In a pretty big shakeup for college sports, the University of Arkansas is ending its partnership with Blueprint Sports. That’s the management company that’s been running the Razorbacks’ NIL collective, Arkansas Edge, since November 2023.
This move signals a shift in how Arkansas plans to handle NIL deals from here on out. The university announced the change in a press release, saying it’ll take over all NIL activities that used to be handled by Blueprint Sports.
This comes after a wave of scrutiny and legal changes that have really changed the college sports compensation game. Things are shifting fast, and Arkansas is clearly trying to stay ahead.
Arkansas Ends Partnership with Blueprint Sports
Arkansas Athletics will officially cut ties with Blueprint Sports on October 15. The timing isn’t random—this comes right after the House v. NCAA settlement, where U.S. Circuit Court Judge Claudia Wilken cleared the way for schools to pay athletes directly for the first time.
Since July 1, Arkansas Athletics has already started handling all NIL deals that Blueprint Sports used to manage. It’s a quick turnaround, but maybe that’s what the moment calls for.
Blueprint Sports Under Scrutiny
Blueprint Sports hasn’t exactly been basking in praise lately. Sportico reported that the company kept a huge chunk of net direct revenue in its deal with Oregon State—75% of revenue between the baseline target and $1.15 million, and half of anything above that.
There’s no evidence Arkansas had the same kind of deal, but let’s just say people are talking. Industry folks are definitely paying attention, and not always in a good way.
At one point, Blueprint Sports was managing over 70 collectives after buying up a rival in February. Now? Their website only lists Arkansas, Oregon State, NC State, Maryland, and Penn State.
That shrinking list says a lot about the turbulence the company’s facing. It’s a tough climate for these kinds of firms right now.
Internal Struggles at Arkansas Edge
Arkansas Edge itself hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing, either. The collective has churned through three different executive directors in under two years.
Kyle May was the last full-time director before he left in February. Since then, Marcus Madlock—who’s with Blueprint—has been holding down the fort as interim director.
Failed Campaigns and Financial Strains
Some of Arkansas Edge’s fundraising campaigns just haven’t panned out. The “Drive for Five” push, which aimed for 5,000 monthly fan memberships at $25 each, didn’t hit its goal.
They responded by dropping the base tier to $10, hoping to pull in more supporters. Even with the price cut, the collective struggled to meet its financial targets.
A New Path Forward for Arkansas Athletics
Given all this, Arkansas Athletics is trying a new approach for NIL management. They’ve brought in Remy Cofield as general manager and tapped Davonté Higginbottom as Director of NIL Strategy.
This internal model is supposed to offer a steadier, more effective way to back Razorback student-athletes. It’s a gamble, but maybe it’s the right one.
Looking Ahead
The university thanked the Arkansas Edge staff and its supporters for sticking with them over the past two years. Still, they admit it’s time to try something different if they want Razorback Athletics to thrive in this new era.
As Arkansas makes this switch, they’re doubling down on improving their NIL program and giving athletes what they need to compete. More schools are pulling NIL operations in-house for better transparency and efficiency, and Arkansas is right there with them.
Conclusion
Arkansas Athletics is ending its partnership with Blueprint Sports. They’re switching to an internal NIL management model instead.
By handling NIL deals themselves, the university hopes to give student-athletes more stability. Maybe it’ll even be more effective—hard to say just yet, but that’s the plan.
This change follows some recent legal developments. There have also been concerns about how third-party companies do business in this space.
If you’re curious and want all the details, check out the full article on Sports Illustrated.
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