Why the Razorbacks should continue to play games in Little Rock

Nearly every year, the Arkansas Razorbacks football, baseball and men's basketball teams make the nearly three-hour trek south to Little Rock, Arkansas.

The one-off games held in the capital of the Natural State may not always be held in the nicest facilities or played against the toughest competition, but their impact goes far beyond that of a single contest. 

The sports landscape of Arkansas is very distinct compared to that of other SEC states. States such as Alabama may not feature a professional sports team but does play host to two major collegiate athletic programs in Auburn and Alabama. The same can be said for Mississippi (Ole Miss, Mississippi State) and Kentucky (Kentucky, Louisville), among others. 

States such as Missouri and Louisiana may only feature one major collegiate athletic program, but their respective sports landscapes are supplemented by professional teams. 

Arkansas, however, doesn't belong to either of these tiers. The University of Arkansas in Fayetteville boasts the only Power Four athletic program in the state, and two minor league baseball teams — the Texas League's Arkansas Travelers and Northwest Arkansas Naturals — stand as the only professional sports teams in the state. 

That makes the Razorbacks the team in the state of Arkansas in all three major sports. The only problem? The university rests in Washington County in the northwest corner of the state. Fayetteville is a town on the rise, but it's still a long drive for fans who don't reside in Northwest Arkansas. 

The trip to Fayetteville was even longer before the late 1990s, the trip from Little Rock to Fayetteville was incredibly inefficient. The completion of I-540 in 1999 made it easier for fans from all corners of the state to attend games, but the distance of the trip was still daunting. 

In 1948, the Arkansas football team played their first game in Little Rock's new War Memorial Stadium. Nearly 76 years later, the Razorbacks opened their 2024 season with a 70-0 victory over Arkansas Pine-Bluff in Little Rock. 

Arkansas played its 25th basketball game inside Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock on Saturday, beating Central Arkansas in an 82-57 rout. 

On April 1, the Arkansas baseball team will play at Dickey-Stephens Park — the home of the aforementioned Travelers — for the 14th time, facing off against Grambling in North Little Rock. 

These games against far inferior competition don't mean much in the grand scheme of things for Arkansas, but they mean the world to fans who otherwise couldn't get to Fayetteville to experience an Arkansas home game. 

For some, a trip to War Memorial Stadium, Dickey-Stephens Park or Simmons Bank Arena could be the only opportunity a lifelong fan has to watch a Razorback game with fellow Razorback fans. 

For a fan base as rabid as any in the world, a game against Grambling, UCA or UAPB might as well be the World Series, the NBA Finals or the Super Bowl. 

Wherever you go in the state of Arkansas, you're likely to be met with a Hog Call. The few times a year "Woo Pig Sooie" is heard in Little Rock, the eccentric chant is being performed by fans who couldn't be more pleased to finally be seeing their team in person. 

Playing in Little Rock doesn't offer the glitz and glamour of playing a game in Razorback Stadium, Bud Walton Arena or Baum Stadium, but it does provide the opportunity for Razorback fans who live far from Fayetteville to cheer on their beloved Hogs.