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The Arkansas Razorbacks have some of the deepest pockets in college sports from a major donor standpoint, boasting the likes of Walmart, Tyson Foods, and JB Hunt.
Each of those supporters played a hand in helping the school nab head basketball coach John Calipari from SEC rival Kentucky.
While Calipari took a slight pay cut to leave Lexington, Arkansas brass provided added incentive to jump ship in the form of NIL. On top of his $8 million annual salary, it was rumored that he’d have $5-6 million to use in recruiting with much of that commitment coming from those previously mentioned donors.
That investment is already reaping benefits with the Razorbacks hauling in the No. 3 ranked 2024 cycle, which includes the nation’s top rated transfer class.
But while things are looking up on the hardwood, athletic director Hunter Yurachek says the football program is still lightyears behind the rest of the SEC.
Arkansas AD cried poor while begging donors for NIL support.
Yurachek spoke at a Little Rock Touchdown Club event this week, saying the Hogs are falling behind their rivals. Ole Miss was one example used.
“Ole Miss has about 5,000 members in their football collective. We have about 1,000 in our football collective right now.”
Hunter Yurachek speaking very candidly this morning at the Little Rock Touchdown Club about Arkansas’ NIL situation. #WPS pic.twitter.com/5T4OEtQe5k
— Pig Trail Nation (@PigTrailNation) September 16, 2024
The AD claimed that the Rebels have 5x as much support for their football program, which is currently ranked in the Top 5 in the AP Poll.
If Arkansas wants to experience the same success, a similar commitment needs to be made.
Begging average donors to pick up the slack while having the likes of Walmart and Tyson Foods in your back pocket can rub some the wrong way, but Yurachek says it doesn’t please him to make the ask.
In fact, he bluntly said that being an AD in the NIL climate has been “awful.”
What’s it been like being an athletic director in the world of NIL?
“It’s been awful,” @HunterYurachek says. He says the loophole of donor collectives has changed the intent of NIL. pic.twitter.com/N98XckMos7— LR Touchdown Club (@LRTouchdownClub) September 16, 2024
The landscape in college sports has changed. Arkansas used big NIL dollars to bolster its basketball program. Now, the Razorbacks are counting on the lower-level donors to improve the football product.