From the moment it was announced that college athletes would be able to earn money off their name, image, and likeness, everyone knew that the collegiate athletics landscape would change forever. However, it's hard to imagine anyone predicting that a university's football program would start wearing QR codes on their helmets leading fans to a donation page to the team's general fund.

With college football's stars earning exponentially more in NIL than offensive and defensive linemen, Oklahoma State's general fund could be very beneficial for helping recruit players at less star-studded positions. Even at Alabama or Georgia, an offensive lineman isn't very likely to secure many brand deals, so a team fund that gets distributed to the lesser-known players could be very enticing.

That said, Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy insists that this will be more impactful for the fans than anyone else.

In an official statement from Oklahoma State football, Gundy said, "This is a revolutionary step forward to help keep Oklahoma State football ahead of the game." He continued, "It gives a chance for everyday fans across the world to have a real impact when it comes to supporting the NIL efforts for Cowboy football."

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How can fans donate?

There are obviously going to be tons of college football fans willing to donate to their alma maters in order to take their football program to the next level. However, Oklahoma State might be hoping for big generosity. When going to the fund online, the cheapest donation option given to fans is $100, and goes as high as $5,000 for a one-time payment. The site does enable fans to input their own figure to donate, but that is the last option that the site offers.

Some fans have joked that certain donations will enable them to have a more direct impact on the program.

How will this help Oklahoma State?

As stated earlier, the money from this fund would likely go to helping non-skill position players earn money that they wouldn't be able to get from NIL deals. This should entice more players at these positions to pick Oklahoma State in the future, but that likely won't be for a few years, and only if this general fund winds up earning those players serious compensation.

Didn't Mike Gundy just tell players not to take NIL money?

Earlier this week, Gundy told the media that, with his team's season opener less than two weeks away, he wants his players to stop negotiating for more money and NIL deals and start focusing on the season.

Gundy does not seem to be telling players to stop trying to earn money, but that the time for negotiating deals is behind them. "Tell your agent to quit calling us and asking for more money," he said. "It’s non-negotiable now. Start again in December."

Perhaps that is what sparked the decision to start advertising their team fund. It could be a compromise where players no longer have to ask for money but can instead earn from the fund. The biggest issue, of course, is the uncertainty of just how much each player will earn.

Is the fund only reachable through the QR codes?

No. According to the team's statement, links to the fund will also be available on the team's social media channels (X, Instagram, Facebook). The QR codes on the helmets are simply meant to intrigue fans who are unaware of the fund and willing to tip the team after big plays.

When does the college football season start?

The college football season starts this weekend, Saturday, August 24 with Florida State taking on Georgia Tech at 12 p.m. ET. Oklahoma State starts their season with a home matchup against South Dakota State on Saturday, August 31 at 1 p.m. ET. That game will air on ESPN. It will also be available for streaming on ESPN+.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oklahoma State football helmets to have NIL QR codes this season