Could Oregon State have a problem on the scale of UNLV NIL? Beaver coaches 'do it the way it's supposed to be done'

On Tuesday evening, mud started flying at UNLV.

First, it was quarterback Matthew Sluka who posted on social media that he would not play this season after supposed commitments from the program fell through. That was followed on Wednesday by a series of comments from the player's father and agent, the UNLV group and the school.

A coach promised money. No, he didn't. The process wasn't followed. He said this, they said that.

Conclusion: In an era where names, images and likeness are everything, such news is hardly surprising. It's about rotten guard rails.

Could it happen in the state of Oregon?

The answer is of course, but the school and Dam Nation Collective are confident they have processes in place to minimize that possibility.

Dam Nation President Kyle Bjornstad believes Oregon State coaches don't make name, image and likeness promises to prospective athletes. Instead, they refer players to Dam Nation to talk about opportunities.

“I feel very good about saying that,” Bjornstad said. “It's crazy. We may be an anomaly, but that's OK. We're fine. Our process is working. I know for a fact that people are being directed to me.”

“I'm confident that the Oregon State coaches will do it the way it should be done.”

Oregon State University athletic director Scott Barnes wrote in a text to The Oregonian/OregonLive that department policy instructs coaches to “provide recruits with Dam Nation's contact information. Additionally, space will be provided for Dam Nation to meet with recruits during campus visits.”

About a third of Oregon State's current football roster has at least one NIL contract through Dam Nation. Bjornstad expects that number to rise to over half the roster by the end of the season.

Bjornstad said that in the little over two years since Dam Nation was founded, “we are achieving 1000%. Every promise has been kept. In some cases, we have even been able to achieve more than we promised.”

Part of the problem at UNLV has to do with an alleged verbal agreement. Bjornstad said not all NIL agreements are in writing. However, he said there is an effort within the NCAA to develop some safeguards that will standardize NIL contracts in college sports.

“In the beginning there were no contracts at all. That kind of thing wasn't allowed. I think that's why some of it got so out of hand. There were all these verbal promises made, big numbers thrown around. I would argue that in some cases some places never had any intention of sticking to them,” said Bjornstad.

“From day one, I was determined to do what we say. Once you've lost your credibility, you can't get it back.”

As NIL has evolved, so has dealing with player agents. Bjornstad said he is often contacted by agents, asking questions ranging from Oregon State's process to “How much can Dam Nation do for my athlete?”

“Sometimes they might be a little annoyed with me because I only talk about processes and the way things work here. I don't talk about dollar amounts,” Bjornstad said. “There are some who are obviously only offering kids. 'So-and-so is offering this. Can (OSU) play in this stadium? They really want to go there.' There's a disgusting side to that.”

Aware that he works in a volatile industry, Björnstad admits that outside narratives affecting 18- to 22-year-old athletes give him sleepless nights.

“It's quite a nuisance, and rightly so, because some things happen. But for those who are really doing it right, you can understand why it's still scary, because you can't control what's being said,” Bjornstad said.

–Nick Daschel can be reached at 360-607-4824, [email protected] or @nickdaschel.

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