REPORT: Oregon State Dismisses Deputy AD Brent Blaylock, Cancels NIL Partnership
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The past two years have been a whirlwind for Beaver Nation: new coaches, new teams, a new conference, and a new NIL partner.
First reported by John Canzano, in his weekly Bald Faced Truth column, more changes are yet to come: Oregon State University will dismiss executive deputy athletic director & Chief Operating Officer Brent Blaylock, and the university will announce a parting of ways with their NIL partner Blueprint Sports. A formal press release could arrive as soon as Tuesday.
Blaylock joined Oregon State in May 2024, after a long and fruitful career at the University of Arizona: he joined the Wildcats’ athletic department in 2017 as their Associate Athletic Director for Compliance, and was eventually promoted to their Senior Associate Athletic Director for Administration and Institutional Control in 2021. In the latter role, Blaylock worked closely with Arizona’s sports administration program, which helps tackle financial, personnel, and operational challenges associated with college athletics. He also helped develop and oversee Arizona’s EDGE program, an in-house NIL collective.
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At Oregon State, Blaylock reported directly to athletic director Scott Barnes. He is best known for his work overseeing the school’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) compliance. In August, he was instrumental in the university selling its NIL collective Dam Nation to Blueprint Sports. At the same time, Dam Nation’s founder Kyle Bjornstad was named a General Manager in the athletics department, before resigning in early October. The new NIL deal immediately invited scrutiny from fans, as exemplified when Sportico reporter Daniel Libit leaked a copy of the university’s official NIL consulting agreement on social media.
The university has not formally announced Blaylock’s dismissal, or a severing of their agreement with Blueprint Sports, as of the time of this publication.
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