Like It Is

UA, ASU on same page regarding rivalry

University of Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long claps for honorees before his addressing the crowd during the Little Rock Touch Down Club at Embassy Suites September 21, 2015.
University of Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long claps for honorees before his addressing the crowd during the Little Rock Touch Down Club at Embassy Suites September 21, 2015.

There are two things you seem to hear every year during football season.

One is that when the Arkansas Razorbacks have a nonconference game against someone like Tennessee-Martin, there is some debate as to why they don't play Arkansas State instead.

The other is that the Arkansas Razorbacks will never play ASU.

Granted, there would be a little more interest and probably a few more full-priced tickets sold for this Saturday's game in Fayetteville if the opponent were the Red Wolves. ASU's fans would buy all the tickets they could get.

However, it appears an instate rivalry is not in the plans of Arkansas or ASU.

Arkansas State has its first athletic director who seems concerned about his school and his program and not the flagship university on the other side of the state.

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Terry Mohajir is a former starting safety for ASU and a native of Overland Park, Kan.

When he came to ASU, he announced a five-year goal to raise the athletic budget to $20 million but he hit that target after his second year. He's improved facilities, made great hires with football coaches and continues to build the Red Wolves' athletic programs.

His vision is all ASU.

Jeff Long, athletic director at Arkansas, is continuing the longtime policy of not playing instate teams. His focus is the UA and its facilities and programs.

If there were ever going to be a chance that a political showdown would force the game between the schools, it probably would have happened during former Gov. Mike Beebe's final four years.

He never considered getting involved. As much as he loves ASU, his alma mater (he also has a law degree from the UA), he knew there was no time or place for athletics to be part of a legislative process. There are always far more pressing issues than scheduling football games.

That's part of why Beebe will go down in the Arkansas history books as a great governor.

As a longtime proponent of the two largest schools in Arkansas competing in sports -- one would think opening the season every year with a game between the Razorbacks and Red Wolves would be fun -- it has become crystal clear that in today's world of perspiring arts it is no longer about recruiting, fan bases or a possible upset by ASU.

The landscape has changed. It is about sponsorship.

It's about competing for corporate dollars, which is why ASU doesn't play in War Memorial Stadium. To raise money for facility improvements, it was agreed the Red Wolves would play a minimum number of games at home. Apparently there is no wiggle room left with them playing two money games each season.

These days both programs stand on their own merits financially, and both football programs are improving.

ASU is focused on getting to its unprecedented fifth consecutive postseason bowl.

Arkansas has positioned itself for its second bowl bid and another step in the right direction for a program that seemed to have no direction when Long hired Bret Bielema.

Saturday might have been more interesting and more tickets might have been sold if it were ASU vs. UA, but it has never happened and probably never will.

...

It was written in Tuesday's column that the Razorbacks were looking at 4-4 for the first time since 2011, but it was supposed to also say with a victory over an SEC opponent.

It did not though, and the fumble was all mine.

The Razorbacks have equaled last year's SEC victory total with two and have four conference games remaining, two at home and two on the road.

Sports on 10/28/2015

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