When you know it's gone too far

Though college football has survived its first holdout crisis, steps should be taken to keep it from happening moving forward

Nico Iamaleava

Here’s a scenario.

Pretend Sooner quarterback John Mateer, who arrived through the transfer portal via Washington State, enjoys a bang-up 2025 season.

Let’s say he throws about four times as many touchdown passes as interceptions.

Let’s say he completes almost 65 percent of his passes and, throwing and running, eclipses 3,000 yards from scrimmage.

Let’s also say his pass efficiency rating is about 145, putting him near the nation’s top 30, which isn’t incredible, yet revitalizes Oklahoma’s offense well enough to send the Sooners into the 12-team playoff and, just for fun, let’s say, they get the ninth seed and are bounced out of the bracket by eighth-seed Ohio State, which just happens to go on to win the national championship.

Got all that?

Now, let’s say, at the end of spring practice next year, Mateer and his reps, for all he’s done for the university, decide whatever he was getting in contractual NIL money, it’s no longer enough.

Now he needs $4 million, and if OU were to choose not to pay it, it would be left scrambling to find a suitable starting quarterback less than five months before the next season begins.

Impossible?

Too crazy to contemplate?

Too out there?

Forget all that.

What should the Sooners do amidst such insanity?

Well, Tennessee chose not to pay.

Oh, yeah, you thought we were talking about OU?

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