The University of Oklahoma is taking its next steps into the NIL era of college Athletics.
The university announced Friday that they will “expand their relationship” with their multimedia rightholder Learfield. OU and Learfield have been working together since 1994 and this new agreement will see Learfield keep control over what they already had, but they will also produce digital content for Sooners fans.
Learfield will also provide “additional NIL leadership focus and support.”
Again, Learfield will continue to oversee the services they already had before this agreement, as will the companies that they own. Ticketing, licensing, the Sooner Sports website and the Oklahoma Sooners app will all continue to be ran by Learfield’s affiliates.
Here are some words from Athletic Director Joe Castiglione on the new agreement,
“We’re pleased to finalize a ground-breaking long-term agreement with LEARFIELD – a partner we’ve trusted and leaned on for many years to help us connect with Sooner fans and grow our brand,” said Castiglione to SoonerSports.com. “As with any challenges and changes our industry experiences, we intentionally seek cutting-edge collaborations to move us forward in the marketplace. Their leadership continues to help our administration navigate through areas such as NIL, evolution in the content game and digital innovation. We look forward to their continued partnership corporately as well as through Sooner Sports Properties.”
OU alumnus Kelly Collyar has been named VP and General Manager for Learfield’s Sooner Sports Properties team, which is based in Norman.
Castiglione has had a busy few months. Back in May, OU signed a massive deal to get “Sooner Vision” on ESPN+, and now closes this deal with Learfield. “Joe C’ has done much to prepare his department as best he can for the NIL era.
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