Oklahoma State’s always-quotable head coach, Mike Gundy, is never hesitant to stir debates. And this week, he threw in a dash of budget talk aimed squarely at Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks during the post-game conference. “Oregon is paying a lot, a lot of money for their team,” Gundy said. The Ducks have become one of the true heavyweights thanks to a mountain of financial firepower. Backed by Nike founder Phil Knight, the Ducks have used significant financial resources to secure elite talent, build top-tier facilities, and strengthen recruiting.
Oregon’s recent Big Ten title and its ability to reload talent through transfers and NIL deals prove how extra investment sets them up to pounce on every postseason opportunity. But Gundy’s jab about budgets doesn’t just stop at Eugene’s borders. It ripples all the way, very subtly, to college football’s heartland at Beaver Stadium, home of Penn State’s James Franklin. Gundy adds, “From a nonconference standpoint, there’s coaches saying they should [play teams with similar budgets].”
Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy credits Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks for having recent success as a program but keeps mentioning one thing along with that… MONEY!
Someone tell Mike Gundy to stop being poor! pic.twitter.com/PPl5VN1KsI
— DuckZone503 (@DuckZone503) September 2, 2025
In a radio interview, Gundy revealed that Oklahoma State has invested about $7 million in football NIL deals over the past three years. “I think Oregon spent close to $40 [million] last year alone,” Gundy said. “So, that was just one year. Now, I might be off a few million.” He then alleged (without much evidence) that Oregon spent nearly $40 million in a single season and argued that non-conference scheduling should factor in comparable NIL spending.
And here’s where the numbers get really interesting. Penn State’s 2023-24 football budget clocked in at a whopping $64.5 million. The athletic department spent $215.1 million from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, and received $220.7 in total overall revenue, an increase of $18.5 million from the previous year. The football program essentially represents more than 51% of Penn State Athletics’ total revenue. So how does that stack up against Oklahoma State? While exact figures for the Cowboys aren’t as public, industry sources peg their annual football operating budget at around $36 to $40 million.
That is significantly less than Penn State’s investments. Now the SEC has finally joined the Big Ten and Big 12 in switching to a nine-game conference slate for 2026, with a mandatory Power 5 opponent as a tenth game, which means every team is facing a similar grind. And there is no “cupcakes” team to ease the grind. That schedule change highlights just how much budgets matter. When the conference schedule is balanced, you’re not just comparing rosters; you’re comparing schools that are putting similar money on the line in every meeting.
Lanning counters Gundy in NIL debate
Gundy’s comments highlight a growing conversation across college football about the widening gap between programs with deep pockets. After the $40 million claim, Dan Lanning fired back, though, with a classic reply. “If you want to be a top-10 team in college football, you’d better be invested in winning. We spend to win,” Lanning said when asked about Gundy’s comments. “Some people save to have an excuse for why they don’t. … I can’t speak on their situation; I have no idea what they got in their pockets over there.”
Lanning praised Gundy’s coaching acumen, “I got a ton of respect for coach Gundy,” but made it clear that Oregon’s resources put them in a position to compete for championships year after year. This back-and-forth sets the stage for an electric clash between two teams with very different financial realities but equally fierce ambitions. Also, Oregon is favored by nearly 30 points, and Oklahoma State is dealing with a backup quarterback.
Saturday (Sept 6) ’s matchup at Autzen Stadium will mark just the second meeting between Oregon and Oklahoma State; the first came in the 2008 season Holiday Bowl, where the Ducks prevailed 42-31
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