Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

In-state competition is always a conversation starter for sports fans in the state of Arkansas.

Schools like Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist enjoy a healthy rivalry in all sports within the same conference. Occasionally, as we’ll see this fall, Arkansas State will play UCA in football.

Rarely do ASU and Arkansas face each other. Both significant matchups of the two programs came in the postseason when the men’s teams faced each other in a 1987 NIT game and the women’s teams faced each other in the 2005 WNIT.

ASU-Arkansas football? Forget about it.

A contingent of vocal Red Wolves’ fans has long asked “how long will the Hogs will run?” That phrase even prompted a few bumper stickers on cars back in the 1980s.

Arkansas fans have long maintained that there is nothing to be gained from facing “inferior” competition (a position, of course, weakened by the annual games against the likes of Troy and Louisiana-Monroe).

Another take on the ASU-Arkansas argument — a kinder, gentler take — seems to have surfaced out of Fayetteville in recent years. Die-hards for both schools might dismiss it, but stop and consider what Razorback football coach Bobby Petrino recently told ESPN.com about the lack of in-state rivalries for his program:

“I love living here,” Petrino said. “It’s a unique job with what coach [Frank] Broyles did here. By not playing anybody in the state, you’re able to have the entire state be Razorback fans. They can still support Arkansas State and Central Arkansas, but they’re still Razorbacks.”

Petrino explained the approach while talking to ESPN.com about what makes the Arkansas job unique and used it as one of the reasons he’s decided to put down roots here. Razorback fans can be found in every corner of the state.

Essentially, the position is: fans get to have their Hogs and Red Wolves (or Bears) too. That never seemed to be the motivation of Broyles in outlawing games between ASU and Arkansas, but this "it's good for everybody approach" would seem to go down smoother than any other justification offered over the years.

Certainly, the programs are still working against each other in the marketplace for students, ticket sales and merchandising. But the idea that the fans can support programs located in opposite corners of the state sounds good on the surface and there is evidence that the Razorbacks benefit from this "we're all in it together" philosophy.

Consider that it's not totally uncommon to spot Razorback memorbilia on campus in Jonesboro and Conway. In fact, some of the largest turnouts for Razorback Club events are in Northeast Arkansas where Arkansas State is located.