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Major college football coaches verbally spar ahead of Week 2 matchup
Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning traded barbs with Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy ahead of their Week 2 matchup. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Major college football coaches verbally spar ahead of Week 2 matchup

Originally posted on CFB-HQ on SI  |  By Matt De Lima  |  Last updated Sep 2, 2025 2:10 PM ET

The buildup to Week 2 in college football already carried weight with ranked matchups, but the spotlight grew brighter after Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy and Oregon coach Dan Lanning traded pointed remarks Monday.

On his weekly radio show, Gundy raised eyebrows when he suggested Oregon’s roster budget dwarfs his own program’s, estimating the Ducks spent “close to $40 million” last season. He even noted that it might “cost a lot of money to keep” Oregon quarterback Dante Moore.

Gundy framed the conversation as a question of scheduling fairness, saying programs with similar resources should play each other in nonconference games.

It was the kind of comment that both pokes fun at the sport’s financial reality and highlights a divide between programs competing at different budget levels. By the end of the day, the remarks had reached Eugene, and Lanning did not let them go unanswered.

Dan Lanning Pushes Back On Gundy’s Resource Comments

Lanning addressed Gundy’s comments during his Monday night press conference, making clear he did not agree with the implication that Oregon was overspending to gain an advantage.

“If you want to be a top-10 team in college football, you better be invested in winning,” Lanning said. “We spend to win. Some people save to have an excuse for why they don’t.”

He added that he respected Gundy’s longevity and success at Oklahoma State but insisted he could only speak for how his own program operates.

Lanning’s response reflects a broader truth in modern college football: programs that aspire to the playoff must now engage in an arms race of resources, whether through NIL collectives, facilities or staff investments.

The Ducks, buoyed by support from Nike founder Phil Knight, have become a target for rivals who view their funding as an advantage. Still, Oregon has paired that investment with on-field results, ranking No. 7 after Week 1 and considered a strong playoff contender. Lanning’s words underscored that success at this level requires a significant financial commitment, a stance he has consistently defended since leaving Georgia to lead Oregon in 2021.

Context Of College Football’s Growing Resource Divide

This back-and-forth between Gundy and Lanning is not the first time Oregon’s budget has drawn commentary. Last year, Georgia coach Kirby Smart quipped at SEC media days about wishing he had access to the NIL funds Knight “has been sharing with Dan Lanning.”

Lanning responded in kind, joking about Smart’s recruiting dominance without NIL money. The exchange was lighthearted, a nod to their past working relationship in Athens. Gundy’s comments, however, felt different, delivered less as an inside joke and more as a warning about the widening gap in resources.

NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For Oklahoma State, which has built steady success under Gundy without the spending power of elite programs, the question is whether the financial gap can be overcome on the field. Both teams enter their matchup at 1-0, with the Cowboys seeking validation against a top-10 opponent and the Ducks looking to reinforce their place among playoff hopefuls. The conversation about budgets may fade once the game kicks off, but the tension over money in college football will not.

The verbal sparring has elevated an already intriguing nonconference showdown, setting up a clash that extends beyond the scoreboard to the broader future of the sport. The two teams face each other in Eugene on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Read more on College Football HQ


This article first appeared on CFB-HQ on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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