Oklahoma State basketball coach Mike Boynton addresses NIL limitations, fan support
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State men’s basketball coach Mike Boynton addressed publicly on Thursday comments he made earlier in the week regarding his job status and his program’s lack of funding for name, image and likeness initiatives for athletes.
“We gotta coach better. I gotta continue to make our players better,” Boynton said Thursday in his regular weekly press conference. “But the way you get players now is totally different than the way you got players four years ago.
“I appreciate that our fans aren’t happy. I don’t want them to feel good that we’re 10-14. I want them to be like, ‘What the hell’s going on? Why aren’t we better?’ I also want to help give them some perspective.”
Boynton’s initial comments were made in a phone call to the Tulsa World, as reported Wednesday.
“This is about talent acquisition and retention,” he told the World. “Without naming specific schools, I’ll tell you what I know. There are at least six programs operating above $2 million for their roster.”
Boynton added that OSU is “barely over $500,000” in total NIL spending.
“I don’t know if there’s a magic answer,” Boynton said Thursday. “Part of it is we gotta play better. The better you play, the more people are willing to invest their time and resources into the program. That’s totally fair.”
More: How Oklahoma State's Brandon Garrison elevated his game under tutelage of Tommy Griffin
Three years removed from their last NCAA Tournament appearance, the Cowboys are 10-14 overall and 2-9 in Big 12 play this season and the fanbase has grown increasingly restless with Boynton as the team has continued to struggle the last three years.
That restlessness has shown in Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Cowboys have surpassed the attendance mark of 7,000 only three times in 14 home games.
“I hope nobody took that as me making excuses,” Boynton said. “It’s just me pointing out the reality of college athletics in 2024.
“I’m not abstaining myself from responsibility here. Please make sure that’s clear. I’m responsible for how our team performs from game to game. You also can only perform within your ability.”
Oklahoma State athletic director Chad Weiberg has not made any public comments on Boynton’s job status, and based on both Weiberg’s past behavior and his prudent nature, it is unlikely he will do so at any point during the season.
In speaking with The Oklahoman on Thursday, Weiberg outlined some of the difficulties and misunderstandings between a school’s donors and the programs they support.
More: Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton sees a future for Bedlam basketball after OU's SEC move
“One of the misconceptions that’s out there that everybody needs to understand is that from an athletic department standpoint, we can be very supportive of our NIL efforts,” Weiberg said. “But we cannot — no part of our budget can go to NIL. It’s against the rules. Until that changes, we cannot do that. So it really does come down to our donors, and what it is that they want to support, and how our coaches use it.”
Based on current rules, the university cannot channel its funds through the collective for NIL payouts to athletes. So a lagging NIL reserve can be viewed as a sign of donors’ waning desire to offer financial support.
Then it becomes a chicken-and-egg conundrum. Boynton feels he needs better NIL funding to lure better talent and field a better team. Supporters want to see a program win before they commit their money to such endeavors.
But Weiberg stressed that NIL does not directly equate to wins.
“I think we have programs that are ranked in the top 10 in the country, or top one or two in the country, that are not at the top of their NIL market, if you will,” Weiberg said. “It isn’t everything. It’s a piece of it. But I don’t think it’ll ever get to the place where it is everything.”
What is Mike Boynton's contract as Oklahoma State basketball coach?
Boynton is under contract through the 2028 season, earning $2.5 million per year. The buyout for the university to terminate the contract prior to April 1 would call for Boynton to be paid 75% of the remainder of the contract, which currently equates to roughly $7.7 million.
On April 1, the buyout percentage drops to 66.67%. At that point, the remainder of Boynton’s contract will be $10 million, making the buyout $6.67 million.
And Boynton hasn’t hidden from the fact that he has come under fire with a faction of fans. Yet he remains in contact with Weiberg, and with a young, talented roster, Boynton’s focus is steadfast on improving his team.
“I talk to Chad all the time,” Boynton said. “He’s been a tremendous support.
“His job’s not easy, no question about it. But that doesn’t lessen the fact that I think 24 hours a day about how to put this program back in the place where our fans appreciate.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State basketball coach Mike Boynton addresses NIL limitations
