The SEC got a little glimpse into the first quarter of its 2026 football schedule with regard to start times, as every SEC football team now knows what time their first three games will be played.
While plenty of fans (and coaches) will no doubt be circling their calendars and gnashing their teeth over how badly they got screwed by the "scheduling gods," one athletic director is taking matters into his own hands.
The SEC logo is displayed on the field during the game between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Arkansas Razorbacks at Wade Davis Stadium in Starkville, Miss., on Oct. 8, 2022. (Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire)
Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek took one look at the Razorbacks' first three start times and was so appalled by what he saw that he issued a public request to both the league office and ESPN on Wednesday to "pursue an alternative solution" to their current predicament.
The crux of the issue comes in the form of the Razorbacks being faced with a late kick against Utah in Salt Lake City then having an 11 a.m. local kick off against Georgia the very next week.
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Yurachek argued the turnaround will impact the "well-being of [their] student-athletes."
The move is being met with nearly universal razzing from fans on social media, as most are rightly pointing out that there is, at most, a 10-hour difference between potential kick times, which is negligible for a bunch of elite athletes in their early 20s.
There is also the elephant in the room that most of these "student-athletes" are being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, making them professionals.
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Mascot Big Red of the Arkansas Razorbacks runs the flag onto the field before the game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark., on Oct. 21, 2023. The Bulldogs defeated the Razorbacks 7-3. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
We don't see NFL GMs making public pleas to Roger Goodell every time their team has to play a Thursday game, but I digress.
Yurachek at least has one powerful man in his corner, as SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey addressed the schedule woes for Arkansas at SEC Spring Meetings earlier this week.
I know the optics of an SEC AD whining on social media about their school's schedule don't look great, but if I may play devil's advocate here, I absolutely love this from Yurachek.
It's nice to see an AD have some cojones when it comes to sticking up for his football program.
My Gators have yet another night game at Jordan Hare Stadium against Auburn this season, and every game they have played on the road against the Tigers since 1999 has been a night game.
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I wish Scott Stricklin would stump for his football program and make an attempt to get that game changed to a 3:30 start time.
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
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SEC commissioner Greg Sankey speaks with the media during SEC Media Days at the Grand Bohemian Hotel. (Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images)
Regardless, I don't know whether anything will come of Yurachek's public stink, but Razorback fans have to at least be encouraged that their AD will do whatever he can to give their team an edge.
It just means more in the SEC, even for athletic directors.
Austin Perry is a writer for OutKick.