College basketball hasn’t been more lucrative than ever in these past few years. In 2021, the NCAA officially allowed players to profit from endorsements using their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). And ever since, money has been flowing in for college athletes like never before. Some even choose to stay in college for more years in order to bag lucrative NIL deals.
Arkansas head coach John Calipari, however, does not see this trend quite favorably. In fact, he noticed how some players who might even be slightly older to be college athletes continue to be in college just to bag some of the most handsome NIL deals. After the Razorbacks’ recent win against Fresno State, this is what Calipari had to say about athletes extending their college careers to bag NIL deals,
“There are a lot of older gentlemen with beards playing college basketball right now. The one that’s crazy is the guy comes in and he’s waving to his kids up in the seats. You’re like ‘wait a minute, this guy got two kids [and] he’s still playing college basketball! Craziest thing, he’s using NIL for his first wife’s alimony and now he’s still playing college basketball. Are we nuts?”
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Well, Calipari is not wrong in his assessment. The average age of the starting line-up for a Sweet 16 team in March 2025 was 21.6. Also, the oldest college basketball player is currently 29-year-old Ramel Bethea, who plays at Green Bay. USC guard Chad Baker-Mazara, who is currently 25, is playing his sixth college basketball season in his fourth school.
However, there are players as old as 58 years old earning NIL money. In September 2025, Tom Cillo made history by signing an NIL deal with Aspercreme, making him the oldest athlete to sign an NIL deal. He joined as a freshman at Division III Lycoming College and became the oldest player to play college football since 2009.
John Calipari’s Arkansas Beat Fresno State Despite a Messy Start
John Calipari led the Arkansas Razorbacks to a stunning 82-58 win over Fresno State in what appeared to be a messy start to the game. However, that’s not where Calipari is going to rest. He is very clear that his team must continue building a good record in order for a solid chance at postseason contention.
The Razorbacks are currently 7-2 in the season and stand 1st in the SEC. Calipari’s next step after this kind of win is accountability by holding his team to a higher standard on defensive focus, early-game intensity, and emotional discipline so the Razorbacks stop relying on second-half sparks and start playing to their identity from the opening tip.
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