Arkansas Classic Football Series

[rzrbackramsfan]

I don't see the harm in playing them. LSU is playing LATech in 2018. Texas schools play smaller Texas schools.

So you lose to Arkansas State once? Ok. You think it'll take away recruiting opportunities in-state any more than losing to LATech would kill your Louisiana recruiting?

For the record, I don't care if they do or not. I just don't see how it'd hurt any more than losing ULM.

Just because those schools do it doesn't make it a good idea.   I don't think we want to follow lsu's lead in anything

[oldhawg]

That's where you and I differ. If ASU and the U of A played an annual football game, I would ALWAYS be all Hogs for that game, no doubt about it, but I would still pull for ASU to win the rest of their games while continuing to be a solid Hog fan just as I always have been, first and foremost.

If I had a stronger connection to ASU --- my kids went to school there, I lived in or near Jonesboro and attended a game occasionally, I knew some of the players or their parents, I had close friends in the administration, etc. ---- I might feel the same way.  But all I have is that they are located in Arkansas in Jonesboro, a place I have never been to (only through), and that's a very tenuous bond that could be broken if head to head competition with the Razorbacks occurred.

[Hawghiggs]

This won't be a popular suggestion and while Arkansas really has nothing to gain by aquiescing to the request, I say just do it and get it over with. At first at least, WMS should be filled to the brim. Should Arkansas beat ASU like a drum for years in a row, attendance will eventually dwindle despite it being big brother vs. little brother, except in the years that ASU fans feel overly confident going into the game.

Maybe this is somewhere on the horizon with Bielema agreeing to join a camp hosted by ASU...a little demonstration of in-state brotherhood.

In any case, ASU has everything to gain and nothing to lose, the reverse being true for Arkansas. But maybe it is time to just get this done and silence the ASU fans.

That last statement simply isn't true anymore for the UofA and hasn't been for a long time. The UofA is about as high as it can be and nothing is going to change that. Even if the Razorbacks lost that game. It still will not change the fact that one plays in the SEC and the other plays in a lesser conference. It won't change recruiting. Because of the exposure to a P5 conference over a lower end G5 conference.

[Hawghiggs]

It is NOT the Hogs responsibility to increase the status of or benefit any other athletic program in the states.

  An no one has said it was. Playing A-state really should not be seen any differently than playing Tulsa, LaTech, or Utah st. Would it be fun to see a few times? Sure, for a lot of fans it would.  It even might give some of the pointless non-conference scheduled games a little more meaning. But it really isn't as big of deal as some try to make it out to be.

[ricepig]

  But it really isn't as big of deal as some try to make it out to be.

Correct, so we might as well drop the discussion.

[KlubhouseKonnected]

People who want this game are the biggest reason I am against it now. I'm glad you guys will never get what you want.

[dagnamit]

Correct, so we might as well drop the discussion.

Yep and talk about beating Bama. 

[ricepig]

Yep and talk about beating Bama. 

Correct again, that's something that has happened before, and will again, lol.

[dagnamit]

Correct again, that's something that has happened before, and will again, lol.

You would think so ...... I just need to know when so I can cash out in Vegas.

[ricepig]

You would think so ...... I just need to know when so I can cash out in Vegas.

Well, just tell the year Saban retires, haha.

[(notOM)Rebel123]

  An no one has said it was. Playing A-state really should not be seen any differently than playing Tulsa, LaTech, or Utah st. Would it be fun to see a few times? Sure, for a lot of fans it would.  It even might give some of the pointless non-conference scheduled games a little more meaning. But it really isn't as big of deal as some try to make it out to be.

But yet, you seem hell-bent in making it out to be a big deal.

[dagnamit]

But yet, you seem hell-bent in making it out to be a big deal.

Probably a better chance of seeing CBB and Saban in a mud wresting match than ASU - U of A during my lifetime. I graduated from ASU and heck I don't care if they play each other or not. I really don't see the advantage for ASU of playing the Hogs or vice versa.

[(notOM)Rebel123]

Probably a better chance of seeing CBB and Saban in a mud wresting match than ASU - U of A during my lifetime. I graduated from ASU and heck I don't care if they play each other or not. I really don't see the advantage for ASU of playing the Hogs or vice versa.

Ahhhh....a voice of reason. Why is it so improtant that the two schools play?

[dagnamit]

Ahhhh....a voice of reason. Why is it so improtant that the two schools play?

It is definitely not improtant.

[(notOM)Rebel123]

It is definitely not improtant.

Ha! It's not important either. 

[dagnamit]

Ha! It's not important either. 

exactly

[Inhogswetrust]

  An no one has said it was. Playing A-state really should not be seen any differently than playing Tulsa, LaTech, or Utah st. Would it be fun to see a few times? Sure, for a lot of fans it would.  It even might give some of the pointless non-conference scheduled games a little more meaning. But it really isn't as big of deal as some try to make it out to be.

Not ONCE have I heard any other school begging to play the Hogs like a toddler in the grocery store checkout line wanting candy..............they've done that so much for so long I say screw em. And your point about the benefits is wrong. There still is no benefit for the Hogs. And IF it isn't a big deal then WHY do you and others keep bringing it up. That smacks of hypocrisy.

[GuvHog]

But yet, you seem hell-bent in making it out to be a big deal.

That depends on the point of view. To ASU fans, it would indeed be a BIG deal. To Razorback fans, not at all.

[GuvHog]

That last statement simply isn't true anymore for the UofA and hasn't been for a long time. The UofA is about as high as it can be and nothing is going to change that. Even if the Razorbacks lost that game. It still will not change the fact that one plays in the SEC and the other plays in a lesser conference. It won't change recruiting. Because of the exposure to a P5 conference over a lower end G5 conference.

The only thing the Hogs have to lose by playing that game is money.

[GuvHog]

If I had a stronger connection to ASU --- my kids went to school there, I lived in or near Jonesboro and attended a game occasionally, I knew some of the players or their parents, I had close friends in the administration, etc. ---- I might feel the same way.  But all I have is that they are located in Arkansas in Jonesboro, a place I have never been to (only through), and that's a very tenuous bond that could be broken if head to head competition with the Razorbacks occurred.

I can certainly understand that. My family is originally from NEA, my parents, my siblings, and I were all born up there. We've always however, been Hog fans far more than we've been ASU fans but we still pull for them when they play.

[(notOM)Rebel123]

That depends on the point of view. To ASU fans, it would indeed be a BIG deal. To Razorback fans, not at all.

That's exactly my point. But to many ASU fans (the realistic ones), they know they can have a very successful program without the help of the UofA.
I too, grew up in NEA & have close family in J'boro & surrounding towns. So I understand the mindset of many in NEA.

[26.2Hog]

Not ONCE have I heard any other school begging to play the Hogs like a toddler in the grocery store checkout line wanting candy.

Great description of the ASU-J  people wanting the University of Arkansas to fund them a welfare check.

[Swine-as-wine]

I just read an article if Arkansas played ASU and had a thought. Wouldn't be nice to have a Arkansas Football Classic Series. It would be held on the first two weekends of the season in Little Rock. The perennial teams would be Arkansas, ASU, and UCA. An at-large team like UAM, HSU, etc. would be rotated in. The teams would be seeded with the 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3 on the first weekend and the second weekend would be the championship game. It would be a good way to keep the money in the state and help the state schools and also be good be for Little Rock businesses. I think it is ridiculous that Arkansas will not play the other state schools, but pay and play schools like UTEP.

Hell yea! Then.....every other year, they could rotate in another old AIC school. Who knows......with THAT much money, even
College of the Ozarks....errrrrrr......University of the Ozarks.......might bring back their 50 year dead football program  to get
in on the action. Before long........maybe a handful of years or so.......they could bring the bracket up to 8 teams over a month!
The NCAA would have an eagle eye on the "Arkansas Classic Football Series", and after seeing how smoothly it all had gone,
they naturally would expand the National Championship Playoffs to 8 teams, and we'd get all the credit! Man oh man! I can
hardly wait............NOT!

First off.........take that damn UCA/ASU t-shirt off before you make a post at Hogville next time. Second.........as chitty as
teams like UTEP and others may be, whom we play as warm up games prior to the start of conference play, they're in all
likelihood, better than any of the other state teams. And if not.......it doesn't matter. Losing to a team like Louisiana Monroe,
UTEP, etc etc........as mind/heart crushingly terrible as it can be........would be nothing more than a pimple on a gnats ass
compared to a loss to ASU/UCA/UAM .......whoever........any instate school.

It isn't an insult to any of these schools, that we refuse to play them. If any of them are ever able to compete with us on
the gridiron, then our entire program will need to be reworked. Teams with the type of money and facilities that we have
at UA, should never, EVER lose to teams such as these.

[sw403]

You make it sound like fear when you say "would be nothing like a pimple on a gnats butt compared to a loss to ASU,UCA,UAM.  As a Hog fan, I have never been afraid to play anyone.  There isn't a game out there that would destroy the program if we lost to them. 

[GuvHog]

You make it sound like fear when you say "would be nothing like a pimple on a gnats butt compared to a loss to ASU,UCA,UAM.  As a Hog fan, I have never been afraid to play anyone.  There isn't a game out there that would destroy the program if we lost to them. 

There are a number of Hog fans that have that irrational fear and the irrational belief that losing to an instate program would hurt the U of A football program. Nothing could be further from the truth.

[Nashville Fan]

I would pay to see AR to play ASU in the second scrimmage of the spring practice or for one half as a summer scrimmage. Other than that it doesn't make sense.

[KlubhouseKonnected]

There are a number of Hog fans that have that irrational fear and the irrational belief that losing to an instate program would hurt the U of A football program. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I could think of somethings further from the truth.

[Rzbakfromwaybak]

Gee.....why don't we just drop out of the SEC, so we can play all the instate schools every year ??   Form a new conference. Instead of shooting for the small title of  ..."National Champion"...we would reach for the stars & try to be..."State Champions".  Maybe for a "state bowl game", every year, we could have the state champion college team....challenging the #1 high school team in the state ?