Scheduling

[PLHawg]

This may have been addressed before, but if it has I don't remember it.  Who exactly is in charge of making out our football schedule?  The reason I'm asking is the obvious - our schedule is brutal every year.  Why would we schedule two back-to-back SEC road games?  We've consistently had top three most difficult schedules in the country for the last few years.  Why do we not alternate LSU/Alabama - two of the hardest places to play, and every other year we have to play at both?  I don't see any of the other teams in the SEC West (or East for that matter) that consistently have as brutal of a schedule as we do.

[PigWig]

There's an SEC computer that generates the schedule.  The dates are determined annually, but the opponents and sites of the games are already decided for the next decade plus.

[PigWig]

Arkansas Razorbacks
2014 vs. Georgia
2015 at Tennessee
2016 vs. Florida
2017 at South Carolina
2018 vs. Vanderbilt
2019 at Kentucky
2020 vs. Tennessee
2021 at Georgia
2022 vs. South Carolina
2023 at Florida
2024 vs. Kentucky
2025 at Vanderbilt

Add these games to the normal home and home SECW slate and permanent home and home SECE opponent Mizzou, and you'll have our schedule through 2025.

[Biggus Piggus]

The conference takes team-specific requests into account. Arkansas has the problem of playing Texas A&M at a neutral site on the same weekend every year. Also had to work around the request to get an open date near the middle of the season. Finally, we were unwilling to open with an SEC road game again.

[redeye]

This may have been addressed before, but if it has I don't remember it.  Who exactly is in charge of making out our football schedule?  The reason I'm asking is the obvious - our schedule is brutal every year.  Why would we schedule two back-to-back SEC road games?  We've consistently had top three most difficult schedules in the country for the last few years.  Why do we not alternate LSU/Alabama - two of the hardest places to play, and every other year we have to play at both?  I don't see any of the other teams in the SEC West (or East for that matter) that consistently have as brutal of a schedule as we do.

SEC scheduling is difficult and especially with 14 teams.   A lot of effort goes into preserving old rivalries and games played on certain dates, so schedules aren't ideal.  That's likely why we play back-to-back SEC road games, twice.

We've played both Alabama and LSU on the road for some time.  I can't say that I like it, but it evens out when we get them both at home.  My complaint with our SEC schedule is that we always seem to play the SEC-E teams on the rise.  And, whenever they've adjusted the schedule rotation, Vandy and Kentucky always seem to end up last on our rotation, which means we've played them less then everyone else.  Having said that, Auburn's actually had the toughest rotation schedule in the West, historically, but much of that was Auburn's decision.  Arkansas would be 2nd and Alabama's rotation rivals Ole Miss and MSU as the easiest.  That's how it works if you use your rotating opponents winning percentage, anyway.

We've had one of the nation's top SOS ratings for at least 10 years and it can be proven that our SEC-E rotation has much to do with that.  Ironically, some of our easiest schedules have come in recent years, though.  According to the NCAA, our easiest schedule since 2008 was Bielema's first year, when our SOS was 27th.  The second would be 2011, when it was 25th.  We're in the top-10 in every other year and usually in the top-5.  Before 2008, we played Texas and USC-w multiple times, so I doubt that they would have rated our SOS much easier and it's worth noting that the quality of our own team has a negligible effect, despite what many believe.

[Hoggish1]

This may have been addressed before, but if it has I don't remember it.  Who exactly is in charge of making out our football schedule?  The reason I'm asking is the obvious - our schedule is brutal every year.  Why would we schedule two back-to-back SEC road games? We've consistently had top three most difficult schedules in the country for the last few years.  Why do we not alternate LSU/Alabama - two of the hardest places to play, and every other year we have to play at both?  I don't see any of the other teams in the SEC West (or East for that matter) that consistently have as brutal of a schedule as we do.

These are good questions that I've never seen answered.  I'm guessing the yearly game in JerryWorld is a big reason why we are in the mess we're in. 

Nobody else in the conference, except Florida/UGA play every year at a neutral site, but they always have their open date ahead of that game.

I believe this will be the 7th game of the 10 to be played in Dallas.  After the series, they will no doubt go back to a home and home arrangement.  Playing in TX, when they signed the series, was thought to be a plus, and it was when TAMU was in the Big whatever.

Now that they are in the SEC, it's just an additional home game for them, IMO.

I'd rather play a top OOC game in JerryWorld, when the contract with TAMU is completed.

[DeltaBoy]

These are good questions that I've never seen answered.  I'm guessing the yearly game in JerryWorld is a big reason why we are in the mess we're in. 

Nobody else in the conference, except Florida/UGA play every year at a neutral site, but they always have their open date ahead of that game.

I believe this will be the 7th game of the 10 to be played in Dallas.  After the series, they will no doubt go back to a home and home arrangement.  Playing in TX, when they signed the series, was thought to be a plus, and it was when TAMU was in the Big whatever.

Now that they are in the SEC, it's just an additional home game for them, IMO.

I'd rather play a top OOC game in JerryWorld, when the contract with TAMU is completed.

It will depend on  who much Money Jerry throws at it.

[ricepig]

These are good questions that I've never seen answered.  I'm guessing the yearly game in JerryWorld is a big reason why we are in the mess we're in. 

Nobody else in the conference, except Florida/UGA play every year at a neutral site, but they always have their open date ahead of that game.

I believe this will be the 7th game of the 10 to be played in Dallas.  After the series, they will no doubt go back to a home and home arrangement.  Playing in TX, when they signed the series, was thought to be a plus, and it was when TAMU was in the Big whatever.

Now that they are in the SEC, it's just an additional home game for them, IMO.

I'd rather play a top OOC game in JerryWorld, when the contract with TAMU is completed.

I believe we entered a new 10 year agreement for Arlington after aTm joined the conference, so this is year 3 of that. Also, Long was quoted as saying we will continue playing there for both athletic and student recruitment. Having said that, we'll know when they announce something different. lol.

[NuttinItUp]

These are good questions that I've never seen answered.  I'm guessing the yearly game in JerryWorld is a big reason why we are in the mess we're in. 

Nobody else in the conference, except Florida/UGA play every year at a neutral site, but they always have their open date ahead of that game.

I believe this will be the 7th game of the 10 to be played in Dallas.  After the series, they will no doubt go back to a home and home arrangement.  Playing in TX, when they signed the series, was thought to be a plus, and it was when TAMU was in the Big whatever.

Now that they are in the SEC, it's just an additional home game for them, IMO.

I'd rather play a top OOC game in JerryWorld, when the contract with TAMU is completed.

Current contract is for 2014-2024. (11 years/seasons: previous one was for 3 years from 2009-2011)
http://www.fbschedules.com/2012/08/arkansas-texas-am-meet-cowboys-stadium-2014-2024/

So, including this year, 10 more games/seasons in Arlington on this contract. That is assuming it isn't renewed or extended.

[buffaload]

Brutal?  We have three and a half cupcakes.  We're lucky that we're catching Texas Tech in a down turn.  Our conference schedule is tough but it's supposed to be.  It's no more difficult than the PAC 12 and probably the Big 10.  SEC is a little down, PAC 12 is a little up --- these things go in cycles.  All that being said.......WPS.  UTEP is going to suffer tomorrow.  I hope they like defending the run because they'll get a full dose.