Arkansas' John Calipari Isn't Worried About NIL for Recruiting

Razorbacks' new coach spoke on building a roster in the NIL universe

Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari yells to the team during their game against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at Rupp Arena. / Clare Grant / Courier Journal / USA

The Arkansas Razorbacks athletic department made a huge commitment when they signed John Calipari to a five-year contract that pays him $7 million per season.

Calipari, known as one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time, didn't find the same type of success in recent seasons at Kentucky. It seemed inevitable that the relationship between the two would eventually come to an end in the near future and that happened after they were eliminated in disappointing fashion during March Madness.

When Calipari took the Arkansas job, it was believed that he'd have tons of NIL funds to work with. If they want to be the program they're hoping to be with him at the helm, NIL money isn't up for debate. Calipari needs every dollar he can find to recruit the best players in the world.

The 65-year-old has been one of the best recruiters in the country during his time at UMass, Memphis, and Kentucky. Getting kids to play for him has never been an issue.

However, there's much more to recruiting than just NIL money for Coach Cal.

“If you’ve historically followed me, recruiting has been fine,” Calipari recently said. “Whether it’s transfers, whether it’s freshmen — recruiting is recruiting. Can you add value to a young man and his family? Can you help him get where he’s trying to go?"

When it comes to helping a player go where they want to go, he has as good of a track record as any when it comes to sending players to the NBA. It doesn't stop there, either, as many of his former players are some of the brightest stars in all of the NBA.

Calipari has done a great job building the Arkansas roster, potentially making them a team with a chance to win a National Championship in his first season.