I’m $3 billion chicken farm guru funding Arkansas’ March Madness run with $5m NIL budget
The pockets run deep in the heart of Arkansas.
And it's paid off.
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The university that resides in Fayetteville, Arkansas can thank the Tyson family for their financial donations to the school, that has kept them ultra-competitive in the landscape of NIL.
They are the university's biggest donor.
Billionaire John H. Tyson, who is the longtime chairman of Tyson Foods and the grandson of John W. Tyson, who founded the chicken, beef and pork processing giant, has poured money into the university, specifically the basketball program, and it is starting to pay dividends.
Head coach John Calipari left SEC-rival Kentucky, after 15 years, to come to Arkansas, in large part due to his relationship with Tyson.
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Calipari signed a five-year contract with an annual base salary of $7 million per year, with added incentives and bonuses sprinkled in throughout, the largest contract Arkansas has ever given to a coach in any sport.
And Calipari has Tyson helping him fund a competitive roster in his first year in Fayetteville.
CBS conducted a poll where over 100 Division I men's basketball coaches voted on, "Which three programs do you believe have the best NIL situation?"
Over 73 percent of ballots had Arkansas.
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On3's Pete Nakos reported that the Razorbacks operate with “at least” $5 million annually in NIL funds to disperse and work with.
"The same source estimated the budget will be in the $6 million ballpark," Nakos wrote.
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"That will place the Razorbacks at the top of the sport, where typical Power 4 budgets range from $1 to $4 million."
While the regular season was overall a bit disappointing, as they finished 11th in the SEC, Calipari got Arkansas into the NCAA tournament and has already made noise.
Calipari has the Razorbacks into the Sweet 16 after upsetting old friend Rick Pitino and his two-seeded St. Johnnies club, with a 75-66 victory in the round of 32.
It was the fifth meeting in the NCAA Tournament between the two Hall of Famers.
Calipari now owns a 3-2 edge in Big Dance battles.
Before the game, Pitino asked about his relationship with Cal and what it will be like facing off once again in the tournament.
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"I don't go against coaches, we go against teams," Pitino said.
"He doesn't have to worry about me. My jump shot is long gone.
"We're preparing for his players. He's preparing for our players. John and I don't play one-on-one anymore."
The two titans may no longer physically play against one another, but every time they clash, it's a 40-minute mental game of chess, and Saturday proved to be no different.
The Razorbacks are still dancing into the second weekend of the NCAA tournament.
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They face No.3 Texas Tech Red Raiders in a Sweet 16 clash on Thursday.
And as long as Tyson keeps the money flowing to the program, Cal and Arkansas won't be going anywhere anytime soon.
How to watch March Madness in the UK
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March Madness is one of the most exciting times of the year for basketball fans, with a total of 68 teams battling it out to become the Division 1 college champions.
This year UConn have the chance to become only the second team ever to complete a March Madness three-peat, having emerged victorious for the last two years.
talkSPORT will have the latest news on the tournament, but for UK basketball fans the way to watch is through Sky Sports. The broadcaster will be showing EVERY March Madness game through their Sky Sports + streaming service.
Click here to sign up to a Sky Sports subscription, or read our article on the best Sky Sports deals available now.