Here's the Start for Oklahoma State, Student-Athletes Will Receive $5,980

(Oklahoma State University Athletic Media Relations contributed to this story.)

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State University Athletics and the Director of Athletics Chad Weiberg announced on Wednesday, March 9 that beginning in the fall semester of 2022, scholarship Oklahoma State student-athletes will receive $5,980 per year as part of the POSSE STAR Fund, it was announced today. The opportunity to pay student-athletes this money comes out of the landmark Supreme Court decision of last summer in the Alston v. NCAA case.

The Alston decision by the nation’s top court granted universities the option to provide student-athletes with additional education-related benefits including direct financial support in the form of academic achievement awards, up to the legally established maximum of $5,980 per year.

These monies are considered money to be spent or money reimbursed for educational expenses on the part of the student-athletes. Most schools are seeing it as a way to jump some of the illegal moves being made by rivals with organized NIL war chests that are looking very much like pay for play operations. 

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Weiberg, Gundy, and President Shrum at PlayStation Fiesta Bowl.

Weiberg said Oklahoma State’s plan is for all scholarship student-athletes to receive the legally established maximum of $5,980 per year.

“Many of our student-athletes perform at a high level academically, as well as athletically. The Alston decision permits us to provide additional aid to reward student-athletes that are achieving success in the classroom,” Weiberg said. “We are fortunate for, and grateful to, our POSSE members and donors who have taken their contributions to the next level to help provide these resources to help support our student-athletes.”

Dating back to the fall of 2019, OSU has 11 different sports teams with cumulative grade point averages of 3.0 or better. In the past four semesters alone, nine different Cowboy and Cowgirl teams have set program GPA records.

Expect to see further efforts to enhance the NIL opportunities of Oklahoma State student-athletes, especially in the high profile sports of football and men’s basketball. Oklahoma State has enlisted two different outside firms to assist in the organization and operation of NIL at Oklahoma State and with OSU athletes and they are INFLCR and Altius. 

The money used to fund the POSSE STAR fund will come through gifts to the POSSE, which exists to give Oklahoma State student-athletes the resources they need to reach their full potential, both in competition and in the classroom. The POSSE exists thanks to a lot of extra and generous giving, but every football season ticket holder does pay for and receive a membership in the OSU POSSE.