Overview
- After Arkansas’ 82–58 win over Fresno State, Calipari lamented veteran-heavy lineups and quipped that some players are old enough to be paying a “first wife’s alimony” with NIL money.
- He said the Razorbacks will be one of the three youngest teams in the SEC and argued that age gaps create mental and physical mismatches until eligibility rules change.
- Calipari tied early-season upsets to older rosters, citing teams stocked with grad students and seniors facing opponents averaging 19 or 20 years old.
- Reporting paired his comments with trend data showing men’s college starters’ average age in the Sweet 16 rose from 20.8 in 2019 to 21.6 in 2025, with examples like Auburn’s 23.2 average last season.
- Outlets noted context and examples, including Fresno State’s 21.8 average age and older players such as Green Bay’s 29-year-old Ramel Bethea and USC’s 25-year-old Chad Baker Mazarra.