Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Kurt Dargis has spent nearly a decade as a senior manager for programming and acquisitions at ESPN. Dargis has watched the rapid rise in popularity of college football during that time.

Television coverage of college football has been expanding for years. Multi-year, multi-billion dollar contracts are now in place with leagues to ensure their product is broadcast to the masses each fall.

So when it comes to the passion and appetite of college football fans, nothing surprises Dargis. Not even the fact that the sports programming giant will be televising its largest slate of spring football games ever.

ESPN and its affiliated networks are broadcasting 14 football practices in April. Arkansas, which will kick off its Red-White game on Saturday at 3 p.m., is one the schools chosen by ESPN.

“I don’t think we’re surprised, especially in that part of the country and the SEC,” Dargis said. “As you know, college football has become a year-round sport between signing day and spring football, then practices in the fall. It’s really become a year-round thing. Our goal in putting these games on is to provide those fans that are year-round fans football in the spring.

“It’s a really great opportunity to serve those fans this time of year.”

Even with the increased attention, the Razorbacks are in rare company. They’ll join LSU and Texas as the only three spring games televised on the main ESPN network this spring. Other games are set for broadcast on ESPNU, ESPN3.com and other platforms.

Arkansas joins Oklahoma (2006, 2007), Florida (2008), North Carolina (2010) and Alabama (2009, 2010) as programs to have their spring game broadcast on the “mothership” for ESPN.

That’s pretty good company for the Razorbacks. They’re a potential Top 10 team this fall and are getting the sort of attention that you’d normally associate with elite programs.

Making the Sugar Bowl and winning 10 games in 2010 helped make the Razorbacks an attractive option. They’re replacing key performers like quarterback Ryan Mallett and tight end D.J. Williams, but still return more than 70-percent of the two-deep from last year's Sugar Bowl squad.

Coach Bobby Petrino is one of only two active coaches to take two different programs to BCS bowls. He’s agreed to terms on a $3.56 million contract that will keep him at the school until 2017.

Those are among the selling points the Razorbacks had to offer when ESPN was looking at broadcast options. Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long said talks with ESPN began last winter at the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame dinner.