• Loading stock data...
Friday, September 5, 2025
Fox Analyst and Media Entrepreneur Greg Olsen to Speak at Tuned In Get your ticket now!

If You Can’t Beat ’Em, John ’Em: Calipari Adapts to NIL Era

  • Kentucky’s coach is headed to Arkansas, which had already grown much more active in its fundraising efforts.
  • One of college basketball’s foremost recruiters is now a prominent face of the sport’s NIL era.
Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

For some time, John Calipari (above) was one of the most prominent voices lamenting the fast-changing state of college basketball. Now he’s becoming a poster child for how the sport operates in the name, image, and likeness era.

Calipari is poised to leave Kentucky after 15 years to become the coach at Arkansas, where he will seek to revive a program that won a national title 30 years ago and reached the Elite Eight in both 2021 and ’22 but this season sank to 11th place in the conference, with a losing record. 

At Kentucky, Calipari grew increasingly vocal about how old college basketball became in the more transactional and transfer-laden NIL era, contrasting strongly with his own legendary prowess in traditional recruiting and his heavy reliance on freshmen and sophomores. 

But with the Razorbacks, Calipari’s own deal was developed with the aid of chicken magnate and billionaire John H. Tyson, a significant backer of Arkansas sports. According to multiple reports, Calipari will also now have an NIL budget of more than $5 million per year, ranking among the best in college basketball.

Tyson, whose family is estimated to be worth $2.8 billion, is part of the namesake Tyson Foods, which was founded by John H.’s grandfather, John W., and the family name is on Arkansas’s indoor track facility. (Other prominent backers of Razorbacks athletics program include Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, and the Walton family, which built the Walmart empire.)

Even before the Calipari deal began to materialize, Arkansas boosters grew more serious about participating actively in the emerging NIL landscape. Arkansas Edge, the official NIL collective for the Razorbacks’ athletic program, formed last fall and is now in the midst of a supplemental membership drive.

On Monday afternoon, Kentucky freshman Aaron Bradshaw, a former McDonald’s All-American, became the first Wildcat to enter the transfer portal since talk started about Calipari’s imminent departure.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Aug 30, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores linebacker Langston Patterson (10) looks over the defense against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers during the first half at FirstBank Stadium.

Latest Class Action Eligibility Lawsuit Challenges NCAA’s ‘Redshirt’ Rule

It’s the latest lawsuit challenging the NCAA’s core eligibility requirements.
opinion

Bill and Jordon’s Excellent Adventure Already Unraveling

Belichick’s debut was a humiliation rather than a coronation.

Less Belichick Hype Could Mean Bad News for CFB Stakeholders

UNC had never begun a football season with so much hype.

Featured Today

Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) gets ready to take the field prior to a game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

How Brazil Game Fits Into NFL’s Plans for World Domination

Friday night’s Chiefs-Chargers game in São Paulo is big by design.
Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.
September 2, 2025

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
August 30, 2025

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
August 26, 2025

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
Arch Manning

NIL Go Says It Has Cleared $80 Million in NIL Deals So..

NIL collectives, however, say the majority of their deals are in limbo.
The cast of ESPN College GameDay begins their show prior to the NCAA football game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025. The show is the final one for Lee Corso.
September 2, 2025

OSU Sophomore Wins $250K in McAfee ‘GameDay’ Kicking Contest

The former NFL punter started offering prize money for kicks in 2023.
Workers set up the stages for the “Fox Big Noon Kickoff” sports show live telecast before Saturday’s Iowa State and Iowa football game at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa.
exclusive
September 3, 2025

Big 12 Embraces Dave Portnoy and Barstool Sports

The conference held a call with Portnoy to discuss coverage and collaboration.
Sponsored

Trailblazer Cal Calamia Is Racing for ‘Advocacy, Storytelling, and Performance’

The marathoner wants excellence—not just inclusion—to be the goal for non-binary athletes.
Aug 30, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) drops back to pass against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half at Ohio Stadium.
September 2, 2025

On This Year’s CFB Rosters, Even Backup QBs Make Six Figures

The going rate for backup quarterbacks is in the mid-six-figures.
Mike Gundy
September 2, 2025

OSU’s Gundy, Oregon’s Lanning Trade Barbs Over Alleged $30 Million Gap

Lanning ripped Gundy’s “excuse” and said “we spend to win.”
FSU
September 2, 2025

ACC Hits Florida State With First $50K Storming Fine Under New Rule

The ACC announced a new fine system in July.
September 1, 2025

Bill Belichick’s Star-Studded UNC Coaching Debut Turns Ugly

Michael Jordan highlighted a long list of celebrities in attendance.