Is UA playing Texas annually in Dallas a good idea?
The prospect of
Arkansas and Texas playing
a home-and-home football series in 2008 and 2009 should be exciting to all Razorback fans. While Texas has dominated the series, 55-21, there is no other opponent that riles up Razorback fans as much as the Longhorns.
The Razorbacks and their fans have never experienced a setting as electric as the one before the 2004 showdown at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
A record crowd of 75,671 turned out for the contest and though the Hogs fell, 22-20, it was a fantastic football game, and a night few who attended will ever forget.
Personally, I believe the Horns and Hogs should play a home-and-home series from now until infinity if possible.
However, the leaked word that Arkansas and Texas have had discussions about playing annually in Dallas should the Red River rivalry between the Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners morph into a home-andhome series should not necessarily provoke a shout of "Sooie" for Hog fans.
Arkansas should certainly look long and hard before it leaps into such a setup because it might just land in a Texas-sized cow pile.
Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy a weekend getaway to Dallas as much as anyone, but why give away a home game every other year just for the right to play the Tea- sippers?
Yes, I understand the importance of Arkansas mining Texas’ fertile football recruiting grounds and I understand that Big D is as rich in gridiron talent as it once was in oil.
However, I believe the Razorbacks would get just as much bang for their buck by playing Texas in Austin as they would in the not-soneutral site of Dallas.
The Longhorns are a substantial story to news organizations in Dallas no matter whom and no matter where they play because the preponderance of Texas alumni who live in the area.
The Dallas Morning News is going to cover Texas and its opponent the same way no matter where the game is played. The same is true of the TV stations in the Metroplex.
If the Hogs are playing Texas, they will get the same media exposure in the Lone Star State no matter if the game is in Dallas or Austin.
And you can bet on this, no matter where the game is played, the Dallas Cowboys will be the lead story on Sunday, anyway.
So the media coverage would be a wash.
As for recruiting at the game, there would be an advantage to playing in Dallas.
Every other season, the Razorbacks would be designated as the home team, and if they choose to, they could invite recruits to the game.
It would certainly be easier to get recruits from Texas to attend a game in Dallas rather than Arkansas.
However, under current NCAA regulations, a school can only invite recruits to an off-campus game once a season.
If the Razorbacks decided to invite recruits to the Texas game, they would not be able to host recruits in Little Rock that season.
Also, while I understand the concept of a neutral site and realize the tickets would be split 50/50, it’s hard for me to think of a football game played in the heart of Texas as a home game for the Hogs.
While Dallas is home to a large contingent of Razorback fans, they are outnumbered by Longhorns like Crockett, Bowie and Travis were by Mexican troops at the Alamo.
Obviously, Hog fans still have an affinity for Dallas. Being the home of the Cotton Bowl and many Southwest Conference Tournaments, Razorback fans have always associated success with the city.
That’s a hard habit to break. Plus, the people in Dallas are so hospitable to Hog fans.
But, that brings up another key reason why the Hogs playing a home game in Dallas might not be the best idea.
Why are the service industries in Dallas so happy to see Hog fans?
One reason — money.
Dallas wants those tourist dollars, but if that money can stay home in Arkansas, I think it should.
Ask any business owner in town what a Razorback home game does for his bottom line.
And finally, if Arkansas is to give up a home game every other year, which city will lose out — Little Rock or Fayetteville?
Well, initially Fayetteville would.
The Hogs are contractually bound to play at least two games in War Memorial Stadium for the duration of the 15-year deal signed late in 2000, but once the contract is up all bets are off.
Many believe all the home games will be moved to Fayetteville at that point if War Memorial Stadium is not expanded or another stadium built.
Hog fans probably shouldn’t worry too much about all this though.
Some feel the talk about an annual UA-UT game in Dallas is being used by Texas as a bargaining chip against OU, which would rather switch to a homeand-home affair with UT.
The Longhorns know they have a good thing going, playing their biggest rival in their home state each year.
Texas doesn’t want to lose that advantage if it can keep from it.
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