Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Both Oregon and Arkansas State figure to be interesting to college football fans this season.

Thanks to their recent success, style of play and endless supply of uniforms the Ducks are a national program. ASU isn’t quite as well known outside this state, but last year’s 10 wins and the hiring of Gus Malzahn — once the nation’s best-known and highest-paid assistant coach — make the Red Wolves somewhat of a draw as well.

ESPN apparently thinks the matchup will be worth watching and announced it as one of its games for Sept. 1.

Oregon-Arkansas State will be broadcast on ESPN — the real thing, none of the TV or online offshoots — at 9:30 (central time) on the first Saturday of the 2012 season. Yes, it’s a late kickoff. But with those two offenses it’s got to be worth staying up to watch.

Here's ESPN's description of why the game is worth broadcasting:

Arkansas State’s Gus Malzahn will open his coaching tenure with the Red Wolves, the defending Sun Belt Conference champions, at defending Pac-12 and Rose Bowl champion Oregon at 10:30 p.m. on ESPN. Malzahn was the offensive coordinator of the Auburn team that defeated Oregon in the 2011 Tostitos BCS National Championship.

Oregon finished 12-2 overall and ranked No. 4 in the country, following a 45-38 victory against Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. ASU ended 2011 with a GoDaddy.com Bowl appearance and 10-3 record.