Arkansas Edge NIL collective releases apparel celebrating John Calipari hire

Arkansas is making sure to capture the momentum of hiring John Calipari.

The Razorbacks officially announced the hire of the former Kentucky coach Wednesday. After 15 seasons with the Wildcats, including three Final Four appearances and a national title, one of the faces of college basketball is moving on.

Now the Arkansas EDGE NIL collective has released special edition merchandise commemorating the hire. With the catchphrase “Cal Town” on an Arkansas driver’s plate, it taps right into the Calipari excitement. Priced at $30 with T-shirts in red and white, proceeds from the sales will benefit the collective.

The role of NIL resources cannot be overlooked in Calipari’s decision-making to take the Arkansas job. Collectives and third-party NIL entities have become crucial in retaining and attracting talent. Kentucky has long faced an uphill battle in the area. The Wildcats were one of the last SEC schools to form a collective.

Having dollars to spend in the transfer portal and recruiting won’t be a problem in Fayetteville. A source told On3 on Sunday night that Calipari will have “at least” $5 million annually in NIL funds to disperse. The same source estimated the budget will be in the $6 million ballpark. That will place the Razorbacks at the top of the sport, where typical Power 4 budgets range from $1 to $4 million.

Most of those dollars will be from top boosters. The source said Arkansas has already started planning a campaign surrounding the hire. Arkansas EDGE has also taken some crucial steps this offseason to support the football program. There’s confidence local businesses and national brands will want to be attached to the Calipari-led basketball team, too.

As part of John Calipari’s welcome in Fayetteville, a source told On3 that he’ll meet with high-level donors including the Tysons and Waltons. John H. Tyson,  the billionaire chairman of Tyson Foods and a longtime major donor at Arkansas played a crucial role in bringing Calipari and athletic director Hunter Yurachek to the bargaining table.

NIL has become an increasingly large talking point during contract negotiations at top college football and basketball openings. Part of Calipari’s belief he can find success at Arkansas is he won’t be searching for dollars. While revenue sharing and employment models could be on the horizon, they haven’t arrived yet.

“By all accounts, John Calipari is one of the premier coaches in college basketball,” Yurachek said in a statement. “A national championship coach, a four-time national coach of the year and one of the nation’s top recruiters, Coach Cal has consistently demonstrated his ability to attract outstanding talent and build championship teams within the Southeastern Conference and position his programs among the best in the nation.”