Will Razorbacks have to make cuts like Oklahoma doing now?

Arkansas may have different approach than what Sooners doing to deal with impact of expected NCAA ruling

Arkansas Razorbacks athletics director Hunter Yurachek prior to the game against the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Ark. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — It was rather interesting see the CBS story on Oklahoma having to do some cutting of staff and wondering if Arkansas is going to be right there with them.

That's assuming, of course, they aren't already doing it quietly, shuffling folks between departs or letting attrition just take care of things.

It's not exactly the most transparent era of Razorback athletics and we just have to figure things out at times.

Oklahoma has initiated significant changes within its athletic department, laying off 5% of its full-time staff as it prepares for the financial realities of the impending House v. NCAA settlement and the dawn of direct athlete revenue sharing.

Everybody in college sports is getting ready for a new era shaped by athlete compensation and budget restructuring.

Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione speaks during a press conference in Norman. | DOUG HOKE/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

On Wednesday, Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione announced a “limited reduction in force,” affecting roughly 15 of the department’s 302 full-time, non-student employees.

Castiglione described the layoffs as a necessary restructuring to ensure the department’s sustainability in the face of unprecedented changes.

Castiglione also revealed that he would reduce his own salary as part of the department’s cost-cutting efforts.

According to Sportico, his total compensation was $1.93 million, ranking him among the nation’s highest-paid athletic directors.

Arkansas' Hunter Yurachek is just south of that total ... barely. He's making roughly double what he was hired at in 2017 and there will be some curiosity over that if cuts are to be made.

The staff reductions are directly tied to the anticipated approval of the House v. NCAA settlement, a landmark agreement that will allow schools to share up to 22% of their athletic revenue with student-athletes.

The settlement arose from a federal antitrust lawsuit challenging NCAA restrictions on athletes profiting from their name, image, and likeness (NIL).

Judge Claudia Wilken, who is overseeing the case, has delayed final approval over concerns about proposed roster limits and their immediate impact on current athletes.

If approved, the settlement will not only provide current and former athletes with compensation but also introduce hard roster limits, replacing previous scholarship caps.

This change is expected to have wide-reaching effects, including the potential loss of roster spots for some student-athletes and a trickle-down effect that could benefit smaller programs as talent redistributes across divisions.

Athletic departments across the country are scrambling to figure out how to make all the pieces come together. Don't assume Oklahoma is alone doing this, but just decided to be a little more transparent than most places.

"An employment model turns upside down the very definition of what a college student-athlete is versus a professional athlete,” Castiglione said in a recent interview.

One thing schools can't do for very long is operate at a loss. The Razorbacks may have some plans for major improvements, but there aren't any directly obvious to the casual fan.

It's the rising cost of doing business in college sports these days. Everybody is scrambling ahead of the lawsuit to be able to meet what is certainly going to be some serious increased costs.

Arkansas is no different. Something's going to be cut. Don't be surprised if it involves personnel, too.