Trent Bray and the Oregon State Beavers’ back has hit against the wall. They are now desperately looking for a source to derive some motivational juice. Things deteriorated week by week, loss by loss, throughout its 0-5 start to the season. Definitely, winning against top-quality opponents such as Oregon and Texas Tech was difficult. But the winnable games against cupcake opponents, like against California, Fresno State, and Houston, slipped out of Oregon State’s hands. As if these woes were not enough. Here comes some more. Thanks to their GM, Kyle Bjornstad, who will have a “former” before his name.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
On October 3, the Beavers GM wrote on X, “Thank you, Beaver Nation! Go Beavs!🦫#NeverYield.” It was followed by a statement. It started with, “ Dear Beaver Nation, Thank you! For nearly 20 years, I have given my all to Oregon State University – as a student, as an athlete, as an employee, and as the Founder & President of Dam Nation Collective. I have done everything in my power to help OSU, especially over the past three years – a time when OSU needed it most. I couldn’t be prouder of the support I’ve provided.”
Thank you, Beaver Nation! Go Beavs!🦫#NeverYield pic.twitter.com/SavcBeCYlu
— Kyle Bjornstad (@KyleBjornstad1) October 4, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
He was a cornerstone in the creation and early rise of Dam Nation, but his ties to Oregon State run much deeper. Being a Beaver alum himself, he officially rejoined the university in 2015 and has been a fixture in the athletic department, and his bond has been running for a decade now. In the pre-NIL era, the former Oregon State GM made his mark on the fundraising side before climbing the ladder to associate athletic director and chief of staff in 2017. His leadership helped shape the department during a time of major transition for college athletics.
Most notably, his work paved the way for Oregon State football to stay competitive in the NIL and transfer portal era. Thanks to Bjornstad’s efforts, the Beavers were able to land big-name quarterbacks like DJ Uiagalelei and Maalik Murphy, players who came with hefty price tags that OSU was able to meet. But poor Bray and co.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Bjornstad, once the driving force behind the Dam Nation Collective, played a key role in its acquisition by BluePrint. After the merger, he stayed on as Oregon State’s NIL general manager, keeping his hand in the program’s off-field game. But what’s the NIL hoopla all about that’s looming in the Beavers’ squad that led Bjornstad to put down the papers?
AD
NIL controversy hits Oregon State Beavers’ squad
The resignation comes at a time when Oregon State’s NIL strategy has been the talk of the town. Courtesy? Beavers’ athletic department’s partnership with NIL consultant BluePrint has drawn intense scrutiny. Fingers have been raised at the structure and fairness of the deal. And obviously, Bjornstad being the centre in brokering the arrangement that saw Dam Nation acquired by BluePrint ended up in a sticky spot.
That acquisition came on the heels of another major move by BluePrint earlier this year. In February, the company purchased Student Athlete NIL (SANIL), consolidating more than 70 collectives under its umbrella. By the end of 2024, those collectives had already facilitated over $108 million in athlete NIL payments. The acquisition reflected BluePrint’s broader gamble that, despite college athletic departments bringing NIL operations in-house, third-party firms would still have a place in the marketplace. In May, it formalized its first NIL consulting deal with Maryland, a school where it had already been managing the One Maryland collective. Just a few months later, BluePrint inked a similar contract with Oregon State.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Later on, as a part of the deal, BluePrint also bought the Oregon State-affiliated Dam Nation Collective for “over $100,000,” according to CEO Rob Sine. Oregon State’s contract with BluePrint includes an annual management fee of about $284,000 and a profit-sharing arrangement tied to meeting a first-year fundraising target of $750,000, which increases by 3% each year. The details, shared in a Sportico article and on social media, sparked backlash from Beavers fans concerned that too much donor money might be diverted away from athletes.
In response, Oregon State’s chief operations officer, Brent Blaylock, defended the deal, noting that BluePrint only receives a cut after the program meets its fundraising goals and that Dam Nation memberships aren’t included in those totals. Blaylock stressed that the partnership is designed to support student-athletes and maximize their success. The Beavers’ 0-5 start has turned every expectation upside down, and now a GM search adds another twist to the chaos.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT