Bill Haisten: For Chad Weiberg and OSU, a symbolic removal of 2024 debris

STILLWATER Massive challenges remain as Chad Weiberg soldiers forward in 2025, but Oklahoma States athletic director did seem relieved as the final bit of 2024 football debris was swept to the side.

The OSU regents Friday approval of Mike Gundys restructured contract was a formality.

The terms were finalized and the contract was signed on Dec.

9 only 10 days after a miserable Cowboy football season ended with a 52-0 loss at Colorado, and only three days after the regents met to discuss Gundys employment status and contract.

The regents action also was symbolic in that Weiberg and Gundy along with Gundys new staff and continuously evolving roster can focus on the present and the future.

Over the last couple of weeks, it does feel that Gundy and OSU athletic department personnel have nearly fully recovered from the hangover of an 0-9 result in Big 12 games.

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I dont know that (the program) was stale or lacked energy, but it wasnt working, Weiberg said.

Clearly, whatever it was, it didnt work.

OSU has gotten beyond a sickening four-month pocket of turbulence that included: The nine-game losing streak (the longest in program history).

Four losses at Boone Pickens Stadium.

Inabilities to execute the most basic of the basics like blocking and tackling.

We didnt have a great ability to recover when something went bad, said Weiberg, who witnessed every snap of every game.

Things snowballed on us.

The Nov.

4 Gundy public-relations misstep when he criticized fans.

The Dec.

6 regents meeting, after which there was the very real feeling that Oklahoma State might actually fire its 20-year head coach.

Instead, on Dec.

7, Gundy accepted the terms of a restructured contract.

There was a $1 million cut in Gundys pay and his five-year rollover clause was eliminated.

In the event of a firing, his buyout is reduced to $15 million in 2025-27 and $10 million in 2028 and beyond.

Fridays completion of the Gundy contract process, Weiberg stated during an interview in his office, stamps this time as, OK, we can move forward.

I do feel like everybody is starting to turn the page, Weiberg continued.

The conference will release the schedule, and (fans) will start to think about the games and where they want to travel next fall.

Heres the multi-million-dollar question: Will the fans travel to Stillwater with the same frequency that they did in 2023 and 2024? Before the start of the 2024 season and for the first time in school history every ticket for every OSU home game was sold.

As always, each of the stadiums 123 luxury suites was leased.

In the wake of OSUs worst season in three decades, what might the renewal rate on season tickets? At the intersection of necessity and bad timing, there is this: OSUs 2025 season-ticket campaign will be launched in a few days, and Weiberg acknowledges that there will be price increases.

As for specific dollar figures on those increases, OSUs fourth-year athletic director says its an ongoing process.

All price points havent yet been determined.

Immeasurably important football revenue funds all Cowboy and Cowgirl sports.

Weiberg explains that the ticket-price hike is unavoidable.

Ticket-price increases are nearly universal in 2025 college football.

OSU teams cant flourish without winning athletes, and winning athletes require a level of NIL compensation that would compel them to move to Stillwater.

Weibergs message on Oklahoma State fans and donors: Weve got to rally.

I really believe they will be there.

Theyve been outstanding the last couple of years, with the sellouts of all of the games.

There was a rough patch of four months, a symbolically cleansing Friday and, for Weiberg, a satisfying Saturday as the basketball Cowboys got 20 points from Bryce Thompson and beat Utah at Gallagher-Iba Arena..

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