FAYETTEVILLE -- The SEC has denied the University of Arkansas' request to hold its final spring scrimmage at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
As part of the Razorbacks' multi-year contract with War Memorial Stadium, the university had agreed to play its spring game in Little Rock three times between 2020-24, pending approval of a waiver by the SEC, which does not permit off-campus spring football practices.
The waiver request was denied Thursday in a letter from SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey.
"After review of information provided by the institution, the institution's request is hereby denied due to a lack of extenuating circumstances which warrant relief from the normal application of the Conference's on-campus practice requirements," Sankey wrote.
Arkansas' final spring scrimmage will now be held April 25 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville. A start time and format for the scrimmage have not been determined, but it will be open to the public.
The Razorbacks' first spring practice under new Coach Sam Pittman is scheduled for March 16.
SEC bylaw 17.1.9(d)(2) states that all football practices, including intrasquad scrimmages such as spring games, must be held on campus, except for ones that are held in a facility that is used twice each year for regular-season games. Arkansas has not played multiple games at War Memorial Stadium since 2013.
On Feb. 1, UA deputy director of athletics Jon Fagg formally requested the venue change to War Memorial Stadium in a letter to Sankey. Fagg wrote that playing a scrimmage in Little Rock "is a wonderful opportunity to maintain" a presence in the city.
"It will allow the university, not merely athletics, to have additional engagement opportunities with our alumni and friends in Central Arkansas," Fagg wrote.
"War Memorial is not merely a 'facility' used by the university, as the applicable bylaw addresses. It is a home stadium and we feel it should be treated as part of our campus."
The Razorbacks extended their contract with War Memorial in May 2018 to run through 2024. As part of the agreement, Arkansas will play Missouri at the stadium in odd-numbered years through 2023, and would have played its spring game there in even-numbered years.
For spring scrimmages, the Razorbacks would pay War Memorial a rental fee of $75,000, according to the contract.
Sankey's denial was for this year only and not for future spring scrimmages scheduled to be held in Little Rock. In 2018, the SEC granted Arkansas a waiver to play its spring game in Little Rock while the Razorbacks' on-campus stadium was being renovated.
"Unfortunately, we did not receive the necessary waiver to accommodate the spring game at War Memorial Stadium as originally planned," UA Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek wrote in a statement Friday. "However, we will continue to explore additional opportunities to enhance the numerous events already being held throughout the state to help bring the Razorbacks closer to our fans."
Sankey's denial means the Razorbacks will not have any football presence in Little Rock this year. Arkansas is scheduled to play seven games on campus for the first time ever and won't play a game in Little Rock for the first time since 1931. The Razorbacks have played at least once each year at War Memorial Stadium since it opened in 1948.
A series of new or extended contracts have lengthened the amount of years Arkansas will play at War Memorial but stripped away the frequency with which it plays there. As recently as the 1990s, the Razorbacks played four games in a single season in Little Rock, including multiple SEC games.
Sports on 02/22/2020