June 17, 2025 – A sensational rumor is circulating that former Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims has pledged a staggering $500 million to elevate Oklahoma Sooners athletics. If true, it would mark one of the most massive private donations in collegiate sports history. However, no credible evidence—from University of Oklahoma Athletics, Sims himself, or reputable media outlets—supports this announcement.
Sims’s charitable work is genuine but measured. Through the Billy Sims Foundation, he has been providing annual scholarships to deserving student-athletes in Oklahoma—typically two $3,000 awards each year—as well as supporting youth programs aimed at breaking financial barriers to higher education . In partnership with the OU Club of Tulsa, he also helped launch a scholarship program in December 2024 to assist northeastern Oklahoma students, offering grants and tuition waivers totaling around $45,000 annually .
In context, the foundation’s impact is significant—but modest. Since establishing it in 2011, Sims has focused on helping hard-working high school and college athletes in Oklahoma through targeted, smaller-scale donations, not massive capital gifts .
There is zero indication that Sims has made or even suggested a $500 million contribution to Payne Brothers Stadium or any athletics infrastructure. OU’s historical large gifts, such as the $20 million facility upgrade reported on Reddit, arise from numerous donors clustered together not from a single individual like Sims .
So why might this rumor be spreading? It’s likely due to a misunderstanding or conflation of Oklahoma’s broader athletic fundraising efforts which indeed can reach several hundred million when considering university campaigns, corporate sponsorship, and donor networks with a personal pledge from Sims.
