Arkansas Hosts Undefeated Tulsa Amid NIL Spending Scrutiny

OriginalGlobal Sportscast deskSep 25, 2026 · 10:31 UTC

The short version

Arkansas (1-2) hosts Tulsa (3-0) on Saturday in Week 4, with the Razorbacks only about a touchdown favorite at home.
Arkansas ranks last in the SEC in roster spending, per The Athletic; AD Hunter Yurachek said the program was late adapting to NIL.
First-year coach Ryan Silverfield said the program has the resources to compete and that he likes the roster.
Tulsa has an upset win over Oklahoma State and is expected to use its backup quarterback.
Silverfield's Memphis team upset Arkansas in Week 4 last season and beat Tulsa by 38 points.

The 1-2 Razorbacks face 3-0 Tulsa in Week 4 as questions about the program's last-place SEC roster spending follow first-year coach Ryan Silverfield.

Arkansas hosts Tulsa on Saturday in Week 4 of the college football season, with first-year Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield facing scrutiny over his program's finances as well as his team's play.

Arkansas enters the game 1-2. The Razorbacks lost on the road to Utah and fell at home to Georgia, a national-title contender, in their first three games. Their season-opening win over North Alabama, in the assessment of the original report, was unconvincing.

Tulsa arrives unbeaten at 3-0 and already owns an upset victory over Oklahoma State this season. The Golden Hurricane are expected to start their backup quarterback this weekend. Despite facing a Group of 6 opponent at home, Arkansas is only about a touchdown favorite, a narrow spread that reflects where the Razorbacks currently stand nationally.

Silverfield, who previously coached at Memphis, faced two questions about Arkansas football finances from local media on Monday, Sept. 21, and acknowledged he had been asked similar ones before. Asked whether offseason fundraising went toward this year's roster and whether the program has the resources to compete this fall, he said the team does and that he likes the roster.

The financial questions have grounding in recent reporting. According to The Athletic, Arkansas ranks last in the SEC in roster spending. Athletic director Hunter Yurachek told On3 this week that he was slow to adapt to the NIL era and that the Razorbacks are working to catch up. A Monday study from Dr. Greg Chick of NILnomics found no SEC school devotes a larger share of its fiscal-year budget to men's basketball.

Silverfield has recent history in this matchup from the other sideline. A year ago, in Week 4, his Memphis team upset Arkansas. He also coached the Tigers to a 38-point win over Tulsa last season before leaving for the SEC job.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's game, Silverfield described every week as a must-win regardless of opponent and said that approach will continue. Tulsa coach Tre Lamb, meanwhile, said a good Group of 6 team wins this game.

The original report notes that Silverfield himself has not cited the lack of funds as an excuse, though it has become a common explanation among media and fans for Arkansas' struggles in the NIL era. Some fans are already calling for changes at the top of the athletic department, and the report argues that if Arkansas loses Saturday, blame would shift to the coaching staff and players rather than the program's finances.