Oklahoma State Tabbed as One of Big 12's Most Valuable Teams
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Oklahoma State has become one of the premier programs in the country, but it isn’t fully reflected.
Over the past 20 seasons, OSU football has changed drastically. Since Mike Gundy took over as head coach, the program has seen levels of success it could only dream of over the past several decades.
Under Gundy’s watch, the Cowboys have had 18 winning seasons and bowl appearances, including eight 10-win campaigns. With two 12-win seasons also marking a couple of the top years in OSU history, there is no doubt that Gundy has made the program into what it is today.
OSU’s success throughout his tenure puts the program in a great position as college football transitions into a new and complex era. With NIL, the transfer portal and even revenue sharing becoming a key part of college athletics in today’s environment, it’s key to have a program with consistent success.
That type of consistent success has also made the program among the most valuable in the Big 12. Although college football teams can’t simply be bought like professional squads, that idea might not be all that far-fetched if things continue to trend in this direction.
With that in mind, The Athletic recently estimated how much each power conference program is worth. Unsurprisingly, Texas earned the No. 1 spot on the list with an estimated value of $2.38 billion, with Georgia, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Michigan rounding out the top five.
With only 13 teams reaching the $1 billion threshold, it’s not too surprising that OSU didn’t get close to that number. Of all power conference teams, OSU ranked No. 39 with an estimated value of $339 million.
Although that number might reflect the overall value of the program, the No. 39 ranking doesn’t quite represent what the Cowboys have become in recent history. Of course, prestige and previous championships factor into the equation, of which the Pokes have little to speak of.
Still, that $339 million valuation is still good for fourth in the Big 12, trailing only Utah, TCU and Texas Tech.
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.