FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas athletic department’s preparations for the dawn of the revenue-sharing era in college athletics hit home in a hard way Wednesday.

The department underwent a widespread reduction in staff and early retirements that Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek said would affect about 10% of the department’s staff, he told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Thursday.

“Yesterday was one of the toughest if not the toughest day in my 16 years as an athletic director,” Yurachek said. “We’ve obviously had some conversations like that with coaches, but these were different conversations yesterday with our staff members that we had to have.

“They were conversations with really good friends, really good people. People with families. People that are devastated and going to be impacted. It’s just all part of the changes — major changes — that are going on in college athletics as we prepare for the revenue sharing that begins on July 1. “

As a member of the SEC, Arkansas has signed on to the revenue sharing plan hatched from the House v. NCAA settlement, which sought to give athletes a stake in the high finances at the top of college athletics. Schools that opt into the plan are set to begin sharing $20.5 million per year with athletes starting July 1.

The staff reduction was essentially department-wide, Yurachek said, although coaching staffs and some other areas were not involved.

The plan was to reduce the salaries and benefits line within the department’s operating budget by around $2.5 million.

“I went to each of my deputy athletic directors and asked them to find me anywhere from 5 to 10% salary savings within their various units and that was so we didn’t hone in on any one unit,” Yurachek said. “Obviously we tried to stay away from, and we did, from our sports and doing anything with coaching staffs — people directly tied to sports like athletic trainers. We had some requirements for that — strength and conditioning coaches, nutritionists, mental health processionals. So there’s some areas we didn’t touch. The majority of these took place on the administrative side.”

Yurachek said he’s aware that other major athletic departments have gone through similar movements this year.

“I didn’t think another year would be as tough as covid (in 2020), but this year has done that,” Yurachek said.

The UA athletic department’s online staff directory lists 24 departments and 181 employees, though some of them are in areas not affected by the cuts.

Yurachek said he would not comment specifically on individuals affected but that everyone involved in the reduction will leave in good standing.

“They will be terminated in good standing and they can reapply for positions that come available in the future in the athletic department, the university, etc,” he said. “So no one was let go in bad standing yesterday, and that’s what makes it worse.”

Asked if the streamlined department could meet the needs and standards Arkansas is used to, Yurachek replied that time will tell.

“We lost some really good people,” he said. “We’ve got some really good people that are a part of our department that will have to take on some additional duties and I think are willing to step up and do that.

“We believe that we can continue to have success like we’ve had and service our student-athletes, our fans, our coaches, just like we have since I arrived. But time will tell.”

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Community members gathered for a summit hosted by Councilmember Jenni Berz to reflect on progress and priorities in District 6.

The event focused on economic development, housing, transportation, and other efforts to improve the quality of life across the district.

We spoke to Richard Johnson, Chair of Midtown Connects, and this is what he had to say about today’s events and Jenni Berz: 

“Well, I’m very pleased that Councilwoman Jenni Berz is carrying on the tradition that Carol Berz had for a number of years. This is, I think, probably the ninth year the summit has been in play. I think it’s probably the first district that’s had this Summit, and the summit, as I say, is just a state of the community.”

The summit brought neighbors, leaders, and city officials together for meaningful dialogue and community connection.

After a record-breaking outdoor season, Westford Academy’s Ryan Kyle has been named the Gatorade Massachusetts Boys’ Track and Field Athlete of the Year. The 6-foot, 185-pound senior, who has committed to Rhode Island, won both the 400-meter and 110 hurdles, as well as the decathlon, at the Division 1 championship, then broke his own state record in the 400 hurdles at the Meet of the Champions, winning in 51.72 seconds.“These last couple years, I’ve learned not to put limits on the times I can run or the achievements I can get,” Kyle said after the Meet of Champions. “Once I beat the state record at the league championships, I knew I could keep climbing.” Kyle went on to finish ninth at New Balance Nationals in the 400 hurdles (52.50). Ryan Kyle of Westford Academy was all smiles after seeing his 110-meter hurdles win displayed on the scoreboard during the Division 1 championship. Barry Chin/Globe Staff“Ryan is the athlete every coach dreams of having: talented, driven and never satisfied,” said Westford coach Philip Archambault. “All are terrific attributes, but his ability to bring others along and make them a critical part of the team is what makes him one to watch.” Kyle, who graduated with a 3.27 GPA, volunteers with the Special Olympics and as a youth football and basketball coach. With one more announcement to be made (girls’ track) the 2024-25 Gatorade winners are:Phillips Andover’s Tam Gavenas (boys’ cross-country), Needham’s Greta Hammer (girls’ cross-country), Milton Academy’s Josh Partal (boys’ soccer), Hopkinton’s Maddie Recupero (girls’ soccer), Needham’s Aidan Williams (football), Newton North’s Sasha Selivan (girls’ volleyball), Bedford’s Alyx Rossi (softball), Austin Prep’s Bradley McCafferty (baseball), CATS Academy’s Jaylen Harrell (boys’ basketball), and Noble & Greenough’s Christina Pham (girls’ basketball).

Kyle wasn’t the only Massachusetts track star to shine at the New Balance Nationals last weekend at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.

While there were no national champs from the Bay State, there were three runners-up. Gavenas was second in the boys’ two mile in 8:53.71, Marblehead senior Nate Assa placed second in the 5,000 in 14:25.19, and Brookline’s distance medley relay of Theodore Butty, Elijah Sweeney, Harry Flint, Altamo Ashkenasy snagged silver in 9:55.24.

Seven other individuals and four relays turned in top-10 finishes: Catholic Memorial sophomore Amar Skeete of West Roxbury placed third in the boys’ triple jump (50-5.25), Westford junior Abigail Hennessy took third in the girls’ mile (4:34.69), Peabody senior Alessandra Forgiona placed third in the javelin (144-1), Lexington junior Aubrey Deardorf was fifth in the girls’ long jump (19-9), Belmont Hill senior Josiah Gomes, of Dorchester, was sixth in the boys’ discus (188-7), BB&N senior Avery Hart was eighth in the girls’ long jump (19-4.5), Weymouth senior Ainsley Weber was eighth in the javelin (134-8), Lexington junior Ainsley Cuthbertson claimed ninth in the girls’ hammer throw (160-8), and Hopedale junior Ari Levine was ninth in the boys’ shot put (60-6).

The Lexington girls’ 4×800 relay, made up of Callie Glenn, Natalie Bielat, Jane Conrad, and Amelia Whorton, placed fourth in 9:09.84, while Conrad, Glenn, Whorton and Lucy Kontos teamed up to give the Minutewomen a seventh-place finish in the 4-by-mile (20.41.66). The Old Rochester boys’ 4×110 shuttle hurdles relay (Wesner Archelus, Calder Eaton, Malik Washburn, Sebastian Harrigan) placed seventh in 59.88, as did the Boston Jesuit 4-by-mile, with Shamus Larnard, John Wilson, Owen Geagan, and Greg McGrath finishing in 17:29.22.

Other top 20 finishes included Holliston senior Connor Teague in the long jump (18th at 22-6.5), North Reading girls’ shuttle hurdles (14th in 1:06.61), Winchester girls’ distance medley (19th in 12:19.47), Weymouth’s girls’ distance medley (20th in 12:19.50), Danvers senior Kye McClory in the javelin (16th at 173 feet), Hennessy in the 800 (12th in 2:08.22), Acton-Boxborough senior Emerson Gould in the girls’ pole vault (15th in 12-1.5), Lexington junior Franz Schroder in the boys’ hammer throw (29th in 188-1), Weston junior Oscar Torres in the boys’ triple jump (47-4.25), Lincoln-Sudbury senior Gabrielle Pierre in the girls’ triple jump (12th at 39-9.25), Natick junior Chloe Elder in the girls’ 400 (16th in 54.73), Natick’s mixed 4×400 relay (11th in 3:40.32), Lowell’s mixed 4×400 relay (14th in 3:41.29), Natick senior Sydni Chandler in the girls’ heptathlon (14th with 4,100 points), North Reading senior Giuliana Ligor in the 400 hurdles (14th in 1:00.76), Weston junior Solana Varela in the 400 hurdles (18th in 1:00.84), Lowell’s boys’ sprint medley relay (17th in 3:30.38), Haverhill’s Madeline Goncalves in the girls’ shot put (14th at 41-10), Arlington’s Bella Hayes in the girls’ shot put (17th at 41-5), and Peabody’s Alex Jackson in the boys’ discus (12th at 183-10).

In the middle school competition, Charlet Livingston of Boston, who competes for the MetroCobras Track Club, placed sixth in the shot put with a throw of 41-0.5. Other Top 20 middle school finishers included West Roxbury’s Desmond Sullivan, who runs with the FXD Hawks Track Club, taking 15th in the 800 (2:02.94) and 16th in the mile (4:37.66), Millis’s Emma Genovese placed 15th in the mile (5:07.97), Sterling’s Annika Kindorf was 16th in the 800 (2:17.09), and Lexington’s Daniel Sun finished 19th in the shot put (42-8.75).

After an incredible career at Medfield, including a Division 3 state championship in 2024 and All-American honors, senior FOGO Johnny Olenik will continue his lacrosse career at Syracuse, owner of 15 national championships, and a Final Four participant in 2025.

Randolph’s Amahn Williams, a rising senior at Tabor Academy, announced his commitment to play football at Central Florida. The 6-foot-5-inch, 280-pound interior offensive lineman had offers from BC, UMass, UConn, Buffalo, Old Dominion, and Sacramento State.

Burlington senior Grace Seaman, the two-time Middlesex League Freedom Division MVP, announced she will play volleyball at Hamilton. The Red Devils’ single-season record holder for aces and kills, Seaman also holds career marks for aces, digs, and kills.

Carver senior Jack Balzarini, a 6-2, 190-pound quarterback, has committed to play football at Hudson Valley Community College. He threw for 2,229 yards and ran for 546 as a senior, totaling 40 touchdowns and throwing for a state-record seven scores in a win over Bourne.

Former Sandwich hockey standout Chris Cotillo, who last played for the Smith Falls Bears in the CCHL, has committed to skate for UMass Dartmouth.

Eldon Terry, a 6-9, 210-pound center who attended Brockton High and CASH in Boston, announced he’ll be leaving Quincy College to play basketball at Concord University, a Division 2 school in West Virginia.

Former Amesbury and Austin Prep baseball standout Jake Harring is transferring from Hofstra to Salve Regina. The 5-7, 155-pound rising sophomore played in 15 games for the Lions.

Patrick Otey, a Westwood resident who just finished his sophomore season at CATS Academy, announced he will be transferring to St. Thomas More (Conn.). A 6-5 guard and the No. 29 recruit in the Class of 2027, he has offers from Providence, Florida State, and Villanova.

Tabor added a pair of recruits with size: 6-9 junior forward Isaac Saas, a rising junior from Beverly, and Billy Stewart, a 6-7 rising junior forward from the Bancroft School who hails from Auburn.

Leshon Crawford, a former football and basketball star at Rockland, will take over the girls’ basketball program at Weymouth. Crawford has served as an assistant at Quincy College and is director of the Level Up Hoops AAU program.

Weymouth is coming off an 0-19 season, but was 20-5 and reached the Division 1 quarterfinals in 2023-24 with Doug Kirby at the helm.

BC High announced that Mark Whitehouse has been promoted to head soccer coach. Whitehouse has coached at the school since 2011, working his way up from freshman assistant. Whitehouse also coaches rugby and teaches math at BC High, which went 7-6-7 in its final season under Billy Ryan.

“I’m truly excited to get started,” Whitehouse said in a statement. ”My goal is to take the next big step with the program —modernizing our style of play and competing to win the state championship.”

Whitehouse played at Long Island and with the Longridge Town Football Club in the English Conference League, and has coached club and youth teams.

“Mark has a clear vision for the soccer program,” said BC High AD Tom Conley in a statement. “I am confident our young men will develop as players and he will help them reach their goals and get them to the next level while becoming better men.”

Ryan retired in May after coaching BC High for 32 years, winning more than 300 games and a state championship.

After 11 seasons, Anthony Palladino is stepping down as the Joseph Case football coach. He will remain the school’s athletic director. Palladino, who played at Bridgewater State, helped turn the Cardinals around, leading them to a South Coast Conference title in 2019, their first in 27 years. Assistant coach Alex Monteiro, also a BSU graduate and assistant coach with the Bears, will serve as Case’s interim head coach for the 2025 season.

After three straight seasons struggling to compete in the Patriot League, Quincy and North Quincy will be combining their hockey programs for the 2025-26 campaign and 16-year North Quincy coach Matt Gibbons will take the helm of the co-op. They will continue to compete in the Fisher Division.

The Presidents and Raiders combined to go 11-29-1 last season, and the last winning record between them was Quincy’s 12-8-2 mark in 2021-22. They’re a combined 27-91-5 since.

Robbie Winter is taking over as the Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake girls’ hockey coach. W-H/S-L is coming off an 11-10 record and a Division 1 tournament appearance under Jim Stone.

Winter, who played men’s hockey at Curry, is director of Boston’s Eastern Hockey Federation, the largest club youth hockey league in the country. He has coached the Boston Jr. Terriers U14 Tier 1 team for six years, is a member of the Massachusetts Hockey Board of Directors, and served as girls hockey director of the South Shore Eagles.

“We are excited to welcome coach Winter to our program,” said Whitman-Hanson AD Bob Rodgers in a statement. “His extensive experience in girls hockey and proven track record of player development make him an ideal fit.”

Keith Davie will be taking over as Newton South athletic director after Patricia Gonzalez retired after 11 years in the position. Davie is being promoted from assistant AD and has experience as athletic director at Nyack College.

Richkaard Verrier is the new athletic director at Westwood High. Previously the assistant AD at Needham and Brookline, he also worked for the New England Revolution for five years. He has coached boys’ JV soccer at Milton and Foxborough and played at Curry. He succeeds Matthew Gillis, who announced his retirement earlier this month after 33 years in the school district.

The 14th “Wally” Seaver High School Invitational has a new addition this year, with a North event to be held at St. John’s Prep on Saturday and Sunday, followed by the main event at Mass Premier in Foxborough and The Dana Barros Basketball Club in Stoughton July 26-27. More than 150 teams are slated to compete between the two events.

One hundred public high school graduates from across New England received $1,000 college scholarships the Red Sox Foundation as part of the New England Service Scholarships.

The recipients, 31 of whom are from Massachusetts, will be honored before the Red Sox vs. Blue Jays game Friday at Fenway Park. They were selected for their meaningful impact through local community service.

Malden’s Abigail Lee will receive the inaugural Somers Scholarship, which honors the late Helen Somers, a 1946 Malden graduate and the mother of Fenway Sports Group partner Steve Somers.

The program has provided scholarships to more than 1,900 students since 2010.

The National Federation of State High School Associations is entering an exclusive deal with RefReps as its officiating education technology and curriculum partner.

The NFHS, and the MIAA, have previously worked with RefReps, which led to the launch of NFHS Digital, a mobile app for distributing and accessing official rules publications.

“Making this partnership official was an easy decision,” said Dr. Karissa Niehoff, NFHS CEO and a Marblehead High graduate (Class of ’83). “RefReps reimagined the officiating education experience, and it is easy to see the remarkable impact that it has had on the industry. What they have accomplished with their digital platforms and curriculum is reshaping the future of sports as a whole.”

Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie.