Yurachek says basketball and baseball are primed to win titles, but football isn’t ready
Arkansas fans have long dreamed of returning their football program to national prominence. But this week, athletics director Hunter Yurachek made headlines by saying the quiet part out loud: the Razorbacks aren’t set up to win a national championship on the gridiron.
Speaking at the Little Rock Touchdown Club, Yurachek praised the state of Arkansas’ other programs but was blunt about football. “I think we are set up to win a national championship in men’s basketball moving forward, we know we are set up to win a national championship in baseball moving forward,” he said. “Football, where we are right now, we’re not set up to win a national championship. I’ll just be brutally honest with that.”
That honesty stung, but it reflected the numbers. Since 2012, Arkansas has gone 69-92 overall and just 32-80 in SEC play. Against ranked opponents, the Razorbacks are a dismal 13-58, showing how far the program has slipped compared to its Houston Nutt and Bobby Petrino days.
Even Yurachek admitted the gap in resources is hurting football’s competitiveness. “There’s multiple schools that are over $300 million for their operating budget this year that’s within the same conference,” he said.
For Arkansas fans, the question now is simple: can Yurachek and Sam Pittman change course, or will football remain the weak link in an otherwise thriving athletics department?
The answer may define the Razorbacks’ future.
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