What? Brian Kelly Says Oklahoma State QR Code Idea To Raise NIL Funds Doesn’t 'Feel Collegiate' For Gamedays

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 raising NIL funds for players with QR codes. But was this a subtle shot at Mike Gundy in the process? 

The news came out last week that Oklahoma State would be utilizing its helmets as a way to invite fans to donate to the Cowboys NIL fund. During every game this season, players will have QR codes on the back of their helmets, which would then allow fans at home to use their phones as a way to donate. The idea seemed out of the box, and could potentially work, if you can get a good enough picture on your television. 

OK, it's not a bad idea, even though it might be a little complicated, but that's alright. For LSU's Brian Kelly, when asked about the idea of doing something of similar nature, the Tigers head coach said that it undermined the ‘collegiate’ feel of a college football game. 

COLUMBIA, MO - OCTOBER 07: 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 Oct 7, 2023 at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

What? It doesn't feel collegiate to try anything possible to raise money for players in a time where athletic departments are scrambling for new ideas. That's the feeling Brian Kelly had this week on the SEC coaches teleconference. 

"For us, we can keep NIL off the field," Brian Kelly said about the OK State QR code idea when asked this week. "I think we can generate the things that we need here at LSU separate from the gameday atmosphere, the collegiate kind of feel that you have. This is just my personal feeling. Putting a QR code on your helmet just doesn't feel collegiate for me. 

"As much as we continue to keep this game when the band and college-aged kids playing the game (we should). I get it, right? NIL is here to stay and that's great, but I think we can separate from that and still, at the end of the game, got to work on NIL."

Come on, coach. Are we really going to act as if putting a QR code on the back of a player’s helmet is taking away the ‘collegiate’ experience of a football game. What about the different ways LSU will try to raise NIL funds during a game, even though it might not be on the back of a helmet? 

How will Brian Kelly feel when LSU decides to sell space on the football field for corporate logos to raise money for the athletic department? Will have a ‘Raisin’ Canes' logo take away the collegiate experience on a gameday? 

College Gamedays Are Evolving In This New NIL Era. Sorry Brian Kelly

The whole college athletics experience now is seemingly based around NIL, and if a school has not come up with ideas on how to stay competitive in the field, well they are falling behind other schools. Does selling a player’s jersey at the stadium during a game hurt the collegiate experience for fans attending a game? 

That's up for you to decide, but I don’t imagine fans of LSU, or any other school around the country are going to complain about a player’s helmet having a QR code on the back to raise money for an NIL fund. 

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 05: LSU fans storm the field to celebrates their win against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Tiger Stadium on November 05, 2022 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

The point is, everything is changing about college athletics, even the gameday experience. I don't see Brian Kelly complaining about the starting quarterback being paid a tremendous amount of money to take snaps, which gives a more professional feel to the situation. 

At the end of the day, the LSU band will continue playing ‘neck’, while over 100,000 fans have a fantastic time inside one of the best college stadiums in the country. If you don't think the ‘collegiate’ experience is evolving, then you are certainly blind to what's happening around college athletics. 

But, you do you, Brian Kelly. I just know a QR code isn't going to deter people away from having a good time at a college football game, no matter if it's in Oklahoma or Death Valley.