FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas athletics director Hunter Yurachek was appointed to the College Football Playoff Committee in February. Now he will have to leave the room if the Razorbacks are being discussed which is understandable.
Yurachek was hired by the Razorbacks in December 2018 after the firing of Jeff Long the month prior. He brought the Hogs into its most successful three-year run in all sports finishing top-15 in the Director’s Cup. Prior to this feat, the Hogs had only finished in the top-15 once in 24 years. Former Hogs coach Ken Hafield was on the selection committee starting in 2018.
Long, also served as chairman of the committee from 2014-2016 which makes Yurachek Arkansas’ second representative on the committee since its inception a decade ago.
The committee has a recusal policy in place who are affiliated with a school being discussed. For Yurachek, not only does he have to leave the room for Arkansas but also fellow SEC member South Carolina and here’s why.
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“If a committee member or an immediate family member, e.g., spouse, sibling or child, (a) is compensated by a school, (b) provides professional services for a school, or (c) is on the coaching staff or administrative staff at a school or is a football student-athlete at a school, that member will be recused.“
“A recused member shall not participate in any votes involving the team from which the individual is recused. A recused member is permitted to answer only factual questions about the institution from which the member is recused but shall not be present during any deliberations regarding that team’s selection or ranking. Recused members shall not participate in discussions regarding the placement of the recused team into a bowl game.”
His son, Ryan, is an assistant tight ends coach for the Gamecocks. He sits under former Razorback quarterback and assistant coach, Dowell Loggains, who is South Carolina’s offensive coordinator.
The younger Yurachek was a standout tight end for Marshall from 2014-2017. He recorded 1,354 yards receiving and 26 career touchdowns.
After his college career, he signed multiple contracts with NFL teams like the Saints, Raiders and Cowboys beginning in 2018. After his stint at the professional level, Yurachek was hired at Arkansas as a graduate assistant from 2020-2021.
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ESPN Football Power Index isn’t very high on the Razorbacks or Gamecocks going into the season. South Carolina (2.6%, No. 13 SEC) and Arkansas (1.7%, No. 14) have very low odds to make the newly expanded 12-team playoff anyway.
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Rex Nelson has been senior editor and columnist at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette since 2017, and he has a biweekly podcast called “Southern Fried.”
After graduating from Ouachita Baptist University in 1981, he was a sportswriter for the Arkansas Democrat for a year before becoming editor of Arkadelphia’s Daily Siftings Herald. He was the youngest editor of a daily in Arkansas at age 23. Rex was then news and sports director at KVRC-KDEL from 1983-1985.
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He returned to the Democrat as assistant sports editor in 1985. From 1986-1989, he was its Washington correspondent. He left to be Jackson T. Stephens’ consultant.
Rex became the Democrat-Gazette’s first political editor in 1992, but left in 1996 to join then-Gov. Mike Huckabee’s office. He also served from 2005-09 in the administration of President George W. Bush.
From 2009-2018, he worked stints at the Communications Group, Arkansas’ Independent Colleges and Universities, and Simmons First National Corp.
Dylan Sherman is a business reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He is based in Northwest Arkansas and focuses on Tyson Foods Inc. and the transportation industry. A graduate of the University of Missouri, he has been with the newspaper since 2023.
The Arkansas Court of Appeals released opinions Wednesday. The court’s ruling and the names of the cases are reprinted here. The full opinions and other court proceedings, including per curiam decisions, orders and submissions, can be found on the internet at arcourts.gov.
PROCEEDINGS OF Jan. 7, 2026
CHIEF JUDGE N. MARK KLAPPENBACH
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CR-23-821. Kenneth Steward v. State of Arkansas, from Benton County Circuit Court. Affirmed. Gladwin and Brown, JJ., agree.
JUDGE ROBERT J. GLADWIN
CR-25-24. Bryce Anderson v. State of Arkansas, from Benton County Circuit Court. Affirmed. Virden and Harrison, JJ., agree.
JUDGE CASEY R. TUCKER
CV-24-537. Flywheel Energy Production, LLC v. Van Buren County, Arkansas; and Van Buren County Judge Dale James, in His Official Capacity as Van Buren County Judge, from Van Buren County Circuit Court. Reversed and dismissed. Abramson and Harrison, JJ., agree.
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JUDGE WENDY SCHOLTENS WOOD
CV-24-209. LRS South, LLC v. Benton County Solid Waste Management District and the Benton County Solid Waste Management District Board, from Benton County Circuit Court. Reversed and remanded. Hixson and Murphy, JJ., agree.
