Reports about Oklahoma State athletic director Chad Weiberg and his future sent shock waves through the college sports conversation on Wednesday, and the timing could hardly have been worse for the Cowboys.
Instead of letting the focus stay on a 3-1 start in football, Jacie Hoyt’s contract extension or the buildup to wrestling season under David Taylor, the chatter around Weiberg took over. What should have been a week full of positive momentum quickly got swallowed by uncertainty.
There’s no pretending to know exactly what is happening behind the scenes, but the situation is familiar territory in college athletics. These kinds of stories can gather speed fast, especially when they touch on leadership and power.
If the issue is the modern business of college sports - NIL and fundraising - Oklahoma State still has work to do. But the Cowboys have made progress.
The Loyal + True Marketing rollout has been strong, and Hoyt recently credited the donors who “had her back” in helping assemble her transfer class. Credit can be spread around, but without Weiberg’s tacit “approval,” some of that work does not happen.
If the conversation is about coaching hires, Weiberg’s recent track record is difficult to attack. Hoyt looks like a rising star.
Taylor is a major win for wrestling. Football under Morris is not yet in home run territory, but the 3-1 start is exactly the kind of buzz Weiberg could want.
Men’s basketball coach Steve Lutz also just put together a Top 10 recruiting class.
If the issue is unfinished business from old resentment, including the decision not to fire Mike Gundy after the 2024 season, then that chapter has already played out. Gundy is gone, and the people who wanted change got it.
If this is really about a power struggle, that is a different matter entirely. Those situations are ugly, and they usually land on the person with the least leverage. In this case, that would be Weiberg, who spent months without a contract and now has one that pays him far less than the people who will help decide his fate.
So the real question is whether pushing him out is worth it right now. The department appears to be heading in the right direction.
The mood is better than it was a year ago. Fundraising and NIL seem to be catching up.
There is every reason to feel good about where Oklahoma State athletics is headed.
From my experience, the answer is no. But if the people in charge think otherwise, I would offer one piece of advice.
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