FAYETTEVILLE - The Southeastern Conference is close to finalizing its 2012 football schedule, but it won’t be released before Christmas.
Arkansas is awaiting the league schedule before it can schedule a nonconference opponent to replace Texas A&M, which will move into the SEC along with Missouri next season.
UA athletics director Jeff Long told reporters Tuesday he had spoken to at least 30 teams about the possibility of playing the Razorbacks in 2012, including at least three “big-name” possibilities.
Long said he is hopeful Arkansas can finalize another nonconference opponent shortly after the SEC schedule is released, though there are several factors in play.
Among them, Arkansas is unsure if it will continue to play Texas A&M at Cowboys Stadium, where the schools have an agreement to play a nonconference game through 2018. Bobby Petrino said last week he is hopeful the game will remain at a neutral site, though Texas A&M would like to end that agreement.
If the game remains in Arlington, Texas, the Razorbacks would attempt to schedule a marquee home-and-home series in nonconference. If the now-conference series with the Aggies moves to the schools’ campuses, Arkansas might attempt to find another opponent to play at Cowboys Stadium.
At least one nonconference opponent is known for 2012. Arkansas will host Tulsa on Nov. 3 in Fayetteville, according to the Golden Hurricane’s official schedule, which was released last month.
Though not finalized, each school is expected to play eight games as part of the SEC schedule, which should include every division opponent. Texas A&M will compete in the SEC West, while Missouri will compete in the SEC East.
Long said Tuesday he anticipates the Razorbacks will continue to play South Carolina as its annual SEC East foe for the time-being.
Kentucky and Tennessee were scheduled to play Arkansas next season before the league expanded. The Razorbacks would only face one of those teams in an 8-game conference schedule.
You can follow Matt Jones on Twitter @NWAMatt.
Playing an sec schedule definitely won’t keep us out of national respect, and if it does, then those are the people that can’t deal with being second tier to the sec. I would really love to see another respected program on our non-conference schedule. Maybe a Nebraska or another team like them. Jmho
WPS!!!
I’m hoping those in charge of putting our schedule together – Mr. Long I suppose – took notes on the massive amount of respect and BCS goodwill that flowed LSU’s way this year for playing Oregon and West Virginia out of conference. The best way for us to get national attention is to let everyone know we are willing to take on all comers, at our place, at their place, or at a neutral site. Nebraska would be great, as would Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, even TCU now that they are respectable and in the Big 12. I’d prefer to take a pass on Pac 12 teams (difficult for our fans to travel there in great numbers) and Big 10 teams (we haven’t matched up well with them historically).
Mizzou. In the East. How much sense does that make?
They are the closest SEC campus to Fayetteville and we are not even going to play them every year. Lame.
wow mizzou joined the sec fantastic and im informed we wont be playing kansas at the end of the year any more but will play arKANSAS sorry about your hard luck arKANSAS tigers will have pork roast yearly bbq pork shreaded bbq pork sandwitches! do you know how to raise the iq of both arKANSAS and missouri by 50%?..we will just cut off misouri’s bootheal and give it back to arKANSAS lmao at arKANSAS…fudeing time starts real soon and dont worry the men of missouri will he happy to console your girl friends we will have to get blind drunk first but we will just to improve your genitics ha ha ha
I see the freakshow has arrived for Christmas.
is that the best you got hillbilly?
Hillbilly? Try using proper grammer, Miss Sour. Your rant was barely coherent.
Mizzourah,
First off, Faurot Field is a glorified, high school grade pit of a stadium. Your school will have to emerge out of the eighteenth century and come into the 21st century by either taking the wrecking ball to it or forking about $200 mil. in renovations to make it SEC grade. That’s not just sarcasm, its fact. Get ready for your ticket prices to go up as a result.
Secondly, you will wish that KU is still on your schedule because in regards to cream puffs, there are NONE in the SEC. Your football program will be a doormat for at least seven or eight years because MU has never had to recruit seriously against anyone in the SEC. If you think otherwise, thank you for Ronnie Wingo. The Hogs plucked him right out of SLUH in St. Louis along with BJ Young for basketball from McCluer HS, also in St. Louis. Thanks also for Kody Walker, prep star FB out of Jefferson City and Keonte Minor from E. St. Louis. What’s that? Did I hear that Pinkel doesn’t have any star recruits from Arkansas? I’m hearing the sound of crickets and grasshoppers. I didn’t think so.
Lastly, You have no idea what speed on defense will be like in regards to pursuit until your QB is running for his life or is picking a few of his teeth out of the turf when Missou faces their first SEC opponent. Trainers better have plenty of ice, tape and bandages on the sidelines.
Oh yes, welcome to the SEC.
ua87 speaks the truth. Back in the old SWC days, we could always count on a Rice or a TCU for a breather. That dog don’t hunt in the SEC. Missouri is actually lucky that it will be in the East, but even over there it will be a bottom feeder for the foreseeable future. It’ll be culture shock for any fans their football team might have.
That dudes just mad because the best recruit missouri has ever had doesn’t even want to stay in that p.o.s state. I can’t believe these big 12 fans really think they’re something special. I have less respect now for these fan bases that are hotshots in the B.S big 12. I guess Texas a&m were the only fans that deserve any respect at all.
Soon we find out, but I think the scheduling is simpler than being made out? 5 Games will be in Fayetteville, 2 will be in LR & 1 will be in Dallas. That is a FACT JACK and it simple; nobody losing anything; nobody taking anything.
Assume 8 game schedule SEC. 4 SEC home games. Right now; 2 or 3 home games depending on what SEC does in Fayetteville, 1 SEC in LR and 1 SEC in Dallas (but may not be one of the home games).
Tulsa in Fayetteville. So 1 or 2 more non conference games are needed in Fayetteville, and 1 more non conference game is needed for LR.
CBP will sign someone to home and home. This a FACT II. It will be one of the three big names and that game will be in Fayetteville. The other of the 27 teams will be the best cupcake available not named Troy. Depending on what SEC announce, CBP may be forced to add another cupcake to Fayetteville; but I think SEC will give hogs 4 SEC home games not counting A&M; so that will not be necessary.
See, I told you it was simple
Hakuna Matata!!!
UA87 hit is all right on the head. We shouldn’t lump all Mizzou fans into one corner based on the ramblings of one idiot, who may not be a Mizzou fan anyways. Probably a damn LSU fan incognito. We have out fair share of fans who troll other sites as well. I know lots of Mizzou fans and they do NOT expect to come into the SEC and be dominate, actually they are a bit worried, as they should be. If anything, I think they are hoping to be respectable for the first few years. Because they are in the SEC though, their recruiting of in-staters will start improving, make no mistake. I for one am glad to have them, and hope they eventually make our annual cross division opponent. I suspect that will happen down the road one day, AD Long will make sure of it.
Hey guys, don’t sink to the lowest levels.
Remember we’re SEC.
Show ‘em that class not what they’re coming from.
Well you have to give mizzerry one thing. Their AD plainly stated “we can’t pay our bills and joining the SEC will take care of that”. At least one of them know how to have a chance at some money. Their not smart enough to run their school in buget. SEC has just shown (Forbes) that we have 5 of the top 10 money making programs in the country.Arkansas made a profet of more money than mizzerry takes in. Of coarse mizzerry will only take away from that, but a smart move for them
I for one would like to see them stop scheduling FCS division teams. I think that’s what they call division 2 teams now. It’s a complete waste of time energy and money. There are plenty of division one teams that could be scheduled and not be much of a threat. Tulsa is a good start to that end. Not trying to say they aren’t a threat to pull off that game. Just stating I’d rather play them than Missouri St.
I also would enjoy seeing us playing more respectable marquee opponents as mentioned previously.
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