5 schools with the strongest NIL situations ft. John Calipari's Arkansas Razorbacks

John Calipari’s first-year Arkansas Razorbacks program tops all Division I schools for the top NIL situations before the 2024-25 season. NIL has changed the student-athlete landscape by allowing them to profit off their talents. However, unlike the NBA, the monetary capacity of college programs remains uncertain.

To tackle the same, CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish and Matt Norlander asked more than 100 coaches about their estimation of the schools with the best NIL situations.

The survey stems from the initiative that labels Duke’s Cooper Flagg as the best college player this offseason. On that note, let’s look at the five schools with the best NIL options this season.

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Five schools with the strongest NIL situations

#5 Indiana Hoosiers - 16.9% ballots

Mike Woodson might be on a boiling hot coaching seat this season, but Indiana's Hoosiers Connect and Hoosiers For Good collectives are making strides. One of the most impactful ventures of the program is its Connect membership, which allows fans and businesses to get actively involved with the program.

In return, fans get exclusive experiences, limited-time memorabilia and other perks. The program also directly partners with organizations and businesses, extending assistance to its student-athletes.

Hoosiers basketball coach - Mike Woodson | Atheltic Director - Scott Dolson

#4 Kentucky Wildcats - 25.3% ballots

When the NIL policies were activated in 2021, the Kentucky Wildcats’ program rules didn't allow them to grip the concept as a whole. However, as they started participating, it experienced a changing landscape in terms of the quality of their football and basketball recruiting classes.

This year, it has allowed first-year Mark Pope to build a new team completely off the transfer portal.

Kentucky basketball coach - Mark Pope | Atheltic director - Mitch Barnhart

#3 BYU Cougars - 30.6% ballots

BYU has continued to build its NIL program this offseason under Kevin Young. The first-year coach solidified his role after Mark Pope’s exit this offseason and cultivated one of the program’s best recruiting class before the 2024-25 season.

NIL is believed to be a huge part, as BYU Cougars crafted the 13th-best freshman class this year and is expected to enter the top-10 after updates.

BYU basketball coach - Kevin Young | Atheltic director - Tom Holmoe

#2 Kansas Jayhawks - 43.2% ballots

The Jayhawks’ previous season featured one of their best rosters in modern-day history.

That immediately made them a preseason top runner and NCAA title favorite. Even though they were eliminated early in the tourney, they hold the top spot on ESPN’s way-too-early preseason rankings, thanks to their growing monetary opportunities.

A signifying factor is that Bill Self is the highest-paid coach in men’s basketball, with $9.6 million in compensation last year. Moreover, their star player Hunter Dickinson has returned for another year with the program.

Kansas basketball coach - Bill Self | Atheltic director - Travis Goff

#1 Arkansas Razorbacks - 73.7% ballots

One of the major reasons John Calipari made the switch to Arkansas was the program’s promise to offer more NIL resources at his disposal.

The move turned out to be a success, allowing four former Kentucky players to follow Calipari to a new school and enabling the first-year coach to meddle heavily in the transfer portal.

The biggest acquisitions came in the form of FAU’s Johnell Davis and Tennessee’s Jonas Aidoo, bringing extensive experience of Elite Eight runs with a notable college program.

Arkansas coach - John Calipari | Athletic director - Hunter Yurachek