Mike Boynton Makes Case for Oklahoma State Donors to Pay to Keep Ollie Gordon
Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) was intended to be an avenue for college athletes to profit off of their impact on an athletic department’s bottom line.
However, NIL has instead morphed into a minimally regulated version of the NFL’s free agency market, with opposing coaches and programs tampering with teams’ top players in order to entice them into leaving for a bigger check at a bigger school.
One of the biggest names in this year’s portal cycle has been Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon. The Doak Walker Award winner hasn’t shown any intentions of entering the portal, but there’s no doubt that he is garnering attention from big-money programs that need an elite running back.
Oklahoma State basketball coach Mike Boynton was asked about Gordon after a game in Oklahoma City last night, which Gordon attended, and he made a case that Oklahoma State needs to do what it takes in the NIL department to ensure that he’s taken care of in Stillwater.
“I’ve been really, really fortunate to get to know a lot of the athletes on campus in my seven years here,” Boynton said. “Unfortunately, [Ollie Gordon] is one I don’t know that well, personally. I certainly am a big fan of his. I see him at every event. Most of the time I’m there as well and I don’t need to be on camera, he needs to be on camera. We need to make sure we take care of that guy, so anybody who supports Oklahoma State athletics, he is priority No. 1, 2, and 3.”
“I’m just proud of the way he represents the program. The way he represents Stillwater and the university. Obviously, he loves the school and he’s got friends on our team. I know he does a podcast with Eric [Dailey Jr.] and think Javon [Small] has been on it, so really proud of him and the professionalism that he shows. Really looking forward to seeing how they finish the season.”
Gordon and the Cowboys are set to face Texas A&M in the TaxAct Texas Bowl on Wednesday, December 27 in Houston (Tex.), with kickoff scheduled for 8:00 p.m. CT.
