Mike Gundy has stern NIL message for his players

Sep 16, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy looks on from the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second quarter at Heinz Field. The Cowboys won 59-21. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Count Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy among those very frustrated by some of the challenges that name, image, and likeness money has brought to college football.

Gundy admitted that with the start of the Cowboys’ season less than two weeks away, he is trying to draw the line under the financial haggling and transfer threats that now come with the college football offseason. His message to players, essentially, is that the time for negotiation is over.

“I told the players there’s no negotiating now,” Gundy said, via the Associated Press. “Portal’s over. All negotiation’s history. Now we’re playing football. Just coaching and playing football.

“The business side of what we do now is, we have to have those conversations with them. Tell your agent to quit calling us and asking for more money. It’s non-negotiable now. Start again in December.”

Gundy’s blunt message is presumably being shared by other coaches as well. It’s easy to see why, as players are tempted by extraordinary amounts of money when the transfer portal is open. There is a reason why Gundy has proposed a fairly radical idea to try to address the problem.

Gundy has reason to be optimistic as long as he can keep his players focused. Oklahoma State opens the season ranked at No. 17 in the preseason AP Top 25.