Two Ways to Look at Oklahoma State Football’s NIL Gap in Big 12

The Oklahoma State Cowboys want to be competitive in college football and that means keeping up in NIL. Here are two ways to look at it.

Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the ways that the Oklahoma State Cowboys were able to lure near head coach Eric Morris was a commitment to resources, including NIL money.

That money can come from a few different sources, including revenue share from the House settlement and third-party NIL deals. But just how big is the gap between the Cowboys and the rest of the Big 12? According to data gathered by NIL-NCAA.com, there are two ways to look at that gap and how quickly the Cowboys could close it.

The Oklahoma State NIL Gap

Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

NIL-NCAA.com gathered NIL data on all the power conference schools in addition to Notre Dame and found that the Cowboys spent an estimated $22.1 million on football in NIL money for 2026. That puts them at No. 40 in the country.

The site’s statistical editor is Patrick O’Rourke, a CPA based in Washington, DC. His methodology pulls from a variety of sources, including the NCAA, the U.S. Department of Education, universities sponsoring intercollegiate athletic teams, athletic conferences, academic and government studies and media coverage. He also pulls date from the annual Equity in Athletics Act (EADA) survey.

While the Cowboys are in the bottom half among power conference schools, that’s not the case in the Big 12, where Oklahoma State is among the Top 6 in NIL spending per the site. But here’s the rub — there is a sizable gap and that’s the first way to look at it.

The site estimates that the lead in NIL spending in the Big 12 is, obviously, Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are estimated to be spending $33.3 million. That’s no surprise given the commitment the boosters around the program have made the past few seasons. The Red Raiders are estimated to be spending nearly $10 million more than the next-closest Big 12 team. They’re also spending $11 million more than OSU.

But there is another way to look at it. While the Cowboys are behind the Red Raiders, so is everyone else in the conference. Remove Texas Tech and the Cowboys are competitive with the rest of the league.

Houston is second in the league at an estimated $24.5 million. Behind the Cougars are Colorado ($23.2 million), BYU ($23 million) and TCU ($22.7 million). The Cowboys are within $2.4 million of the second spot, which is held by a team they’ll face in October.

There is a gap the Cowboys must mind. But the gap between OSU and the rest of the league outside of Texas Tech won’t be hard to close. Oklahoma State can start closing that gap with how it plays this year. A better season in 2026 likely means more NIL money to bring to the table in 2027.