Oklahoma AD Outlines 'NIL of Tomorrow' and Revenue Sharing Plan, Calls on OU Fans

Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione has a plan.

He laid out the details of that plan in an email to the fan base on Tuesday morning — and he’s asking for Sooner Nation’s help to implement it.

Castiglione said OU “is planning to share the maximum allowed annual revenue” from the expected approval of the upcoming House v. NCAA class action settlement — an amount that has been projected at $20.5 million starting this July.

That’s money going directly from the school to the student-athletes — something that’s never happened before.

Castiglione outlined the university’s plan and asked fans for their support as OU navigates the new NIL “parameters” and said fan support outside of the NIL structure will be “OU’s primary competitive edge when it comes to recruiting and retaining top talent.”

Here’s Castiglione’s letter in full:

Dear Sooner Family,

Each day there are headlines on the change and disruption seen throughout college athletics. At Oklahoma, when we read those headlines, we see opportunity and possibility. Within two months, the likely reality of revenue sharing with student-athletes will be upon us due to the expected approval of the House vs. NCAA class action lawsuit settlement. Oklahoma is planning to share the maximum allowed annual revenue, amounting to $20.5 million beginning July 1, 2025. Never before has it been more important to position our program to compete and succeed, and that’s exactly what we plan on doing.

Sustaining our championship excellence and supporting all 21 sports programs to perform at the highest level are core tenets central to our strategy. We’re focused on a few key areas that we believe will help us achieve our goals. Please read on to learn more.

Investment in Student-Athletes

We are increasing access to scholarships and creating the opportunity for many student-athletes to have greater financial stability through revenue sharing. This will have a major impact on our ability to compete for the best of the best student-athletes.

Strategic Departmental Investing and Revenue Generation

The reality of a new $20.5 million expense that will increase annually requires us to make thoughtful decisions around how we drive new revenue while considering changes to our current investments. Like our peers across the country, we’re looking at everything from reallocating existing funds for the purpose of revenue sharing, to evaluating future ticket pricing and premium offerings across all sports.

The NIL of Tomorrow

There will still be ample opportunities for fans and businesses to directly support our student-athletes through Name, Image, and Likeness efforts. Traditional, authentic NIL is set to have new parameters come July 1 of this year, and this outside way of providing financial support to our student-athletes will be OU’s primary competitive edge when it comes to recruiting and retaining top talent.

All of these efforts require careful consideration, thoughtful planning, and your support.

This is why I call on you, our Sooner family, to help us rise to the challenge. Below are impactful ways you can be involved.

In the spirit of our 130-year tradition of excellence in OU Athletics, we will remain at the forefront of change – seizing new opportunities for the sustainability of our programs. As we remain steadfast in our pursuit of this goal, we are certain that its success is only made possible with your unwavering support. On behalf of our student-athletes, coaches, and staff, thank you for all you have done and will do to champion OU Athletics.

You can read the interactive online version HERE: