Arkansas men’s basketball head coach John Calipari and his wife have made more than $90,000 in political contributions this season, almost all of which the couple donated last year.
Calipari’s biggest beneficiary was the Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund, which received $50,000, and Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro received $20,000 in Calipari’s cash.
The former Kentucky coach also distributed some of his wealth to Republicans, at least those living in the commonwealth. In 2023, he donated $3,400 to the Kentucky Republican Party and lavished $10,000 on Congressman Andy Barr’s Senate bid. Mr. Calipari’s wife, Ellen, also donated $3,300 to Mr. Barr’s Senate campaign and another $3,400 to the state party.
Mr. Calipari’s donations have all but dried up since the beginning of this year, and records show his only contribution in 2024 went to Democrat Jamie, who lost in the primary for a seat in the Kentucky House of Representatives. It shows it was a $1,000 check written to Mr. Palumbo in May.
After leading UK men’s basketball for 15 seasons, Calipari, 65, left Lexington in April for a $7 million-a-year top hoops job at SEC rival the University of Arkansas. Calipari did not respond to a request for comment sent through an Arkansas Razorbacks spokesperson.
Calipari’s donations make him an outlier among major figures in college sports, according to a Sportico study of state and federal campaign finance reports. Regardless of how much money they make or how politically engaged they are online, the group has largely avoided opening its wallets to candidates this term. This is despite the increasingly political dynamics of the intercollegiate athletics industry, which has been redirected in recent years by state-based NIL laws and has routinely lobbied Congress for support. .
One notable example where this appears to have had an impact is when Sen. Cory Booker (D.N.J.), a central figure in the bipartisan Congressional effort to pass NIL reform legislation, This is when the donation is received. Celebrities in the college sports world. Among them was NCAA President Charlie Baker ($2,500). Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark ($2,500); LEAD1 President Tom McMillen ($2,500); college sports consultant Oliver Luck ($2,500); MAC Commissioner John Steinbrecher ($500); college basketball commentator Len Elmore ($1,000); college sports attorney Bob Borland ($500); Northwestern’s then-athletic director, Derrick Gragg ($500); and Maryland AD Damon Evans ($250).
On April 17, Mr. McMillen hosted a fundraiser for Mr. Booker at his home on Capitol Hill, with Mr. Baker and Mr. Luck attending in person, and Mr. Yormark joining virtually.
McMillen, a former Maryland basketball player and congressman, said in a phone interview that his support for Booker stems from a shared interest in animal welfare as well as college sports. A person close to Yormark said the two have been friends for decades, when Booker was mayor of Newark, New Jersey, and Yormark was CEO of Brooklyn Sports Entertainment, the parent company of the NBA Nets. dates back to
McMillen, who retired from LEAD1 (later renamed the FBS Athletics Directors Association) last month, also gave $500 to Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), a central figure in the college sports reform debate on The Hill. donated.
“There’s a very political industry where you know your constituents and support them and worship both sides, where it’s all part of the game,” McMillen said. “It’s really hit or miss in college sports. A lot of universities don’t want to be in the middle (of politics), and a lot of coaches and administrators don’t want to be in that direction either.”
In 2010, Mr. Calipari canceled a political fundraiser he had scheduled at his home for then-Kentucky Gov. Calipari. Democrat Steve Beshear faced backlash from some Wildcats fans. In a statement later posted on Facebook, Calipari said: “I know how politically charged this state is, and I recognize that the Big Blue Nation is coming from both sides. Regardless of party, I want elected officials who will support the University of Kentucky. Thank you to all the staff.”
Beshear’s son, Andy, the current governor of Kentucky, received a $1,500 donation from UK soccer coach Mark Stoops last October. Beshear was selected. Kelly Craft, wife of billionaire Wildcats mega-booster Joe Craft, finished third in the Republican primary.
Aside from Calipari, Sportico could only find two other major college coaches or athletic administrators who donated at least four-figure sums to federal candidates this cycle.
UNC Charlotte football coach “Biff” Poggi donated $6,400 to Jason Thayne, once a powerful Republican state representative in North Carolina. Jason Thayne resigned from Congress in June and entered the private sector. Mr. Poggi also donated $9,900 to state Sen. David Craven, a fellow Republican Tar Heel. Meanwhile, Iowa State football coach Kirk Ferentz donated $3,300 to Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, whose congressional district includes the UI.
This story will be updated if other notable contributions are discovered.
