Hogs reduce games in Little Rock, announce 2014 schedule

The University of Arkansas will reduce from two to one the number of Razorback football games played in Little Rock beginning in 2014, with the change including a payment of $400,000 annually from the university to the War Memorial Stadium Commission.

A schedule for 2014 Razorback football games was also released on Tuesday (Nov. 26).

Reducing the number of games in Little Rock was part of an amended agreement between the UA and the commission.

“As part of the amended agreement, the University of Arkansas will pay War Memorial Stadium $400,000 annually in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The amount is designed to help offset projected revenue from games previously scheduled for those seasons as well as to help satisfy debt incurred on the stadium’s recent renovation project,” noted a UA statement issued Tuesday.

Also, the agreement discontinues a rental fee paid by the university for games in the stadium during the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

“I am appreciative of Chairman Kevin Crass and the members of the War Memorial Stadium Commission for working in partnership with the University of Arkansas to come to an agreement that extends our commitment for two additional years while allowing us to address future scheduling challenges,” Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long said in the statement. “The new agreement will put the University of Arkansas in a better position to respond to scheduling challenges. Our partnership enabled us to work together to reach a mutually beneficial arrangement that provides the Commission with the financial resources it had anticipated to pay off the remaining debt for their recent renovation of the stadium. With this amendment, we have addressed those priorities and extended our agreement two years through 2018.”

Crass said the commission was able to help work through a scheduling problem to ensure games would continue to be played in Little Rock.

“We are pleased that we have come to an agreement that will ensure that the University of Arkansas will continue to play football games at War Memorial Stadium through 2018,” War Memorial Stadium Commission Chairman Kevin Crass said. “Recently, we learned that the University had a need to solve a scheduling problem and we had a desire to extend the contract beyond 2016. As partners, we were able to come to a result that helps both the Razorbacks and War Memorial Stadium.”

The 2014 season will see six games played in Fayetteville, including home field matchups with SEC powerhouses Alabama and LSU. (See schedule below.)

After opening the season Aug. 30 at Auburn, the Razorbacks begin the home portion of their schedule the next week by hosting Nicholls State in Fayetteville on Sept. 6. Arkansas is playing Nicholls State for the first time in program history. Arkansas then hosts Northern Illinois in Fayetteville on Sept. 20. The teams have met once previously, an Arkansas victory in Fayetteville in 1994.
 
Arkansas begins a stretch of three straight home games by facing Alabama on Oct. 11 in Fayetteville. The next week, Oct. 18, the Razorbacks will be in Little Rock to host Georgia inside War Memorial Stadium. With the selection, the Bulldogs will become the 10th different SEC team the Razorbacks have hosted in Little Rock since Arkansas joined the SEC for the 1992 football season.
 
Arkansas returns to Fayetteville Oct. 25 to play UAB, coached by former Arkansas offensive coordinator Garrick McGee, for the first time in program history. The Razorbacks host LSU on Nov. 15 in the Battle for the Golden Boot and Ole Miss on Nov. 22 in Fayetteville to wrap up the home portion of the schedule.

The season closes out in Columbia, Mo., against SEC opponent the Missouri Tigers.