Following the Supreme Court’s passing of NIL in 2021, the college football landscape continues to go through fast-paced changes tailored toward player empowerment. Athletes can now make money off their name and image, and this offseason, the sport took another unprecedented turn when the ruling in House v. NCAA offered schools the ability to pay players themselves. With college football becoming an arms race for the best talent, each university is looking for different ways to generate revenue.
On Thursday, the Arkansas Razorbacks announced they will take a page from the NFL’s playbook, introducing on-field logos into their repertoire. Arkansas will enter a multi-year sponsorship extension with elite brands Walmart and Tyson Foods. The tandem will receive logos on either 25-yard line. College football fans are already fed up with the ever-changing topography of the sport, clowning the school for selling out to corporate brands. Meanwhile, others just poked fun at Arkansas for their partnering choices.
College Football Fans React to Arkansas Introducing Field Sponsorship Logos
According to On3:
NEW: Arkansas will debut field sponsorships with Walmart and Tyson Foods starting this Saturday,
@PeteNakos_ confirms. (h/t @bportnoy15)
Arkansas isn’t the first, nor will they be the last college football team to express interest in selling on-field sponsorship space to corporations. The Razorbacks sponsors, albeit two of the more recognizable corporation names in the world, got their start in Arkansas. The first Walmart opened in Rogers, Arkansas, while Tyson Foods chairman John H. Tyson is from Springdale, Arkansas.
With the debut of on-field sponsorship patches, Arkansas will usher in a new era within its story program. Many fans are not fans of college football teams taking a pro-style approach to staying competitive in the NIL era. Despite their internal beliefs, some college football devotees took time to clown Arkansas for being “the Walmart of the SEC.”
Arkansas really is the Walmart SEC program
— The Sip Central (@sip_central) September 12, 2024
A Walmart stadium
— Robert McVol (@vol_equalizer) September 12, 2024
Sell outs
— VOLVOL (@GBOVOLVOL) September 12, 2024
Walmart ah program lmaoooo
— BiasedVol7 (@TheBiasedVol07) September 12, 2024
They've definitely got a Great Value brand head football coach
— Miranda Veracruz de la Hoya Cardinal (@jackschitt007) September 12, 2024
Poverty program
— Will Lee’s #1 Meat Rider (@BlackedInElJefe) September 12, 2024
This is tacky as hell.
— Brad Sanders (@bradmsanders) September 12, 2024
Arkansas – The Great Value SEC School
— Missouri Loyalist (@MOLoyalist) September 12, 2024
Do it: pic.twitter.com/x2tt1p9Uf1
— College Sports Only (@CollegeSportsO) September 12, 2024
Make it stop
— Worle (@evan_worle) September 12, 2024
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