Arkansas’s board of trustees is taking a broad look at the Razorbacks’ athletic department, and football sits squarely in the middle of it.
On Friday, the university board unanimously passed a resolution directing Arkansas System President Jay B. Silveria to lead a review of the overall competitiveness of all Razorback sports. The resolution also calls for “steps to improve the resources available to the football program,” as the school looks to push into a new era under first-year head coach Ryan Silverfield.
The motion came from trustee Ashley Caldwell and was seconded by trustee Steve Cox.
Randy Lawson, chairman of the university’s board of trustees, said in a statement released after the vote:
Like all passionate Razorback fans, the board of trustees is united in the goal to ensure the competitiveness of all Razorback sports and specifically to restore the rich tradition of Razorback football. We expect this review to be comprehensive, and we trust President Silveria to lead this effort to identify how we can improve our position, including identifying the necessary resources and empowering key people to be successful.
Several trustees spoke favorably about the resolution before it was approved.
Trustee Ed Fryar pointed to football’s financial importance when explaining the move:
When you look at how important football is in terms of finances to an athletic department, I think we need to take a hard look at it, and that’s what this motion is all about.
The timing comes with Arkansas sitting at 1-1 in football and staring at a major test Saturday afternoon against No. 2 Georgia at noon ET on ABC. The SEC opener will be the first for both teams.
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The early part of the Georgia game offered a little resistance, with Arkansas showing some competitiveness before the deeper issues started to show up again in the numbers. Georgia controlled the total offense battle and had the edge on the ground, leaving the Razorbacks with more questions than answers as the SEC grind ramps up. With Tulsa, Texas A&M and Tennessee still ahead, Arkansas is trying to find some traction before the schedule forces the issue again. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Fans Now Face An Uncomfortable Verdict On This Loss
A rough afternoon at Razorback Stadium left Arkansas staring at a lopsided 45-17 loss to No. 2 Georgia and a 1-2 start that now feels uncomfortably familiar. Ryan Silverfield did not hide his displeasure afterward, even as he pointed to some improvement from his team, which at least showed it can keep competing against elite opposition for stretches.
The bigger issue was how hard the Razorbacks found it to establish anything on the ground or settle on a rhythm under center. KJ Jackson and AJ Hill split quarterback reps during the game, a sign of a staff still searching for the most reliable answer as the schedule moves forward, and the margin for patience is starting to shrink. [Read more 🡒]