STILLWATER – As Pokes Report delivered to you this was an “old school” bye week of work for the 2-2 Oklahoma State Cowboys. All four practices had contact, three of the four were in full pads. There were some beat up players physically, but the good news is it appears all will be back next week to prepare for the Oct. 6 “Black Out” game with Kansas State. The Cowboys will be a decided underdog for that game, but based on Mike Gundy’s team meeting and what we heard of his message he is not accepting underdog status and anything less than the all out effort to win the remainder of the season.
Gundy is not out in the public where he can catch the ravings of Oklahoma State fans that are flat out p***ed off. I catch plenty of those on the radio and social media. Athletic director Chad Weiberg has been on the trail in Texas this week meeting with donors and he has heard his share of advice.
Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics
Weiberg at Iowa State last Saturday.
“I know there is a high expectation and that is good. That is exactly what we want,” Weiberg said in the radio interview from Simmons Bank in Stillwater celebrating their 33rd annual spirit day. “You know the last couple of games didn’t meet the expectation and that is what creates the angst and the displeasure, whatever you want to call it. I know I’ve been taking a lot of advice, a fair amount. Again, all of that is good because what that says is that we have a passionate fan base that cares and that is a credit to the job Coach Gundy has done for the last 19-years at Oklahoma State. He has raised the bar and the level of expectations.”
Raised the bar but now fans are frustrated and some are flat out losing their minds over the results so far this season. The media is taking their shots, they love to when the confident (or cocky) Gundy is vulnerable. Weiberg is paid to know his coaches, know what they are capable of and what the expected results will be especially after a down period.
Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics
Mike Gundy made sure it was a hard and hopefully productive bye week.
“There is nobody that wants to win more than he does, more than the coaches in the West End Zone, and more than the players in the West End Zone,” Weiberg added. “I know they are working very hard in this off week and will continue to work hard for K-State and the games we play after that. Everybody is well aware of what the expectations are and working hard to meet those expectations.”
Weiberg is supportive, has a good relationship with Gundy. He knows all too well with an upbringing involving coaching with his father, a college basketball coach, and his brothers and the family’s ties to the late Hall of Famer Eddie Sutton that midseason is not the time for knee jerk reaction or actions. That comes at the conclusion of a season.
What Weiberg is really pressing along with members of his senior staff in the athletic department is the need to get behind NIL and the collective of Pokes with a Purpose.
“We’ve heard it all, right? Our fan base is no different than any other fan base. Our coaches are no different than any other coaches in college sports. This is not the way college athletics has worked all these years and decades. There are a fair amount of people that don’t like it. The message is … it doesn’t matter,” Weiberg said with a serious look. “It is now part of college athletics. It is not going away and for us to remian competitive it one of the areas that we are going to have to compete in.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Big-time players will command NIL payments. It is a fact of today’s college football and most other sports.
“Our fans have always stepped up to the challenges and made things happen for us. I am confident that they will in this area too,” Weiberg continued. “We have to continue to do a good job in the are of educating and telling them how they can get involved. There are a lot of ways that they can get involved and I think that is part of the confusion. That is what our efforts are about whether it is on social media or at the game (Kansas State) on Friday. We are continuing to tell them where they can go and help. Pokes with a Purpose is our collective and they have done a great job. They are volunteers and are giving their time and efforts to help Oklahoma State. There is a website and they have where you can donate on the website, see who is involved. We need our fans to do that and become involved with our collective and our NIL efforts.”
NIL and the success of the collective in Pokes with a Purpose will determine athletic success in the future. Do we know what the competition is spending? No. Do we know what the budget for the collective and payments to athletes needs to be? Again, no. Right now this is by feel and it is an educational process for an educational and athletic institution that we all want to see do well.
Short answer, we are flying by the seat of our pants, but we know there has to be a competitive effort with the hope of more answers. What is needed most are new rules, guardrails for all of college athletics. Until they surface it’s do your best, trust the leaders, and if you love Oklahoma State and Cowboy and Cowgirl athletics then know it is for a worthy cause.
“At the end of the day, it does help our student-athletes and that is what we’re here for,” Weiberg concluded.
