FAYETTEVILLE -- Bret Bielema and Gus Malzahn have managed to stake out common ground.
Bielema and Malzahn, the fourth-year coaches at Arkansas and Auburn, have had their differences aired in public the past several years, but they now have a topic for which they're on the same side.
Both coaches would like to find a way for college football players who declare as underclassmen for the NFL Draft but do not get selected to have an opportunity to return to college.
"I've talked to Gus. It's the first thing that Gus and I have agreed upon since I've been here," Bielema told reporters Tuesday during the SEC spring meetings in Destin, Fla. "I said that same thing to him and he didn't laugh."
Bielema said the idea of creating a mechanism for those players, such as Arkansas offensive lineman Denver Kirkland this year, to go back to school in an effort to improve their draft stock has "100 percent" support within the SEC.
Of the 96 underclassmen in April's NFL Draft, 30 of them went undrafted, including Kirkland and Auburn running back Peyton Barber and offensive lineman Avery Young.
Kirkland signed as an undrafted free agent with the Oakland Raiders, while Barber agreed to terms with Tampa Bay and Young with New Orleans.
Bielema, who posted pictures on social media of a fishing expedition off Cat Island, Bahamas, prior to heading to Destin, did not make the biggest ripples at the SEC meetings Tuesday.
Bielema also reiterated his support for engaging in an SEC-Big Ten challenge, one he suggested could be held over two weekends.
Later in the day, when reporters brought up Bielema's suggestion to Greg Sankey, the second-year SEC commissioner remarked, "I follow many of you on Twitter, so I understand the idea of an SEC-Big Ten challenge was brought up. We generally call those bowl games."
Sports on 06/01/2016