2018 Little Rock Game is OLE MISS

[The_Iceman]

Arkansas will travel to face Ole Miss on the road in 2018.

[ricepig]

http://www.arkansasrazorbacks.com/hogs-to-host-rebels-at-wms-in-2018/

[The_Iceman]

HOME games for Arkansas in 2018 will now be:

Eastern Illinois
North Texas
Alabama
Tulsa
Vanderbilt
LSU

Two good games and four bad games in the grand opening year of the newly renovated RAZORBACK STADIUM.

[_Hamlet_]

This pissses me off. Hosting games like this in LR is where the Athletic Dept will lose most of their money. 30K fans v. 60-70K fans. Money matters.

[_Hamlet_]

HOME games for Arkansas in 2018 will now be:

Eastern Illinois
North Texas
Alabama
Tulsa
Vanderbilt
LSU

Two good games and four bad games in the grand opening year of the newly renovated RAZORBACK STADIUM.

I think I'll wait another year to buy those seats.

[HF#1]

Interesting that it is a conference game. Swan Song or start of a renewed commitment?

[Hog Pharm]

HOME games for Arkansas in 2018 will now be:

Eastern Illinois
North Texas
Alabama
Tulsa
Vanderbilt
LSU

Two good games and four bad games in the grand opening year of the newly renovated RAZORBACK STADIUM.

Not sure I would classify Ole Miss as a good game and Vandy as bad next year.

[ricepig]

Interesting that it is a conference game. Swan Song or start of a renewed commitment?

Contract stipulated that it be a conference game, most had assumed it would be Vandy.

[The_Iceman]

Interesting that it is a conference game. Swan Song or start of a renewed commitment?

If the LR crowd whines and get their one game a year, then they should give Little Rock the Mizzou game every other year, and then a crap non conference game the other year.

[bphi11ips]

Arkansas will travel to face Ole Miss on the road in 2018.

This is an obnoxious post. 

This pissses me off. Hosting games like this in LR is where the Athletic Dept will lose most of their money. 30K fans v. 60-70K fans. Money matters.

If Arkansas plays with pride and emotion next year, and it most likely will, the Ole Miss game in Little Rock is likely to sell out.

[Cotton]

If the LR crowd whines and get their one game a year, then they should give Little Rock the Mizzou game every other year, and then a crap non conference game the other year.

Mizzou every other year is the only game I'd be okay with doing that, solely because all the students are usually still gone on Thanksgiving.

[The_Iceman]

Mizzou every other year is the only game I'd be okay with doing that, solely because all the students are usually still gone on Thanksgiving.

Yeah, and it will make the annoying Mizzou fans travel 3 hours further for the game.

[hobhog]

If the LR crowd whines and get their one game a year, then they should give Little Rock the Mizzou game every other year, and then a crap non conference game the other year.

You hate WMS, Little Rock, and everything south of NWA. We get it. Why be so divisive? Who did you so wrong to be so bitter?

Regardless- I think Ole Miss will be a fitting last game in WMS. New coach and excited fanbase should mean packed house to say goodbye.

[WoooPigBrewie]

After 2018, it will be interesting to see what the SEC does in this area.

The conference opponent must agree to play us in WMS.

Imagine if the SEC just says, "nah, you don't have to agree to play there, we wouldn't."

Assuming the contract is excited, which it appears it will be, it could get dicey.

[FrankCourtneyNicodemus]

ICEMAN

Do you whine this much in real life?

[Tusks]

I think playing one game a year in LR is appropriate but don't make it a conference game and do better than sisters cousin of the poor.

[The_Iceman]

You hate WMS, Little Rock, and everything south of NWA. We get it. Why be so divisive? Who did you so wrong to be so bitter?

Regardless- I think Ole Miss will be a fitting last game in WMS. New coach and excited fanbase should mean packed house to say goodbye.

Some of my fondest memories are traveling to little rock to watch the Hogs with my dad, especially the miracles of markham and the 2010 LSU game.

However, I am also reasonable enough to know when something has run it's course. Back when Razorback Stadium was 45k people, playing 3 or 4 games in LR made perfect sense. While Razorback Stadium has expanded, renovated, and upgraded...WMS has become a dump.

With I-49 making the trip easy, the expansion of RRS, and the decay of WMS...why give up a valuable game in our HOME stadium?

[ShadowTheHedgehog]

I still say play TAMU in LR, it's already not a true home game. Nothing lost in NWA, but it will make the central/southern fans happy.

I do however get while we played LSU in LR for so long. Having been to a Death Valley I can understand that LSU is the only team that cones to WMS and is like "sheeet look at these top notch fancy pants facilities".

[Hog Pharm]

I think playing one game a year in LR is appropriate but don't make it a conference game and do better than sisters cousin of the poor.

Like Toledo?

[The_Iceman]

Like Toledo?

UL-Monroe?

[hobhog]

Some of my fondest memories are traveling to little rock to watch the Hogs with my dad, especially the miracles of markham and the 2010 LSU game.

However, I am also reasonable enough to know when something has run it's course. Back when Razorback Stadium was 45k people, playing 3 or 4 games in LR made perfect sense. While Razorback Stadium has expanded, renovated, and upgraded...WMS has become a dump.

With I-49 making the trip easy, the expansion of RRS, and the decay of WMS...why give up a valuable game in our HOME stadium?

Fine. Doesn't explain the bitterness.....

[ricepig]

This is an obnoxious post. 

If Arkansas plays with pride and emotion next year, and it most likely will, the Ole Miss game in Little Rock is likely to sell out.

It's still a $4.7m loss.


UA officials have determined the average per-game net revenue at Razorback Stadium is $7.4 million, double that of War Memorial's $3.7 million, and that the difference in net revenue for 2018 and beyond is projected to rise to $4.7 million per game.

[jgphillips3]

Let the bitching begin...

http://www.wholehogsports.com/news/2017/nov/22/arkansas-host-ole-miss-war-memorial-2018/

[tasteslikechicken]

Arkansas will travel to face Ole Miss on the road in 2018.

This is the same attitude CBB had and in my opinion exactly why CBB's teams laid eggs there so often. Houston made it an opportunity and Bret made it a problem. 

[Hollywood870]

Good. WPS

[Wildhog]

This is part of the coup.

[ricepig]

This is part of the coup.

As long as they payoff the stadium bonds, no problem.

[Ex-Trumpet]

Ole Miss game in WMS will sell out. 

Now, will it be mostly Hogs or Rebs?  Hard to tell at this point.

[IronHog]

Arkansas will travel to face Ole Miss on the road in 2018.

Send the 150 million back

[ricepig]

Ole Miss game in WMS will sell out. 

Now, will it be mostly Hogs or Rebs?  Hard to tell at this point.

Depends on the start time, and are you referring to the Reb fans in LR and East Arkansas?

[ricepig]

Send the 150 million back

What $150m are you referring to?

[Cotton]

It's still a $4.7m loss.


UA officials have determined the average per-game net revenue at Razorback Stadium is $7.4 million, double that of War Memorial's $3.7 million, and that the difference in net revenue for 2018 and beyond is projected to rise to $4.7 million per game.

THIS ^^^^

[AirWarren]

This pissses me off. Hosting games like this in LR is where the Athletic Dept will lose most of their money. 30K fans v. 60-70K fans. Money matters.

Booooo freaking hoooo nwa tit bag.


Fayetteville really showing up these days aren't they?

Uam has more in attendance than you clowns up there.

[AirWarren]

This is the same attitude CBB had and in my opinion exactly why CBB's teams laid eggs there so often. Houston made it an opportunity and Bret made it a problem.

Yup, embrace it.

[hawganatic]

This is the same attitude CBB had and in my opinion exactly why CBB's teams laid eggs there so often. Houston made it an opportunity and Bret made it a problem.

This....

CBB intentionally gave up a win every year to prove a point.  If the head of the team acts like he doesn't want to be there, that attitude is going to trickle down and infest the rest of the team, and they aren't going to play well.

And also a big reason why there has been no excitement around these games the last few years.  Why are people going to show up and support a coach that made it clear he didn't want to play there?  Put a coach in place that understands this, at least pretends to want to play there, and the crowds will go back to what they were before.

[Karma]

Some of my fondest memories are traveling to little rock to watch the Hogs with my dad, especially the miracles of markham and the 2010 LSU game.

However, I am also reasonable enough to know when something has run it's course. Back when Razorback Stadium was 45k people, playing 3 or 4 games in LR made perfect sense. While Razorback Stadium has expanded, renovated, and upgraded...WMS has become a dump.

With I-49 making the trip easy, the expansion of RRS, and the decay of WMS...why give up a valuable game in our HOME stadium?

If you paid the millions of dollars to buy out Bielema, long, the assistants and hire the new coach, you could decide that. But you didn't, so the people that did make this decision.

There are consequences to the coup that happened. This is one of them.

[lakecityhog]

Guys, The University of Arkansas is NOT hurting for money! The extra revenue would be nice, but the goodwill more than compensates.

This is a part of understanding ARKANSAS! For nearly 50 years Little Rock and the central/southern areas of the state supported the HOGS when NWA simply could not. 1 game, a good game, will NEVER truly repay the south half of Arkansas for their help in making the HOGS what they are today.

But, you millennials keep complaining/whining about how much of an inconvenience a game in Little Rock is for YOU! I mean after all, EVERYTHING is about YOU!

Just so you know, I am from Northeast Arkansas and getting to go to ANY game has always been special for me. I have been to games in Little Rock, Fayetteville, Memphis, Oxford and Starkville and that has been over a 30 year span. I have never been financially able to go as much as I would like so maybe from some points of view I should have no say in anything. Being unable to spend the kind of money that some of you spend has NEVER dulled my love of the HOGS and I hope that it never does.

[Hollywood870]

If you paid the millions of dollars to buy out Bielema, long, the assistants and hire the new coach, you could decide that. But you didn't, so the people that did make this decision.

There are consequences to the coup that happened. This is one of them.

Consequences, or good things starting to happen?

[Hugo Bezdek]

It's still a $4.7m loss.


UA officials have determined the average per-game net revenue at Razorback Stadium is $7.4 million, double that of War Memorial's $3.7 million, and that the difference in net revenue for 2018 and beyond is projected to rise to $4.7 million per game.

This is why I think an annual game against ASU is likely. Financially we're not going to pull SEC games out of Fayetteville after this contract expires. Politically, the new administration will want to keep a presence in Little Rock. You're never going to draw a crowd for Florida A&M or Louisiana-Monroe, but ASU would be a guaranteed sellout. I'm sure a more favorable contract will be negotiated with WMS for those games to narrow the gap, but this will be the price we pay to keep a game in Little Rock. Tax payers will bear the cost of upgrading WMS and Stephens will make a handy profit from the bonds. We'll probably see the Red-White game there each spring too.

[DoctorSusscrofa]

If the LR crowd whines and get their one game a year, then they should give Little Rock the Mizzou game every other year, and then a crap non conference game the other year.

Typical whiny, snot-nosed response.

[NaturalStateReb]

I approve, since it suits my personal convenience.  lol

[007 License To Squeal]

"but the contract between the two parties stipulated Arkansas must play an SEC opponent there next year."

That being the case, Ole Miss is a good choice.

[ricepig]

This is why I think an annual game against ASU is likely. Financially we're not going to pull SEC games out of Fayetteville after this contract expires. Politically, the new administration will want to keep a presence in Little Rock. You're never going to draw a crowd for Florida A&M or Louisiana-Monroe, but ASU would be a guaranteed sellout. I'm sure a more favorable contract will be negotiated with WMS for those games to narrow the gap, but this will be the price we pay to keep a game in Little Rock. Tax payers will bear the cost of upgrading WMS and Stephens will make a handy profit from the bonds. We'll probably see the Red-White game there each spring too.

So, are you going to split the tickets with ASU, thus keeping even more fans from attending an Arkansas "home" game?

[greasy_corner]

Ole Miss game in WMS will sell out. 

Now, will it be mostly Hogs or Rebs?  Hard to tell at this point.

Same distance for both teams to travel to an away game...should be 50/50. 

[007 License To Squeal]

You hate WMS, Little Rock, and everything south of NWA. We get it. Why be so divisive? Who did you so wrong to be so bitter?

Regardless- I think Ole Miss will be a fitting last game in WMS. New coach and excited fanbase should mean packed house to say goodbye.

"but the contract between the two parties stipulated Arkansas must play an SEC opponent there next year."

I agree.  Ole Miss is a good choice.

[NaturalStateReb]

"but the contract between the two parties stipulated Arkansas must play an SEC opponent there next year."

I agree.  Ole Miss is a good choice.

The series has considerable history at War Memorial, and it splits the difference on travel between the two schools.  It'll sell out in Little Rock, while this game might struggle to sell out in Fayetteville if both teams are bad under new coaches.

[Großer Kriegschwein]

The series has considerable history at War Memorial, and it splits the difference on travel between the two schools.  It'll sell out in Little Rock, while this game might struggle to sell out in Fayetteville if both teams are bad under new coaches.

Yep. Historical game at WMS.

[Athog]

This pissses me off. Hosting games like this in LR is where the Athletic Dept will lose most of their money. 30K fans v. 60-70K fans. Money matters.

I think it will cost season tickets. Why would want to play a conf game in that dump???

[311Hog]

HOME games for Arkansas in 2018 will now be:

Eastern Illinois
North Texas
Alabama
Tulsa
Vanderbilt
LSU

Two good games and four bad games in the grand opening year of the newly renovated RAZORBACK STADIUM.

two BEST games at least

[Hugo Bezdek]

So, are you going to split the tickets with ASU, thus keeping even more fans from attending an Arkansas "home" game?

First, I'm not saying this is what I want, I think this is what will happen. I think Stephens throwing their weight around means we keep games in WMS. Nothing says we have to split the tickets evenly with ASU. We can pay them the going rate for Sunbelt schools, but it would need to be a home game for UA.