Why Arkansas cut tennis—and why more schools could follow

Ladies and gentlemen, the weekend!

I hope all of you had a good week. It was a wild Friday in Fayetteville, Ark., where the Razorbacks cut men’s and women’s tennis. In this climate, it probably shouldn’t be a shock, but it always is when an athletic department actually cuts sports. Could it happen more frequently, read below! There is also a note about the College Football Playoff and NCAA tournament expansion.

Enjoy!

— Kyle

THE BIG 3

Arkansas drops tennis, signaling broader shift in college athletics

Arkansas Athletics announced Friday that it will discontinue its men’s and women’s tennis programs following the conclusion of the 2026 spring season, a move that reflects growing financial pressures across college sports and signals what could become a broader trend nationwide.

The decision—approved by Chancellor Charles Robinson after a recommendation from Vice Chancellor and Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek—marks the first time since the early 1990s that the university has eliminated varsity programs.

In a press release, Yurachek said the move followed “considerable reflection and thoughtful discussion,” citing the evolving landscape of college athletics and the need to balance resources with long-term sustainability. He acknowledged the emotional impact of the decision but said the department ultimately determined it could not provide the financial support necessary for the tennis programs to compete consistently in the SEC and at the national level.

Arkansas officials pointed to limited resources as the primary factor. The university reported spending roughly $2.35 to $2.5 million annually on the two programs—among the lowest totals in the SEC—with costs expected to rise in coming years. Broader financial pressures, including changes tied to the post–House settlement era and the increasing shift toward athlete compensation, also played a role in the decision.

Funding previously allocated to tennis will be redistributed across the athletic department. After the change, Arkansas will sponsor 17 varsity sports, including 10 women’s teams and seven men’s teams.

Current student-athletes will have their scholarships honored through the completion of their degree programs if they remain at the university, and they will continue to receive access to academic and athletic support services.

In their final season, the men’s tennis team finished 16-14 overall and 3-11 in SEC play, while the women’s team went 14-14 with a 3-12 conference record.

While significant, Arkansas’ decision is not occurring in isolation. Athletic departments across Division I are facing similar budget constraints, driven by rising operating costs, increased investment in football and men’s basketball, and new financial models that expand athlete compensation. As a result, so-called “Olympic sports” like tennis, swimming, and golf—programs that generate little revenue but carry substantial expenses—are increasingly under scrutiny.

Industry observers expect more schools, particularly outside the wealthiest conferences, to consider cutting or restructuring non-revenue sports in the coming years. Even within power conferences like the SEC, schools are more frequently evaluating whether they can sustain the level of investment required to remain competitive across all sports.

In that context, Arkansas’ move may be an early indicator of a wider shift, as universities weigh tradition and opportunity against financial sustainability in a rapidly changing college athletics landscape.

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The 24-team College Football Playoff is gaining steam

College Football Playoff leaders departed the Ritz-Carlton in Irving, Texas, without deciding on whether to expand the postseason to 16 or 24 teams. But momentum behind a 24-team model is building, a shift that would have seemed unlikely just a year ago.

The debate is fundamentally one of trade-offs. Proponents, led by the Big Ten, favor a 24-team format comprising the top-ranked programs, with first-round byes for the top eight seeds and early-round games hosted on campus. The model would add 12 games to the bracket, potentially generating hundreds of millions in new revenue while opening the door to more programs.

Opponents tell a different story. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has been among the most vocal critics, warning that aggressive expansion risks diluting the regular season, taxing athlete health and gutting conference championship games, events worth an estimated $250 million annually.

Money, however, cuts both ways. A 24-team playoff could yield $300–$700 million in additional revenue, but it remains unclear whether those gains would fully offset the financial hit from lost championship game income. Media rights add another wrinkle. ESPN is expected to control significant portions of the expanded bracket, leaving little room for a competitive bidding war.

Underneath the financial wrangling lies a deeper philosophical divide. Broadening access to the sport’s biggest stage versus protecting the stakes that make the regular season matter. With a December deadline looming for any changes to take effect by 2027, officials say they’re still studying the data. A resolution, for now, remains out of reach.

SoCon comes out in favor of NCAA tournament expansion

The Southern Conference is calling on the NCAA to adopt a set of guiding principles as discussions continue around a potential expansion of the NCAA tournament.

In a proposal outlining its position, the SoCon emphasized the need to significantly increase access to March Madness, arguing that the current field no longer reflects the growth of Division I basketball. The NCAA Transformation Committee previously recommended that roughly 25 percent of teams should participate in postseason championships. When the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, just under 23 percent of schools qualified. Today, that number has dropped to 18.6 percent, according to the SoCon, which says any expansion must also preserve automatic bids for all conferences.

The conference also raised concerns about maintaining competitive integrity within an expanded format. It pointed to the current First Four structure in Dayton, which features games between the lowest-ranked automatic qualifiers and at-large teams. The SoCon argued that opening-round matchups should be based strictly on team quality, as measured by rankings such as the NET, rather than how a team qualified for the tournament. Higher-performing teams, it said, should not be required to play additional games compared to lower-ranked teams. The proposal also calls for preserving bracket integrity, or, if that is not possible, ensuring that teams on the same seed line play the same number of games to reach the Final Four.

Transparency in the selection process was identified as a third key priority. The SoCon criticized the lack of clarity surrounding the NCAA’s NET rankings, which are used to evaluate teams, define quadrant wins and losses and help determine at-large selections. Despite its central role, the formula behind the NET remains undisclosed. The conference argued that explanations citing the system’s complexity or concerns about potential manipulation are insufficient, particularly given the financial investments schools make in their basketball programs.

According to the SoCon, greater transparency would improve trust and allow coaches and administrators to make more informed decisions. As part of any expansion, the conference is urging the NCAA to release the formulas behind its selection metrics and to adjust related tools, such as quadrant definitions and Wins Above Bubble thresholds, to align with a larger tournament field.

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NIL BLITZ

♦️ NCAA President Charlie Baker wants the DI Cabinet to pass emergency legislation by mid-May to implement the proposed “five-in-five” eligibility rules.

♦️ SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said that preserving the value of the regular season is a factor in his preference for a 16-team playoff.

♦️ Fox bought back this season’s Big Ten championship game from NBC for $45-$55 million and a Big Ten regular-season game.

♦️ Florida State is seeking jersey sponsors, content subscriptions and potential naming rights partners for multiple facilities, as the Seminoles are seeking a $7 million influx. FSU plans to spend $250 million on athletics during the upcoming fiscal year.

♦️ Seventy-six percent of FBS scholarship players who entered the transfer portal this year signed with a new school.

♦️ The Toledo Blade has the inside scoop on the AD search that landed Tom Moreland.

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