Cowboys News: CeeDee Lamb holdout, Jerry Jones-John Calipari, Stephon Gilmore

Jerry Jones' paved way for John Calipari's move to Arkansas

One of the most decorated college basketball coaches of the last 50 years, John Calipari stunned the NCAA landscape late Sunday when he decided to leave Kentucky to become the next head coach at Arkansas.

Jerry Jones can't be bothered to spend in free agency, but his status as an Arkansas booster helped fund Calipari's move to the Razorbacks.

"Calipari won't face the same pressure he endured in Lexington, but he will have access to power boosters (the Tyson family, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the Walton family) who will supply enough NIL money to help him attract elite talent," wrote ESPN columnist Myron Medcalf.

Jones has extensive ties to Arkansas as a former running back for the Razorbacks. Lucrative NIL deals have become imperative as far as landing big-time recruits. A booster like Jones will help Calipari as he attempts to lead Arkansas back to the NCAA Tournament after a lackluster 2023 campaign.

The fact Jones' ability to spend money propelled one of the biggest non-football stories of the year when he's been reluctant to spend to upgrade the Cowboys' roster is certainly something.