Pittman on playing Arkansas State outside of Fayetteville in future: 'Not real interested'

On3 image — Arkansas head football coach Sam Pittman at 2025 SEC Media Days. (Photo by Kyle Sutherland)

It was expected that Arkansas head football coach Sam Pittman would be asked about the historic, and long-awaited for some, in-state showdown between his Razorbacks and Arkansas State when he took the podium at SEC Media Days on Thursday.

It has been a hot topic of debate between the cross-state programs for generations dating all the way back to when John Barnhill implemented a policy in the mid-1940s of not playing against in-state opposition because of, at least in his mind, the division it would cause both in finances and fanbases. Well, the game will come to fruition for the first, and possibly last, time on September 6 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.

Whether or not Little Rock games for the Hogs will continue past 2025, Pittman is strongly against playing future matchups away from Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

“No… no, no,” Pittman adamantly said with a smile when asked if future games between the Hogs and Red Wolves would be played in Little Rock or Jonesboro. “I want to play them in Fayetteville. That’s what I want to do and you asked me what I want.

“If we are going to play Arkansas State I want to play them at home. Right now, under contract, we are in our last year at Little Rock and whatever the Governor decides then that is what she decides. It would have to be there (Jonesboro) or here (Fayetteville) and I am not real interested in going over there (Jonesboro) and playing.”

Frank Broyles staunchly upheld Barnhill’s policy of not competing against in-state competition during his run as Athletic Director at Arkansas from 1974-2007 and his worst nightmare – though not on the gridiron – nearly came true on March 13, 1987 in Arkansas’ home arena named after Barnhill.

The Hogs were matched up against the then-Indians, now Red Wolves, for a first round matchup in the National Invitational Tournament. Second-year Arkansas head coach Nolan Richardson had compiled a sub-.500 record and his seat was getting warmer and a loss to the “little brother”, as some Hog fans refer to Arkansas State, would almost certainly end the tenure of the man who eventually led the program to its only national championship seven years later.

After overcoming a second half 21-point deficit, the Hardwood Hogs prevailed 67-64 in overtime before their season came to an end in the next round against Nebraska.

Since Broyles’ passing in 2017, the only ‘Big Three’ sport in which the Hogs and Red Wolves have faced one another is baseball, which have played five times: 2021, twice in 2022 and once each of the past two seasons. Arkansas outscored them by a commanding 48-11 in those contests.

2021 was the first season the two teams squared off on the baseball diamond, and earlier that year in February is when the Arkansas-Arkansas State football showdown was officially announced.

As far as the Razorbacks are concerned, this game could be the beginning of a tone-setter, whether negative or positive, as it comes before their SEC opener on the road at Ole Miss, followed by another cross-state trip across the Mississippi River to Memphis after that before they host defending national runner-up Notre Dame.

For Pittman, he is in a very similar situation to the March 1987 version of Richardson in terms of having a win-loss record teetering around .500 (currently 30-31 in five seasons, including 14-28 in the SEC) and under some heavy pressure from the fanbase.

After waiting a lifetime and beyond for some – including the four and a half years since it was officially official – the Hogs and Red Wolves will meet halfway in the heart of the state during the first week of September with kickoff set for 4 p.m. CT at War Memorial Stadium.