FAYETTEVILLE — More than 50,000 tickets have been sold to next month's Liberty Bowl, with close to half of the ticket sales coming through the participating schools' ticket offices.
Arkansas has sold 16,836 tickets to the game, while Kansas State has sold more than 7,500 tickets, officials said.
Both teams were allocated 8,000 tickets to the Jan. 2 game in Memphis, Tennessee. Arkansas has been working to secure more tickets for about a week.
Liberty Bowl Executive Director Steve Ehrhart said overall ticket sales are in the "mid-50,000s," but that an accurate number was unavailable because of the varying means to purchase tickets.
"We certainly anticipate a sellout," Ehrhart said. "It's very convenient because it's a Saturday and folks don't have to work with Friday being a holiday."
Ehrhart said that while less than Arkansas, the bowl has been pleased with the response from K-State fans. He said the Arkansas demand for tickets was expected because of the state's proximity to Memphis and the team's previous games there.
The Razorbacks sold more than 25,400 tickets for their last Liberty Bowl game six years ago. The matchup between Arkansas and East Carolina had the second largest attendance in the bowl's history.
Liberty Bowl Stadium has a listed capacity of 61,008 seats. The Razorbacks and Wildcats could challenge the attendance record.
"There is a huge Arkansas presence in this community," Ehrhart said. "There are a lot of Memphis area folks who are followers of the Razorbacks and enjoy Arkansas football. There are a lot who have a connection to the state.
"Arkansas is basically part of the Mid-South and part of Memphis."
The Razorbacks' ticket sales are the most for a bowl game since 19,000 tickets were bought through the school for the Sugar Bowl five years ago.
Arkansas sold 10,220 tickets to last year's Texas Bowl and 13,400 tickets for the Cotton Bowl four years ago against Kansas State.
Officials from both schools said they expect strong secondary ticket sales for the game. Tickets are being sold between $67 and $399 through secondary ticket website StubHub.com.
Face value for tickets ranges from $55 to $85, but Ehrhart said all of the lowest-priced tickets have been sold.