Long: Arkansas has no interest leaving SEC
Posted: June 16, 2010 at 4:25 p.m.
Jeff Long
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas is not leaving the Southeastern Conference.
That was the message Arkansas athletics director Jeff Long delivered in a statement released this afternoon amid rumors that, perhaps the Big 12 may come calling someday for the Razorbacks.
Recent changes on the conference landscape, specifically the departures of Nebraska and Colorado from the Big 12, had sparked speculation about that conference's future and the possibility of adding teams to fill the two vacancies.
The hot team on that list, according to the opinions of many in the national media, was Arkansas.
But the Razorbacks are not interested in the speculation or anything concrete regarding conference realignment.
"In the course of that dialogue some have suggested that the University of Arkansas was an institution that may be pursued by other conferences," Long said. "From the beginning, we have been very clear that the University of Arkansas is a proud member of the Southeastern Conference and has no interest in joining another conference."
Arkansas has remained committed to the SEC since its addition to the league in 1992, Long told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Tuesday. An offer for inclusion into the Big 12 has not been extended or sought, according to a high-ranking official at Arkansas.
The support for Arkansas to remain in the SEC amid the speculation does not end there.
"Chancellor (David) Gearhart has been unwavering in his support of our institution’s continued membership in the SEC," Long said. "Recent events have not in any way altered our commitment or desire to remain a member of what we believe is the strongest conference in the nation.”
Long was adamant about Arkansas' continued affiliation with the SEC during a speaking engagement in January, specifically when it came to the conference's revenue-sharing program.
“You would look at it, but I can just tell you right off the top of my head, there’s about 7 to 8 million reasons you wouldn’t make a move to the Big 12,” Long said, referencing the revenue differences between the SEC and Big 12.
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