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Sam Pittman explains why he chose to schedule Arkansas State

Barkley-Truaxby: Barkley Truax3 hours agoBarkleyTruax
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Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman during the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Arkansas won 19-14. Mandatory [Photo Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images]

Much debate has been made over how teams should schedule their non-conference slates in the 12-team College Football Playoff era. However, some scheduling decisions are made to benefit the fanbases of each program.

This is the case for Arkansas‘ Week 2 matchup against Arkansas State in Little Rock. A first-time meeting between two in-state football programs, Razorbacks head coach Sam Pittman was happy to have it added it on the schedule.

“I was asked my first year here if we’d like for you to play Arkansas State in 2025, in Little Rock,” Pittman told reporters. “And to be honest with you, I had just the gotten a job here, and hell, I’d have played anybody. I was head coach at Arkansas, and then it was six years away, and I’m like, ‘Well, if I’m still here it’d be okay.’

“… I was asked, I said, ‘Absolutely, that’d be good. And to be honest with you, a lot of the decisions made are for the state of Arkansas. I know we let them down at times and I know what times will make them happy. But I thought it would be good for the state if that happened.”

The first-time meeting between the two programs will be an opportunity to begin a new in-state rivalry between the two programs. With a potential shift in college football’s scheduling priorities on the horizon, including a nine-game SEC schedule beginning in 2026, it may not be annual but something for both programs to return to celebrate the state down the line.

At the same time, Arkansas State has had success over the last decade and change. Butch Jones is now in his fifth season as the program’s head coach and has improved the Red Wolves in every year since becoming head coach. Jones wasn’t even with the program when the game was scheduled — Blake Anderson was the coach at the time.

“But most scheduling things are so far in advance,” Pittman said. “You don’t really know if you’re scheduling this team at this time, they may be — especially now in the NIL era, revenue-sharing era — they may have changed totally.”

Saturday’s Week 2 matchup is set for a 5 p.m. ET kickoff and will air on ESPN+. The Razorbacks are 23.5-point betting favorites over the Red Wolves after defeating Alabama A&M 52-7 during Week 1, according to BetMGM. The over/under is set at 62.5 points.