FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — As if the Arkansas Razorbacks brand wasn’t big enough nationally after first year coach John Calipari led the Hogs to a Sweet 16 and baseball’s No. 1 national ranking at the midway point, the school’s partnership with NASCAR might put it over the top.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team Tricon Garage is in its fourth season in the sport and will be sponsored by the University of Arkansas’s College of Engineering Friday, April 11 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Brandon Jones will make his second truck series start of the season in the Razorback sponsored rig.

Jones won the Xfinity series race at Darlington this past Saturday, breaking a 98-race winless streak in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing car. The 28-year-old currently ranks No. 7 in the Xfinity Series standings.

While the engineering school’s logo will be on the rear quarter-panels, an oversized Razorbacks logo will be in on the hood which is prime placement for the brand. This will be a one-off type of sponsorship for now, but several universities have been featured in the sport over the years.

Some of NASCAR’s iconic names such as Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon have repped schools such as Liberty, Alabama, Texas A&M, Carson-Newman, Kentucky, Auburn, Appalachian State, Virginia Tech, East Carolina, Florida State, Louisville, Penn State and South Carolina due to NASCAR’s partnership with Learfield.

NASCAR has ventured into the NIL realm in recent seasons to help with market different races. Former Costal Carolina quarterback Grayson McCall was featured at Darlington a few years back, while popular LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne helped promote the Xfinity event in Nashville in 2023.

The average cost to be a primary sponsor for a truck series team can range between $25,000 to $100,000 per race depending on the team. Times are much different in the sport compared to years past when each team would have the same company sponsor for the entirety of a season.

Arkansas’ decision to sponsor Jones’ team was a strategic one as Bristol is one of the top races on NASCAR’s calendar each season. It’s very likely the Razorback logo will be seen by many as the truck race at Bristol can draw 800,000 to 1.2 million fans based off recent years.

Should Jones win or be competitive toward the front Friday night, the University of Arkansas could see it as a lucrative deal and seek sponsorship again. The Weather Guard Truck Race at Bristol will begin at 6:30 p.m. and broadcast live on FS1.

• Van Horn hoping No. 1 Razorbacks finally have special touch

• Harris might have finally found forever home on Hogs’ offensive line

• Calipari, Razorbacks need to cash in chips while still playing game they know

• Arkansas, Texas battle it out for top spot in latest polls

• Hogs’ Old Foe Can Exorcise Demons from Phi Slama Jama Days