The biggest topic at Ryan Silverfield’s introductory press conference last month had nothing to do with Xs and Os or recruiting strategies he’d employ as the new Arkansas football coach.
Instead, he and his new boss, athletics director Hunter Yurachek, were peppered with questions about finances. Now more than ever before, money — whether in revenue sharing or NIL — is a major factor in the success or failure of college sports.
After causing an uproar with his comments at the Little Rock Touchdown Club earlier in the year, Yurachek used the opportunity to try to soothe concerns by saying there had been a “significant investment” in the program that would move the Razorbacks into the top half of the SEC in spending across multiple categories.