Nick Saban reacts to Oklahoma State firing Mike Gundy, cites embracing NIL as biggest reason

Nick Saban had an idea why Mike Gundy was let go at Oklahoma State following two decades at the helm. In the new age of college athletics, perhaps the Cowboys football program was a little behind the 8-ball in NIL and compensating players.

Saban has been pretty outspoken about NIL himself, embracing the idea of it but not necessarily liking a straight “pay for play” model. Gundy could’ve been in that camp considering the recent struggles of Oklahoma State.

SUBSCRIBE to the On3 NIL and Sports Business Newsletter

Gundy is as Oklahoma State as Oklahoma State gets, so him not being on the sidelines is going to be an interesting sight. But as Saban mentioned, Gundy in this new age might’ve not been the best pairing in the end.

“Some people have a tougher time embracing the whole idea of paying players, especially some of us old timers you know, it was a little more difficult,” Saban said on College GameDay. “And Mike Gundy has been a great coach for a long time. You know, coaching is teaching, teaching is ability to inspire learning, and for those of us who kind of get that, and that’s been our self gratification for so many years. Embracing paying the players has been a little bit harder, and I think that ultimately is what got them at Oklahoma State.”

After a 4-7 season in 2005, Oklahoma State won seven games every year until 2024 – a stretch that also saw eight 10-plus win seasons. The Cowboys won the 2011 Big 12 title and made four conference championships under Gundy’s watch. His 170 wins are over 100 more than Pat Jones, who has the second-most in program history.

Oklahoma State last made the Big 12 Championship in 2023, falling to Texas. From there, things got rough for Mike Gundy and the Cowboys, who went just 3-9 in 2024. The 2025 season started out with a win over UT Martin – a game in which starting quarterback Hauss Hejny got hurt – but the noise got louder after Week 2.

Oklahoma State got blown out in a Week 2 game at Oregon as the Ducks got a resounding 69-3 victory. That matchup came after Gundy commented on Oregon’s investment through NIL and facilities, and Ducks quarterback Dante Moore said it made things personal in the matchup.

From there, Oklahoma State had a bye week before taking on Tulsa in Week 4. The Cowboys’ offense struggled again and the Golden Hurricane had a huge night, as well, to get the victory at Boone Pickens Stadium.