Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

HOOVER, Ala. — More indication came Wednesday that Arkansas' season-ending rivalry with LSU will be a thing of the past sooner rather than later. Missouri becomes Arkansas' Southeastern Conference cross-division opponent next season, and the Southeastern Conference, behind the scenes, is pushing for Arkansas to end its regular season with Missouri and LSU to close with new West Division member Texas A&M.

LSU Coach Les Miles didn't come out and say point blank he preferred a season-ending rivalry to start with A&M, but he noted many positives for the day-after-Thanksgiving national TV matchup.

So, the Arkansas-LSU season finale likely may get the boot for an earlier-season date. Texas A&M has lost its century-old Thanksgiving matchup with Texas in moving to the SEC.

"Well, I think we're looking at what would be natural rivals," Miles said when asked what his preference of teams would be in the post-Thanksgiving slot. "Arkansas certainly has been a very, very competitive game for us the back end of the season. Recognize that Texas A&M and LSU have a great history, several years.

"But I think the reality of a season that plays in the Western Conference of the SEC, there's plenty of rivals to go around. You're going to have to space those things out to make it equitable. I don't know how we could play both Arkansas and Texas A&M on the same weekend, so ... ."

LSU and Texas A&M played regularly in September for a number of years, before the nonconference series was halted in the mid-1990s following the formation of the Big 12 Conference from the old Big 8 and the defunct Southwest Conference. The teams met in the Cotton Bowl in the 2010 season, with LSU romping. The Tigers program dominated the regular-season series until the 1990s, just before its cancellation, when A&M ran off a short string of wins when the Tigers' program hit rock bottom.

Now, they're division rivals.

"I think the Aggies bring a very, very capable team, very lucrative recruiting area," Miles said. "They bring the experience of a real quality conference.  I think they'll step in and be able to compete on a very even basis very quickly.

"I think we look forward to them. I think it really makes the conference stronger. I think it's a greater national appeal. Our viewing audience, if you will, goes now to Texas.  It's the great Midwest in St.Louis.  I think the addition of really both teams [A&M and Missouri] is really good for the conference."

LSU typically tries to cherry pick the Houston area for a handful of recruits to complement its domination of its talent-rich state, plus any additions the Tigers might sign from the Gulf Coast region.

A season-ending nationally televised game with A&M would no doubt would enhance LSU's appeal in the Lone Star State, and it would bring many additional TV viewers to the SEC that Arkansas' matchup with LSU doesn't provide.

TIGERS TURNING TO KIEHL?
Shiloh Christian product Kiehl Frazier, a 5-star quarterback recruit who saw some action in a backup role for the Tigers last year as a true freshman, received most of the spring practice snaps due to an injury to fellow quarterback Clint Mosley. But the battle for the starting quarterback spot is still up in the air, Auburn Coach Gene Chizik said, and will continue through August drills. Frazier "is strongly in the mix," Chizik said.

"I think he's grown a lot as a football player since he has been here."