FAYETTEVILLE -- On Dec. 30, Arkansas athletics announced the third iteration of its name, image and likeness operations: A partnership with TheLinkU.
About two months prior, the Razorbacks cut ties with Blueprint Sports and shut down the Arkansas Edge collective. Arkansas Edge replaced OneArkansas, the Razorbacks' first attempt at an NIL collective that was part of the Razorback Foundation.
Between the turnover in NIL at Arkansas and the rapid changing of rules and regulations around athlete compensation nationally after the implementation of the House v. NCAA settlement in July 2025, to say the average fan is confused would be an understatement.
Answering some common questions about NIL at Arkansas and its new partnership with TheLinkU:
Why did Arkansas terminate its agreement with Blueprint Sports and close the Arkansas Edge collective?
The approval of the House v. NCAA settlement ushered in a new era in the NIL space. Pre-settlement, schools could not facilitate NIL deals with athletes. Arkansas Edge was a third-party entity powered by Blueprint Sports that partnered with the athletics department as the "official NIL collective of the Razorbacks" while not technically...
Source: https://www.wholehogsports.com/news/2026/jan/12/arkansas-nil-faq-what-to-know-about-the-link-u/
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