Arkansas booster John Tyson jokes about funding football program like Texas Tech's oil-backed booster

With coaching salaries and roster budgets rising exponentially, football programs often rely on the generosity of one super booster to build a contender. They just have to hope that the booster made his money in the right industry.

Arkansas finds itself on the lower end of the SEC payroll, coming in at just over $20 million, which makes it tough to compete with the biggest spenders in the conference, and that has been evident on the field this season.

During an appearance at the Little Rock Touchdown Club, Razorbacks booster and Tyson Foods chairman John Tyson addressed the idea that he could fund the Arkansas football program the same way oil CEO Cody Campbell single-handedly funded a turnaround at Texas Tech.

Tyson's tongue-in-cheek answer drew laughs from the crowd.

"He's got oil, and I've got chickens," Tyson answered.

Campbell, a former Texas Tech offensive lineman, is the co-founder and co-CEO of Double Eagle Energy Holdings, an oil and gas company located in Texas. With the advent of NIL, the billionaire booster has helped build the Red Raiders into a Big 12 powerhouse.

Texas Tech is spending over $30 million on its roster this season, but Campbell insists that money alone isn't the reason for the team's improvement in the win column. Campbell replied to Tyson's comments on social media and credited coaching more than anything.

There is some truth in Campbell's response. Just look at what happened to Florida State when it tried to make splashy transfer portal additions in 2024. On the other hand, it's hard to win with an underfunded roster. Review our college football spending tiers at 247Sports, and it's hard to find winning programs toward the bottom.

So, maybe Tyson should look into the oil and gas business before Arkansas turns up the heat on first-year coach Ryan Silverfield.