Oklahoma State Athletics will not utilize the $30 million line of credit from the Big 12's agreement with RedBird Capital, according to Athletic Director Chad Weiberg. The decision aligns with Weiberg's approach to avoid significant debt since his hiring in 2021.
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STILLWATER — Oklahoma State does not currently plan to take advantage of the line of credit offered by the Big 12 Conference's recent private capital agreement with Redbird Capital Partners, athletic director Chad Weiberg said.
The Big 12 entered into a five-year deal with RedBird that included a $12.5 million infusion of cash for the league, and also made available a $30 million line of credit for each of the 16 schools in the conference.
Speaking with OSU radio voice Dave Hunziker on an in-house podcast released Friday, Weiberg said using the line of credit is something OSU “will not do at this point.”
Money borrowed on the line of credit would include a “double-digit interest rate,” according to a report from ESPN.
Weiberg has generally worked to avoid taking on significant debt in any fashion when possible, so his comments Friday align with how he has operated in his role since being hired in 2021.
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Oklahoma State Athletic Director Chad Weiberg speaks at a press conference following the firing of head football coach Mike Gundy in Stillwater, Okla., on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025.
“I give commissioner (Brett) Yormark a lot of credit for providing opportunities to the schools to look at,” Weiberg said on the podcast. “He is an innovator. He pushes the envelope. He’s not afraid of trying new things to better the conference and all the member institutions.
Oklahoma State is choosing not to use the line of credit to avoid taking on significant debt, as stated by Athletic Director Chad Weiberg.
Each of the 16 schools in the Big 12 has access to a $30 million line of credit as part of the agreement with RedBird Capital.
The line of credit would carry a double-digit interest rate, according to reports.
RedBird Capital's investment includes a $12.5 million cash infusion for the league and aims to provide financial support to the member schools.
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"So, I think there’s a little bit of a misconception on this. This isn’t a private equity deal. There’s no ownership stake or control in the conference they’re taking. It’s more of a private investment opportunity. RedBird is a huge global entity. They’ve got a lot of partnerships. The conference office will get out of it some money to be able to invest in some other business entities, take an investment in those to try to grow revenues from a different revenue stream.”
The strategic partnership with RedBird comes at a time when the Big 12 Conference is working to better position itself for whatever happens in the ever-changing world of college athletics.
“I think that’s something that’s worth exploring in this time that we’re in,” Weiberg said. “And then the schools have the option to opt into a line of credit through that, and that’s up to each institution. It doesn’t affect the deal with the conference itself.
“As of right now, that is something that Oklahoma State will not do at this point. Should we need something like that, we believe we have other avenues or levers we could pull first before that.”
Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at swright@oklahoman.com or on X at @ScottWrightOK. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Chad Weiberg says OSU doesn't plan to use RedBird Capital credit line