Tyson Foods, Walmart land spots on the Razorback football field

For Hog fans in Arkansas yet unfamiliar with two of the state’s largest publicly-held companies, good news. The logos of Bentonville-based Walmart and Springdale-based Tyson Foods will be on the football field Saturday for the Razorbacks’ third game of the year.

According to the University of Arkansas Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, the “landmark sponsorship extension” with Tyson Foods and Walmart will include the company logos on each of the 25-yard lines of Frank Broyles Field at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium starting Sept. 14 for the game against the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

“The enhanced partnerships make Arkansas one of the first college athletics programs to feature on-field logos during home football games. The agreement underscores Arkansas’ long-standing partnerships with Walmart and Tyson Foods and provides them with an exciting platform to engage Razorback fans,” noted the UA press release.

According to the UA, the sponsorship extension, the two companies will “gain extensive visibility through their logo’s placement on the field,” and with television coverage and with “exposure on social media platforms.” The sponsorship also provides Tyson Foods and Walmart what the university is describing as “exclusive sponsorship activations, events, promotions, and content collaboration with student-athletes.”

“Walmart is proud to be a longtime supporter of our hometown teams at the University of Arkansas and of programs that give students opportunities to compete at the highest levels of academics, business and sports,” Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said in the statement.

“At Tyson Foods, we are deeply committed to supporting students, student-athletes, college sports, and our local communities. By investing in college education and athletic programs, we aim to foster growth and talent, ensuring a brighter future for the next generation,” Tyson Foods Board Chairman John Tyson said in the statement.

The Razorbacks enter Saturday, the first game of the year to be played in Fayetteville, with a 1-1 record.

Talk Business & Politics has asked the UA about the sponsorship amount related to the logo placement.