This weekend's launch of the Razorback Raffle was unquestionably a success. Between May 15 and the seventh inning of Arkansas' final game against Tennessee on May 17, the jackpot grew to $282,645. Half ($141,320) went to the winning ticket.
Other programs have produced 50/50 raffles, like Kentucky, South Carolina, Missouri, and Florida, but none have come close to the amount Razorback fans raised in the last few days. The implications of such a program could completely change Arkansas' NIL situation, that is, if the money goes to it.
All of the raffle's proceeds will go straight to the university's charitable athletic fund, Razorback Foundation, INC. With revenue sharing, the money could go toward paying players, but for now, it'll be used for facilities, salaries, and scholarships, among other things.
Hunter Yurachek uses raffle to throw jabs
Regardless, the feat is nothing short of extraordinary by the university. If only that were enough.
After the raffle’s conclusion, Arkansas’ athletic director, Hunter Yurachek, took to social media to flaunt the success.
"Well, I guess we knew what we were doing after all! Congrats to our WINNER, and thank you to all who worked so hard to make this happen in our State Legislature, the Razorback Foundation, our Department's External team, our Legal Counsel, and our Gameday volunteers. #OneRazorback"
Without the first comment, it’s a normal post celebrating a potentially monumental fundraiser. Instead, he used it as an opportunity to throw a jab. But who was it directed to?
The biggest opponent—for lack of a better word—of the raffle was Carlton Saffa, the Chief Marketing Officer of Saracen Casino Resort, an athletic sponsor for the Razorbacks. Last summer, Saffa released plans for a 50/50 raffle partnership with the University of Arkansas' athletic department, where 50 percent of the earnings would be donated to Arkansas Edge, Arkansas' NIL collective. However, legal barriers stopped the deal from ever happening.
Judging by Saffa's tone on X (formerly Twitter), relations between him and Yurachek have soured. And whether or not Yurachek directed the post at Saffa, and by association, Saracen, Saffa certainly took it that way.
"To be smug to a major financial supporter of his athletic department. Which is both incredibly bizarre and somehow also on-brand," wrote Saffa on X.
Yurachek's past antics on social media
This isn't the first time Yuracheck has taken to social media to do something that seems to be taking a shot at someone. When former Arkansas basketball head coach, Eric Musselman, started flirting around with other programs, Yurachek posted an edited version of an early video with Musselman driving the "Muss Bus" where the athletic director said, "Wait. You're still here?"
Most saw it as a jab at Musselman for taking so long to decide his future as the coach of the Razorbacks. However, Yurachek later said that it was a shot at all the teams contacting Musselman, emphasizing that the fifth-year head coach hadn't left yet despite attempts from other schools. Regardless, in hindsight, it was foolish because Musselman left for USC seven days after the video was posted. And for what it's worth, the video was deleted from his personal X account.
Saffa later came back to X to reply to another user's post that suggested it was highly unusual for an AD to go after a sponsor.
Earlier this month, Razorbackers published a story on the rumors that the athletic department had turned its back on the football program, and now, the athletic director is—at least in the mind of Saffa—taking shots at a sponsor that gives millions to Arkansas athletics. It's not the best look for Arkansas or Yurachek. We all know it's hard to be humble as Arkansas Razorback fans, but the powers that be must find some humility quickly before the situation spirals out of control.