Oct 14, 2023; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys mascot Pistol Pete shoots a shotgun during a game between Oklahoma State and Kansas at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan J. Fish-Imagn Images Nathan J. Fish-Imagn Images

Oklahoma State General Manager Chimes In On Pending NCAA Ruling

Originally posted on Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI
By Alec Elijah | Last updated Jul 4, 2025 12:05 PM ET

Remember when the Oklahoma State Cowboys attempted to place NIL-linked QR codes on players' helmets in 2024?

Back in August of 2024, the Oklahoma State Cowboys intended to put a 1.5-square-inch QR code linking to the program's general NIL fund on the backs of players' helmets; however, the NCAA quickly blocked this notion before Week 1 of the 2024-25 college football season.

The NCAA is preventing Oklahoma State from wearing QR codes on its helmets this season.

“The NCAA interprets the stickers as advertising/commercial marks, which are not permitted.”

(via @McclainBaxley) pic.twitter.com/OdpR9wLBBt
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) August 31, 2024

“The NCAA interprets the QR code stickers as advertising and/or commercial marks, which are not permitted,” said Oklahoma State's news release during the ban in 2024.

Fast forward almost a full year, and a new report has recently announced that the LSU football team plans to sell patch advertisements on their jerseys, pending the NCAA's approval.

This definitely ruffled some feathers in Stillwater as the Oklahoma State Director of Football Business, Kenyatta Wright, took to his X account to express his opinion on this potential approval by the NCAA.

Does this detract from the "collegiate" feel of college football and keep separate from the on-field game day atmosphere. #QRCode it’s all the same https://t.co/PGFQLdXnX1
— Kenyatta Wright (@KWright_7) July 2, 2025

"Does this detract from the collegiate feel of college football and keep it separate from the on-field game day atmosphere. It’s all the same," said Wright.

While an advertisement and a QR code are visibly different, the purpose of the two is very similar in the fact that players on the team will benefit from the income, despite the NCAA not seeing it that way.

If LSU is to receive approval on this notion, there is a good chance the Cowboys could submit an appeal for their QR code sticker on the back of players' helmets.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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