Oklahoma AD Pleads With Fans To Support Upcoming NIL Revenue-Sharing When They Already Spend Enough

As we inch closer to the upcoming revenue-sharing that will most likely start in July, more schools are starting to ask their fans to help pay for this new venture in college athletics, with the latest being Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione. 

If you've been living under a rock for the past year, if the upcoming House settlement is agreed to, schools will start sharing revenue with student athletes beginning in July. This has led to athletic departments across the country looking for different ways to raise money for the upcoming expenses associated with paying athletes across different sports. 

Once again, schools are calling on fans to help the cause, even though the average fan is already spending enough money on season tickets, merchandise, donations and more, just to be able to experience a gameday atmosphere. 

Sure, you can use the ole "We need your money to help buy us a championship football team," but that would be too blatant in the eyes of some administrators, even though this is exactly what they're asking for. 

One of the points made in this email to supporters was that Oklahoma plans to use the entire $20.5 million allotted to fund this new venture. 

Let me know what you think. Are you willing to donate more money to help buy a championship roster with no guarantees? Email me at Trey.Wallace@OutKick.com

Oklahoma athletics is looking for more financial support from fans, with revenue-sharing on the way (Credit: Getty Images) (Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images)

Oklahoma Athletic Department Asks Fans For More Financial Support

In an email sent on Tuesday, AD Joe Castiglione asked Oklahoma fans to "help us rise to the challenge" in assisting with raising money for NIL and expenses associated with the upcoming revenue-sharing.

"The reality of a new $20.5 million expense that will increase annually requires us to make thoughtful decisions around how we drive new revenue while considering changes to our current investments," Castiglione wrote supporters. "Like our peers across the country, we’re looking at everything from reallocating existing funds for the purpose of revenue sharing, to evaluating future ticket pricing and premium offerings across all sports."

Oklahoma athletics is looking for more financial support from fans, with revenue-sharing on the way (Credit: Getty Images)

Tucked into part of his plea for help was the line about having to potentially raise ticket prices, which are already expensive enough. It would probably help if they were winning football games and competing for titles right now, but if you donate enough money, contending for championships will come. Right? 

No, it's hit-and-miss in this area, as nothing is guaranteed. And you, the fan, donating a few hundred bucks a year to the athletic department is not going to lead to more wins immediately. 

"Oklahoma is planning to share the maximum allowed annual revenue, amounting to $20.5 million beginning July 1, 2025. Never before has it been more important to position our program to compete and succeed, and that’s exactly what we plan on doing," Joe Castiglione detailed. 

Let me know what you think. Are you willing to donate more money to help buy a championship roster with no guarantees? Email me at Trey.Wallace@OutKick.com

Oklahoma Fans React On Social Media To Plea For Help

Just as you would imagine, Oklahoma fans took to social media to respond to the Sooners' idea of rasing more money to help pay for athletes, which didn’t go over very well with supporters. 

- This isn't just about OU. I just can't justify giving my money to teenagers that make more money than I do so my sports team is good. I'd much rather give it to qualified charities or single moms named Charity....@soonerdm wrote. 

-Does Joe C really believe OU has been at the "forefront of change" during the NIL Era? I think most alumni and fans would pin him as reactive. @jangoknows wrote. 

- Another beautiful part of this is that this is the same admin who happily let Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley go on TV repeatedly after they choked off big games to criticize the fans as not knowing what they did, for not being smart enough to understand the game, and for not being in the practices or with the team and therefore being unable to have any valid opinion. Nah, miss me with "we need fan support." @barristeredOK wrote. 

As you can tell, fans are getting pretty fed up with the pleas for financial help, when they are already paying enough money in their own ways to "support" the program. 

The bottom line is that fans are already being priced-out when it comes to attending games, and there are plenty of Sooners who would love to see them win a title, or at least compete on a yearly basis. 

But if you keep coming back to them for more money, when they already hear about the enormous financial contracts these athletes are receiving, you're going to alienate them even more. 

It's not as if fans are going to stop rooting for their favorite team, but there's only so much they can do to help their school compete for titles. 

Let me know what you think. Are you willing to donate more money to help buy a championship roster with no guarantees? Email me at Trey.Wallace@OutKick.com