College hoops world reacts to 96-page Caitlin Clark special print by ESPN for $3.1 million NIL-valued Iowa star: "This is getting ridiculous lol"

Basketball superstar Caitlin Clark is hogging the headlines again ahead of the Iowa Hawkeyes' Sweet 16 matchup against the No. 5 Colorado Buffaloes in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.

ESPN is capitalizing on the Caitlin Clark momentum and is rolling out the red carpet, announcing that it will produce a 96-page special edition magazine on the popular Clark to be made available on Friday.

College hoops fans on X reacted hilariously to the announcement of the special edition for the $3.1 million NIL-valued Clark (as per On3).

"This is getting ridiculous lol," a fan posted.

Caitlin Clark is getting the red carpet treatment

Caitlin Clark has shown her marketability several times in the past, with brands like Gatorade rolling out the red carpet to capture her signature by donating huge sums of money to her foundation.

A few days ago, the Hawkeyes were involved in an intense game against the No. 8 seeded West Virginia Mountaineers in the second round, which attracted 4.9 million television viewers, the highest number before the Final Four of the women's tournament.

The record-breaking Caitlin Clark is a woman in demand.

At the announcement of her special edition magazine, ESPN released a statement comparing her to greats of different sports:

“Similar to previous ESPN special edition issues that have featured greats such as Tom Brady, Serena Williams, the late Kobe Bryant, and the late John Madden, the Clark special will primarily draw upon ESPN’s wealth of archival content from throughout her career and explore her inspiring journey in basketball that has led her being considered one of the greatest collegiate players of all time.”

The magazine will contain anecdotes, on-air stories and features by personalities like analyst Rebecca Lobo and ESPN editor Adam Rittenberg.

Scott Burton, the ESPN executive editor, revealed the vision behind the special edition magazine celebrating Clark:

“Caitlin Clark is a signature athlete of our time, and this issue offers the definitive account of her rise to superstardom, with unique insight and authority from ESPN’s amazing collection of journalists.”

This announcement comes on the heels of the revelation by rapper Ice Cube that his basketball league, Big3, has offered Clark a mammoth $5 million to play for a team in the 12-member league.

The offer is unheard of in the history of women's college basketball and is casting Clark as a trailblazer who is at the vanguard of the change that has taken over the conventional route from college sports to the pros.

As she effortlessly drives sports discourse, the reigning Player of the Year will become even more attractive to brands who will continue to roll out the red carpet for her.