The NCAA has banned Oklahoma State from placing NIL-linked QR codes on its players’ football helmets, the program announced ahead of the Cowboys’ Week 1 game against South Dakota State.

On August 20, Oklahoma State announced plans to place a 1.5-square-inch QR code on the back of helmets this fall that links to the program’s general NIL fund. The Cowboys would be the first college football program to use QR codes to promote NIL during a regular-season game.

However, the NCAA has banned Oklahoma State from displaying the QR codes in Week 1. The Cowboys say the issue is a matter of interpretation.

The program believes it is permissible under NCAA bylaws to place QR codes on its helmets as institutional decals. According to a press release from Oklahoma State, the NCAA considers the decals to be “advertising and/or commercial marks,” which are not permitted under NCAA rules.

“We disagree with the interpretation of the rule, but we will adhere to it and work with the appropriate groups to bring about the necessary change,” Oklahoma State athletic director Chad Weiberg said in a statement. “Our staff came up with an innovative concept to increase the NIL value of our student-athletes, but ultimately it serves as just the latest example of how college sports is evolving faster than the rulebook.”

Oklahoma State says the decision to use the QR codes complies with NCAA rules and was made in consultation with the Big 12. In a statement released through Oklahoma State, league commissioner Brett Yormark urged the sport’s leaders to consider progressive solutions as college football enters the NIL era.

“As we enter this new era of college athletics, the Big 12 Conference welcomes the opportunity to lead the way in innovation and creativity,” Yormark said. “I look forward to working with the NCAA and my fellow conference commissioners in an effort to modernize legislation that enables our schools to create value for our student-athletes.”

While Oklahoma State won’t be placing QR codes on its helmets in Week 1, the image will be prominently displayed throughout Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday, including on player gear tags, on coasters in the higher-end sections, on signs throughout the stadium and on the video board.

The Cowboys, ranked 17th, open their 2024 season against the back-to-back FCS national champions at 2:00 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPN+.