Yesterday, Arkansas lost to a tough but beatable Texas team. It's been upsetting to watch the Hogs, a team that ranks in the top ten in yards per game, with a defense that's shown its ability to shut down elite offenses, play inconsistently. Many in the fanbase blame head coach Sam Pittman, but one fan put their money where their mouth is.
Before kickoff on Saturday, a picture circulated on X (formerly Twitter) depicting a billboard ad alongside Interstate 49 in Fayetteville. The sign read, "Thank you for 5 great years Sam. A change is needed in order to compete in the SEC." In some ways, things like the ad make college football the greatest sport on Earth.
Arkansas fans are no stranger to outlandish stunts, like when a plane flew over Razorback Stadium before Arkansas's game against Auburn, stating, "Players/fans deserve better: Fire Nutt." On the other hand, now is a different time.
It's not because people are too "soft" today. However, according to the Voice of Bud Walton Arena Jon Williams, the football team drove by it en route to the stadium on Saturday. In hindsight, it was probably a stupid decision to run the ad right before the most anticipated game of the year, but that's another conversation.
The team (you remember them, the guys playing for Sam) bus drove right past this sign on the way into the stadium this morning. https://t.co/q1aP7ikGMJ
— Jon Williams (@radiojondeek) November 16, 2024
No, it's because NIL is king in college football now. You can hate it, and you can refuse to participate in it, but there is no closing that Pandora's box. It's how teams get talent now. Just look at what Ole Miss is doing. Fans can donate to collectives, or if they have small businesses, they can forge NIL deals with athletes. So, why are people wasting their money on billboard ads when it could go to NIL?
Digital billboards can cost anywhere from $280 to $3,200, depending on the frequency the ad plays and number of weeks you advertise. Why not use that money to fix the main problem with Arkansas's football program?
As soon as the Supreme Court ruled restrictions on NIL illegal, Arkansas fans begged for a collective. Now that they have one, you hear one excuse after another as to why Arkansans can afford it, which is an utterly ridiculous statement when states poorer than Arkansas are doing just fine (again, look at Ole Miss).
How often have you seen fans in the comments chastise others for "looking ahead" on the schedule like it actually makes a difference, but now that fans have real power to impact the program, they shy away?
This is America. People can spend their money and express their feelings however they'd like, regardless of how stupid it seems to everyone else. But when they'd rather waste money on a billboard that does nothing except go viral on social media for how ridiculous it is than donate to NIL, the "Arkansas is too poor" argument is nugatory.
That's not to say Arkansas's collective is fine the way it is. The benefits fans receive for participating could obviously get better. But until people realize NIL isn't a product but an investment, the NIL situation isn't going to get better because no coach in their right mind is going to take a job in the SEC that doesn't have a well-established NIL program.