Oregon State's GM Kyle Bjornstad resigns from position
A major shakeup has occured within the Oregon State athletic department. On Friday, Oregon State NIL general manager Kyle Bjornstad resigned from his positioning according to John Canzano. The resignation comes as the athletic department’s deal with NIL consultant BluePrint has come under extreme scrutiny in recent days.
Bjornstad, the former co-founder of the Dam Nation collective was a central piece in the deal that saw Dam Nation be acquired by Blueprint. After the acquistion, Bjornstad remained involved as the general manger for Oregon State at the NIL level.
“I couldn’t be more honored, and thankful, to be offered the opportunity to serve as OSU Athletics’ General Manager,” Bjornstad said at the time of the deal.
But now, less than two months later Bjronstad is out in Corvallis. It’s unclear early on if the move was Bjornstad’s own decision or perhaps forced from within the athletic department.
Bjornstad’s departure is a major one from beyond just an NIL perspective. While he was a crucial piece in the founding and early success of Dam Nation, the former Beaver has been with the university for a deacde after originally joining in 2015.
During his time with the Beavers, he played key roles in fundraising in the pre-NIL era before being promoted to associate athletic director and chief of staff in September of 2017.
Thanks to Bjornstad’s efforts over the last several years, Oregon State football specifically has been able to be active within the transfer portal, landing notable transfer quarterbacks such as D.J Uiagalelei and Maalik Murphy, both who would’ve demanded high price tags.
While his role within the BluePrint deal has been under scrutiny in recent days, his role in Oreogn State’s general NIL success despite a lack of support from the university was immense. With uncertaintly within the athletic department, football program, and men’s basketball programs, it could also be a position that Oregon State finds tough to fill in the coming weeks.
This is a developing story.
MORE TO COME
