John Calipari’s campaign money stands out among college sports figures

Arkansas head men’s basketball coach John Calipari and his wife have given more than $90,000 in political donations this cycle, nearly all of which the couple gave last year.

Calipari’s biggest beneficiary was the Democratic Grassroots Victory Fund, which received $50,000, while Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro received $20,000 in Calipari cash.

The former Kentucky coach also distributed some of his wealth to Republicans — at least those who live in the commonwealth. In 2023, he donated $3,400 to the Kentucky state GOP while showering Rep. Andy Barr with $10,000 for his run for U.S. Senate. Calipari’s wife, Ellen, also donated $3,300 to Barr’s Senate campaign and another $3,400 to the state party.

Since the start of this year, Calipari’s donations have mostly declined. Records show his only donation in 2024 was a $1,000 check he wrote in May to Jamie Palumbo, a Democrat who lost the primary for a seat in the Kentucky House District.

After leading UK men’s basketball for 15 seasons, the 65-year-old Calipari left Lexington in April to take the top basketball job at SEC rival Arkansas, which pays him $7 million a year. Calipari did not respond to a request for comment sent through an Arkansas Razorbacks spokesman.

According to a, Calipari’s donation was an outlier among college sports’ big names Sportico Review of state and federal campaign finance reports. Regardless of how much money they make or how politically engaged they are online, the cohort has largely avoided opening their wallets to candidates this cycle. This is despite the increasingly political dynamics of the intercollegiate athletics industry, which has been upended in recent years by state NIL laws and which has regularly lobbied Congress to come to its aid.

One notable example where this appeared to come into play was in April when Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), who was at the center of a bipartisan legislative effort to pass a NIL reform bill, received a series of contributions from him University sports personalities. These included NCAA President Charlie Baker ($2,500); Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark ($2,500); LEAD1 President Tom McMillen ($2,500); college athletic advisor Oliver Luck ($2,500); MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher ($500); college basketball commentator Len Elmore ($1,000); college sports attorney Bob Boland ($500); Northwestern’s then-athletic director Derrick Gragg ($500); and Maryland AD Damon Evans ($250).

On April 17, McMillen hosted a Booker fundraiser at his Capitol Hill home, with Baker and Luck attending in person and Yormark participating virtually.

In a telephone interview, McMillen, a former basketball star and congressman from Maryland, said his support for Booker was due to both their shared interest in animal welfare and college sports. A source close to Yormark noted that he and Booker have been friends for decades, dating back to when the politician was mayor of Newark, New Jersey, and Yormark served as CEO of Brooklyn Sports Entertainment, the parent company of the NBA Nets.

McMillen, who withdrew from LEAD1 (now renamed the FBS Athletics Directors Association) last month, also donated $500 to Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), who also played a central role in the college sports reform debate at the Hill played.

“There are industries that are very political, that know their members of Congress, support them, worship both sides of the ballot, where it’s all part of the game,” McMillen said. “In college sports, it’s really kind of a stroke of luck. Many universities are afraid to go to the middle [of politics]and a lot of coaches and administrators aren’t prepared for it either.”

In 2010, Calipari canceled a political fundraiser he planned to host at his home for the then-governor of Kentucky. Steve Beshear, a Democrat, after suffering backlash from some Wildcats fans. In a statement he later posted on Facebook, Calipari said, “I know how politically charged this state is, and I recognize that the Big Blue Nation comes from both sides of the aisle.” I appreciate every elected official who supports that University of Kentucky supports regardless of party.”

Beshear’s son Andy, the current governor of Kentucky, received a $1,500 donation from UK football coach Mark Stoops last October. Beshear was elected; Kelly Craft, the wife of billionaire Wildcats mega-booster Joe Craft, placed third in the GOP primary.

Apart from Calipari, Sportico could only find two other major college coaches or athletic administrators who donated at least four-figure amounts to federal candidates this cycle:

This story will be updated as we discover additional notable posts.