Below are statements from athletics director Hunter Yurachek, football coach Sam Pittman, men’s basketball coach Eric Musselman and women’s basketball coach Mike Neighbors:
Hunter Yurachek, athletics director
“I appreciate the leadership and commitment of SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey, our conference member institutions and the SEC’s Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force related to returning student-athletes to campus. As we resume on-campus activities, the continued health and well-being of our student-athletes will remain our top priority. I sincerely appreciate the efforts of our Department of Athletics staff and numerous medical professionals across our state, who worked collaboratively to develop a detailed plan in accordance with University, SEC, NCAA and Arkansas Department of Health directives. We are well prepared and look forward to confidently welcoming back many of our student-athletes in the coming weeks.”
Sam Pittman, football
“I’m thankful for all the people that have spent a lot of time and effort in making these decisions this week. The most important part in all of this is the health and well-being of our student-athletes. We are confident in our plan to bring our guys back to campus where our resources are here to help them academically, emotionally and physically. For us as a new staff, we can’t wait to see them and continue to build our trust with one another.”
Eric Musselman, men’s basketball
“This is an exciting step in our hopes to play sports in the fall. I think it will be great for our student-athletes to be back on campus and have the many services our support staff can give them in terms of academics, medical needs, physical conditioning and mental wellness. While we look forward to seeing our student-athletes back, we know this is still a serious time in this world-wide pandemic. We need to take things slow and we need to follow all the guidelines in order to ensure the health of everyone. That is the only way we can move forward.”
Mike Neighbors, women’s basketball
“We’ve shared a saying around our program for three years: if you stay ready you never have to get ready! Since day one, I’ve used Governor Hutchinson, Commissioner Sankey, Chancellor Stenimetz, and Hunter Yurachek as my Mount Rushmore of information on how to proceed through these challenging times. They have kept us well informed and have built confidence in us all that there is a great plan in place. So if they say we’re ready, we are ready. We understand it’s “more proceed with caution” for now rather than “GO”! We will strictly adhere to the guidelines and procedures put in place to keep us safe. I can’t wait to see each and every returner and welcome our newcomers!”
