Rev-Share Era

The Buckeyes are staying “aggressive” in the new NIL landscape.

NIL Go Corrects Its Data From $80M in Deals Cleared to $35M,..

It’s another bump in the rocky rollout of the new NIL clearinghouse.
Blue Jays
exclusive

MLBPA, DraftKings Agree to Settle NIL Suit

MLBPA said DraftKings and other sportsbooks improperly used players’ NIL.
Arch Manning

NIL Go Says It Has Cleared $80 Million in NIL Deals So..

NIL collectives, however, say the majority of their deals are in limbo.

Featured Today

Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) gets ready to take the field prior to a game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

How Brazil Game Fits Into NFL’s Plans for World Domination

Friday night’s Chiefs-Chargers game in São Paulo is big by design.
Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.
September 2, 2025

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
August 30, 2025

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
August 26, 2025

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
Aug 30, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores linebacker Langston Patterson (10) looks over the defense against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers during the first half at FirstBank Stadium.
September 3, 2025

Latest Class Action Eligibility Lawsuit Challenges NCAA’s ‘Redshirt’ Rule

It’s the latest lawsuit challenging the NCAA’s core eligibility requirements.
Workers set up the stages for the “Fox Big Noon Kickoff” sports show live telecast before Saturday’s Iowa State and Iowa football game at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa.
exclusive
September 3, 2025

Big 12 Embraces Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports

The conference held a call with Portnoy to discuss coverage and collaboration.
Sponsored

Trailblazer Cal Calamia Is Racing for ‘Advocacy, Storytelling, and Performance’

The marathoner wants excellence—not just inclusion—to be the goal for non-binary athletes.
The cast of ESPN College GameDay begins their show prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. The show is the final one for Lee Corso.
September 2, 2025

OSU Sophomore Wins $250K in McAfee ‘GameDay’ Kicking Contest

The former NFL punter started offering prize money for kicks in 2023.
Aug 30, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) drops back to pass against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half at Ohio Stadium.
September 2, 2025

On This Year’s CFB Rosters, Even Backup QBs Make Six Figures

The going rate for backup quarterbacks is in the mid-six-figures.
Mike Gundy
September 2, 2025

OSU’s Gundy, Oregon’s Lanning Trade Barbs Over Alleged $30 Million Gap

Lanning ripped Gundy’s “excuse” and said “we spend to win.”
FSU
September 2, 2025

ACC Hits Florida State With First $50K Storming Fine Under New Rule

The ACC announced a new fine system in July.