ATHENS, Ga. — The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., reported on its Web site Wednesday that officials at Arkansas and Rutgers are nearing a deal on a two-game football series, beginning in 2012.
According to the newspaper, the agreement would call for Rutgers to visit Fayetteville next season and for the Scarlet Knights, members of the Big East Conference, to host the Razorbacks in 2013.
The ongoing scramble in the Big East has left schedules open for many teams in that conference. The Star-Ledger said that if Boise State is fasttracked into the Big East, itcould negate the Arkansas-Rutgers games.
Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long has been in contact with numerous schools in search of a 12th game since Texas A&M joined the SEC. Long has said that opening a home-and-home series with a BCS conference opponent would be a likely course for the football program.
If the series comes about, Arkansas would be the first SEC program to play Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J., although Coach Bobby Petrino is familiar with the venue based on his head coaching stint at Big East member Louisville from 2003-06.
Sports, Pages 22 on 02/09/2012