The rematch many fans of two in-state programs have wanted is coming a year early.
Arkansas State University and the University of Central Arkansas will play this season Sept. 19, the two schools announced Friday. The decision to play this fall came after both universities had slots open in their schedules after games were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. ASU lost its games against Howard on Sept. 12 and at Michigan on Sept. 19, while UCA lost its game at Missouri on Sept. 5.
The Bears upset the Red Wolves 28-24 in their last meeting in 2016, and the teams are scheduled to play again in 2021. ASU will pay UCA $100,000 to make the two-hour trip this year.
"We've been working on trying to fill gaps since Howard and Michigan both fell off the table. I think Terry [Mohajir] has been talking to -- I don't even know how many teams he's talked to. But it turned out our schedule and UCA fit," ASU Coach Blake Anderson said. "We're excited to get it on the books. That's one of those I've been pretty open about since I got here: I love playing folks here in the state. We played Pine Bluff, we played UCA, we'd love to play the guys in Fayetteville, and that's going to be our policy.
"I know we already had UCA on the schedule for next year, but I think it's awesome we're going to get to play them this year."
While losing the Michigan game stings, the opportunity to not only play an in-state rival in UCA but also an out-of-state rival in Memphis is exactly what ASU wants.
"The perfect schedule would be play Arkansas, play Memphis, play UCA or Pine Bluff, and one other team," Anderson said. "We would sign that thing up as quick as we possibly could. So to get that this year, with Memphis and UCA, it's really fun. And I think the fans will love it."
The programs have a history of playing, this being the 26th time the two will meet, but it'll be only the fifth time they've played since 1947. UCA holds a 13-10-2 advantage in the series, but is 1-3 in games against the Red Wolves in the modern era.
Before losing to UCA in 2016, ASU beat the Bears in 1996, 1997 and 2011. But it's the 2016 game that is still on everyone's mind.
"It was a close game, back and forth. We scored a late touchdown, and then our defense got a big stop at the end," said Nathan Brown, now UCA's head coach who was the Bears' offensive coordinator in 2016. "A huge win for our program, not only for beating an FBS opponent, but also an in-state rival like Arkansas State. The exposure it gives our kids is huge.
"To have a program like Arkansas State, a Division I FBS program, within two hours of us is a true blessing. It's an opportunity to play an FBS opponent and fill that Missouri spot, but also financially it makes so much sense for us being an in-state opponent, being a short trip for our program and an opportunity, again, to compete against one of the better teams in the Group of Five conferences."
Anderson and Brown have become close friends. Anderson's oldest son, Coleton, played wide receiver for Brown for two seasons at UCA. The two have since forged a close football bond over the years.
"Coach Anderson is someone I consider a close friend in the business. He's someone I can pick the phone up and call, and he'll answer every time," Brown said. "I just respect the job he's done at Arkansas State. He's taken a program and sustained success for a long period of time. That's a hard thing to do in college football, especially when you're playing in a conference as talented as the Sun Belt.
"Just watching him from a distance work and the staff he puts together, as well as the type of man he is off the field, I enjoy watching him have success."
Anderson shares the admiration.
"I think Nathan does a great job. We've talked ball before, we've been to camps with him, so I know they're well coached," Anderson said. "I know they're picked to win the league this year. They'll be plenty good. They're always going to be good.
"It's a great program. But they're well coached, and I told him when he got the job, I was proud for him. I thought he deserved it, I thought it was a good decision by the administration to elevate him, and he's obviously proven that to be a good decision."
Both programs have high expectations this season and intend on playing a full schedule in the fall, despite many Power 5 conferences deciding to play conference-only schedules.
Arkansas State is considered a contender in the Sun Belt, while UCA was picked to win the Southland Conference for the second consecutive year. Both programs have started fall camp, with UCA's season opener set for Aug. 29 against Austin Peay. ASU is set to play at Memphis on Sept. 5.
Both coaches know nothing is a given at this point, considering what's going on around the sports world.
"We'll worry about them when we get there," Anderson said. "We've got a lot of things to deal with between now and then."
