Arkansas AD Hunter Yuracheck on SEC playoff: I don’t think it is best for college athletics

SEC Spring Meetings in Destin, FL, is underway and one of the hottest topics will be the possibility of the conference putting on their own playoff. Something that would have seismic effects on how college football looks on an early basis, not everybody inside of the conference seems on board with the idea.

Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yuracheck made an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show when he was asked about the playoff idea. He claimed he was not in favor of it due to it not being what’s best for college football in general. Yuracheck made sure to not call out SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, saying he’s still doing what he is supposed to for the conference.

“That’s being the leader in this industry,” Yuracheck said. “What does that course look like and is that what is best for college athletics in general? I don’t think it is best for college athletics in general for the SEC to go out and do their own thing but Commissioner Sankey has great foresight. He’s making sure that he puts everything that’s in front of us a possibility in the future for us to at least have a discussion.”

There was no reported specific model for an SEC playoff and nothing has yet to come out of Spring Meetings. However, all models are going to be looked at as the SEC continues to be one of the leaders in college football.

SEC considering putting on their own College Football Playoff

The SEC has been the class of the college football world, but great change could be on the horizon. While the College Football Playoff, transfer portal, and NIL have caused programs to adjust greatly, a landmark idea is on the table at spring meetings for the conference — an intra-SEC Playoff, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN.

“One idea certain to be discussed by SEC officials in Destin is the notion of the SEC creating, running and profiting from its own intra-SEC postseason,” wrote Thamel. “The most obvious model is an eight-team one, but there are others that will be discussed.

“SEC commissioner Greg Sankey stressed that no seismic change is imminent. But he did mention that an SEC-only playoff, in a variety of forms, was among the nearly 40 different models that SEC officials discussed at their fall meetings.”

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Continuing, Sankey told Thamel and ESPN that the idea is under serious consideration.

“As we think as a conference,” he told ESPN on Monday, “it’s vitally important we think about the range of possibilities.”