If you listen to an Arkansas press conference, it’s only a matter of time before the topic of money comes up.
It happened again Wednesday. On the SEC Coaches Teleconference, Sam Pittman was asked how recruiting the offensive line has changed in the portal and NIL era.
it’s difficult because you have finances involved,” Pittman said. “If it wasn’t that, and basically you’re paying the kids that are out on the field. It’s difficult. Relationships help with all that. I don’t know if it overrides finances. I think we have a really good relationship, really good cohesiveness in our team between coach and player,”
Pittman isn’t the first coach to openly admit that the team has had to find creative ways to get players to campus while being outbid. Baseball coach Dave Van Horn echoed similar sentiments last week.
Arkansas Edge, which shot for 5,000 contributors of at least $25 or more a month by the football season opener, is finally coming up with more creative ways to try to garner funds. As subtle cues from coaches mount that Arkansas continues to fall further behind in the NIL game, Arkansas Edge is looking for more direct revenue streams that require less work for the fans.
First, fans can attend an exclusive beer-tasting pregame event about four hours before kickoff called Brew Pig Sooie for $50. This will be the first time an event like this will be held before a football game after being introduced at baseball games earlier this year.
This coincides with the launch of “TUSK Beer”, which the UA announced early last month as part of a partnership with Edge. A portion of every sale of “TUSK Beer” will go to the NIL collective.
Edge is also turning to some of Arkansas’ most famous residents. Country singers Justin Moore and Randy Houser perform at the Walmart AMP Oct. 3.
A portion of the proceeds from the concert benefit Arkansas Edge. Moore is originally from Poyen, a town about an hour outside War Memorial Stadium, and is an avid Hog fan.
College athletics programs can never have enough NIL money and as the obvious fact that Arkansas often comes up second best in bidding wars for top-level players in baseball and football, the pressure shifts to Edge to keep pace.
The actual game between UAB and Arkansas will kickoff 3:15 p.m. Saturday. It will be broadcast on SEC Network.