Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reportedly spending big bucks to lure Kentucky commits to Arkansas
Jerry Jones has been extremely quiet during 2024 NFL offseason in terms of spending his salary cap money for the Dallas Cowboys. He has declined to make any significant free agent signings and has also yet to give any of his superstars contract extensions. Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons, CeeDee Lamb and Zack Martin are among those seeking one.
While Jones has basically kept his wallet closed for the Cowboys so far this year, he's apparently willing to spend big money elsewhere. It has been recently reported that he is offering significant compensation to prospective college athletes to join his alma mater, the Arkansas Razorbacks.
According to Eli Hershkovich, per Trilly Donovan:
"Jerry Jones (Arkansas booster) is willing to pay freshman twice as much as they would get at Kentucky."
Legendary college basketball coach John Calipari recently made the shocking decision to depart the Kentucky Wildcats for the Arkansas Razorbacks. It has been rumored that one of the reasons why he did so was because of the massive bankroll of Arkansas' boosters, including Jerry Jones and and Rob Walton.
In the new world of college sports, the student-athletes are permitted by the NCAA to receive compensation from outside sources. Boosters are one of the ways that they can do so, along with endorsements and NIL deals, among others. Calipari, who has always been a top recruiter in the country, apparently recognized the competitive advantage to being backed by billionaires.
This concept has allegedly been in full effect with Jones reportedly offering recruits additional compensation to leave Kentucky for Arkansas. He appears to be supporting Calipari's move, as he was rumored to be one of the biggest reasons why the coach chose the Razorbacks in the first place.
Jerry Jones reportedly helped to convince John Calipari to join Arkansas
Kentucky is considered to be one of the most prestigous college basketball programs in the entire country, while Arkansas doesn't necessarily have that same designation. This is what made it so surprising that John Calipari departed the Wildcats for the Razorbacks.
According to Michael David Smith of NBC Sports:
"Jones' status as a booster has been cited as one of the reasons that Calipari walked away from a college basketball blue blood to coach the Razorbacks."
The fact that Jerry Jones, allegedly a close friend of Calipari, is an Arkansas booster and has a net worth reported to be $14 billion, according to Forbes, apparently had a major a major influence on his decision. Rob Walton's incredible $77 billion in net worth, according to Forbes, probably doesn't hurt either.