What Nick Saban Said About Oregon's NIL Spending, Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy

ESPN's College GameDay was in Norman, Oklahoma, for the Sooners' primetime matchup with the Michigan Wolverines. During the show, the Oregon Ducks and Oklahoma State Cowboys were featured, largely thanks to the comments made by Cowboys coach Mike Gundy and Ducks coach Dan Lanning earlier in the week.

Oregon Ducks Oklahoma State cowboys Dan lanning NIL Mike Gundy Nick Saban College GameDa — Aug 30, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning talks to wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr. (2) during warm ups before a game against the Montana State Bobcats at Autzen Stadium. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

What College GameDay Said About Oregon, Oklahoma State

Legendary coach Nick Saban gave his two cents about the rate of spending among the top programs in college football.

"I kind of got the feeling that it's not really about the money, it's about how much, when it comes to some of these programs now and how they're having success," Saban said.

After Gundy compared the name, image, and likeness (NIL) spending of his program to the Ducks', his comments made headlines. Previewing Saturday's game in Autzen Stadium, Davis used an analogy to describe Oklahoma State's trip to Oregon on College GameDay.

"Well, the Cowboys are going to find out how the 'one percenters' live when they visit Eugene, the upper rent district, the high-rent district. The place that, some believe maybe the Cowboys can afford to visit but can't afford to live there," Davis said.

GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit focused more on the actual makeup of Oklahoma State's program when talking about the matchup:

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"Entire new staff. When I say new staff, Mike Gundy is the only returning coach from last year's staff. You're starting a quarterback that's making his first career start. Mike Gundy's a guy that's usually when you need to look out. I wouldn't be surprised to see this team compete, but with 16 new starters on the road in that environment for a first game, it'll be tough," said Herbstreit.

Kirk Herbstreit speaks on the set of ESPN College GameDay prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oddsmakers seem to agree with Herbstreit as the Ducks are favored by 28.5 points over the Cowboys per DraftKings Sportsbook.

Gundy, Lanning Pregame Comments

Oklahoma State Head coach Mike Gundy walks on the field before an NCAA football game between Oklahoma State (OSU) and UT Martin in Stillwater, Okla., on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the week leading up to Saturday, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy spoke to the media about the differences in resources between his program and Oregon.

“They spend a lot of money,” Gundy said on radio. “But they’re a good team. There’s no doubt about it. Our players, we talked about it today before practice, they’re excited about going out there and playing... I think Oregon spent close to $40 (million) last year alone. That was just one year. Now, I might be off a few million."

Ducks coach Dan Lanning was asked about Gundy's comments:

"I've got a ton of respect for coach Gundy. Ultimately, how blessed are we to be in a place that is invested in winning? If you want to be top 10 in college football, you better be invested in winning. We spend to win. Some people save to have an excuse for why they don't," Lanning said.

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