Mike Gundy Shares Ominous Warning About State Of College Football

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy doesn't sound impressed with the impact money has had on college football.

NIL has been the norm now for a few years in college athletics, and there are some serious upsides. Mostly, it allows players to earn money that can help set them up for years to come.

This is America, and in this country, we celebrate getting paid. However, it's also created a wild west atmosphere where some players act as mercenaries chasing money.

The transfer portal is loaded every single season, and it seems like loyalty is a thing of the past.

Mike Gundy shines an honest light on the state of college football

The Oklahoma State coach hasn't been shy in the past when it comes to criticizing money in college football. He made it crystal clear there would be zero negotiations during the season, and he's letting people know money is driving virtually all decisions.

"Player retention is based on money. I’ll give you an example. If you’re playing on our team and we go 3-9 and right now you’re making $12,000 and we say, ‘Hey, if you come back we’ll pay you $250,000.’ What are you going to do? Player retention is probably 90 percent built on money now. Not other things. It’s changed," Gundy responded when asked about player retention and guys maybe wanting to win a title.

Translation: Winning doesn't matter anymore to players. Just show them the cash.

You can watch Gundy's comments in the video below starting around 32:00, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

As a huge college football fan, I'm never going to stop watching, but it's stuff like this that is a little disheartening. Why is it disheartening? Because it's true.

Many players are chasing a huge payday, and while I certainly don't fault them, it cuts a little bit against what we love most about college sports:

Building up a team over years with the same players.

It used to be a lot of fun watching a guy progress over the course of three, four or five years. You watch a guy redshirt, get a few snaps in the early years and then really come into his own as a junior or senior.

That doesn't happen much anymore. Guys want to play and get paid. If it can't happen at one school, they'll find a new one.

So, Gundy is 100% correct when he says money is driving retention. Do you want to win a ring or make half a million dollars? Do you want to be on the best team in the country or be on a bad team and be rich? Personally, I'd want to win, but we all know there's a lot of people who want the cash.

Do you agree with Gundy's assessment of the situation? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

Written by
David Hookstead is a reporter for OutKick covering a variety of topics with a focus on football and culture. He also hosts of the podcast American Joyride that is accessible on Outkick where he interviews American heroes and outlines their unique stories. Before joining OutKick, Hookstead worked for the Daily Caller for seven years covering similar topics. Hookstead is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.