Big Acts Now a Rarity on Campus

Over the last decade, the University of Arkansas upgraded its athletic facilities to compete with the big-time programs across the country. However, that translates into fewer big-time concerts performing on campus.

Walton Arena is used almost exclusively for basketball and Wal-Mart’s annual shareholder’s meeting. Barnhill Arena is usually booked for women’s athletics.

There was a time when groups such as The Doobie Brothers, ZZ Top, Commodores, Willie Nelson, Frank Zappa, James Taylor, and Crosby, Stills and Nash plugged their amps in often at Barnhill Arena. Any given semester at the UA from the mid 1970’s through the 80’s would allow students and area residents to watch Heart, Chicago, REO Speedwagon, Kansas, Marshall Tucker, Molly Hatchett, Cheap Trick, Charlie Daniels, Alabama, Blue Oyster Cult, George Strait and even Bob Hope. There would be as many as six to eight national acts per school year playing at the UA.

Lately, the UA has been unable to bring in as many national acts. And as long as Barnhill is the only option for the big-name acts to play at the UA, don’t expect their tour buses to stop in Fayetteville.

Aside from such acts as Reba McEntire and Britney Spears performing for Wal-Mart’s shareholders, Walton Arena has been off-limits to concerts.

Katie Hill, senior associate athletic director at the UA, said it would take an extraordinary event to set a new precedent.

“We certainly haven’t been aggressive in seeking anything,” Hill said. “We are hesitant in using the facility because of our need to make money off it when we do use it. We’re still paying on our debt [at Walton]. If we ever do anything there it would be with a full economic benefit”

She said Wal-Mart is different, “First of all, they are very big benefactors. And they are singular in their support of us.”

Hill said asset protection on the facility, particularly its padded chairs, would be a big concern. Ironically, UA Athletic Director Frank Broyles came very close to allowing Walton to be used for a World Wrestling Federation event.

Brian Johnson assistant director for student involvement at the UA, said the success of of the other women’s athletic programs have also made Barnhill a tough place to use for concerts.

“If the volleyball team is in town, they’re practicing,” Johnson said. “[Barnhill] dates available for the fall semester I can usually count on one hand.”

But Johnson said other issues are keeping big-name acts out of town.

“The concert industry itself is changing,” Johnson said. “There aren’t as many acts out there touring in our price range. You can’t bring in the Britney Spears and ‘N Syncs of the world.”

Johnson added that in the past concert promoters took the financial risk. Today, University Programs doesn’t consider bringing in a group until it projects ticket sales to cover the act’s costs. The financial criteria for a concert is for the concert to break even.

UA Programs looks for groups ranging anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000.

Another change in the last decade has been what’s hot and what’s not in the Northwest Arkansas market.

“There was a time when all you could get here was country,” Johnson said. “But the last country show here was in the fall of ’97. And of the last six country shows, probably only one walked out of here with money and that was George Strait in ’95.”