Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman Would 'Hate Not To Play' Texas Every Year
Though they have not played on an annual basis since Arkansas joined the officially joined SEC in 1992, the Razorbacks and the Texas Longhorns have one of the most storied rivalries in college football.
And it's one that Arkansas coach Sam Pittman is excited to reignite. So excited in fact, that he wants to face off against Texas on a yearly basis once Texas joins the SEC.
“Personally, I love the rivalry games and would hate, once Texas gets into the league, not to play them every year, for the fans and everybody else,” Pittman told ESPN’s Chris Low. “I’m not calling out Texas. Texas has a great program, and I have high respect for them. I’m just saying for the fans, and obviously for the team, because we’ve got a lot of Texas kids on our team, I think it would be a neat home-and-home each year.”
The rivalry between the Longhorns and Razorbacks dates all the way back to 1894, with the two teams squaring off 79 times over the last 127 years.
From 1932-1991, when both teams were part of the Southwest Conference, it was an annual matchup and one of the fiercest rivalries in the country.
The two teams even faced off for the national championship in 1969, in one of the most famous games in college football history.
Texas leads the all-time series 56-23 over Arkansas, but it is the Razorbacks who hold the edge as of late, winning four of the last six matchups since their move to the SEC.
Arkansas also dominated the Longhorns 40-21 in Fayetteville last season.
As of now, the Longhorns are set to join the SEC in 2025 alongside Oklahoma, in a move that will send the conference to a total of 16 teams, and reunite them with former Big 12 rivals such as Texas A&M and Missouri.
Once that happens, the league will likely have to change its division format in some capacity. And one of the most popular suggested formats is a four-team pod system.
In that scenario, the most logical pod for both teams would consist of Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Arkansas -- giving the Longhorns annual games against all three of its biggest rivals.
Other pods that could potentially make sense include the following:
- Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri and LSU
- Alabama, Auburn, Vanderbilt and Tennessee
- Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and Kentucky
Luckily for Texas, they have already gotten a head start on their preparation for the SEC.
Texas faced Georgia in 2018, LSU in 2019, Arkansas in 2021, and are set to face Alabama in 2022 (Austin) and 2023 (Tuscaloosa).
Texas did beat Georgia in the 2019 Sugar Bowl, but after that fell it has been tough sledding. But unfortunately for the Horns, their last two chances vs. SEC opponents have not gone as planned.
The Horns lost in a tight matchup to the eventual national champion Tigers 45-38 in Austin, while their 2020 matchup was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Texas also fell in the aforementioned matchup with Hogs last season and will be heavy underdogs against Alabama in the coming year.
If Texas is going to compete against its new SEC brethren, it will need to begin on the recruiting trail, where they have already begun to build with a top-5 2022 class.
And when they face off with Arkansas once again, whether it be in 2025 or sooner, they will hope to finally be at an SEC level of talent.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Longhorns? Click Here
Want to join in on the discussion? Click here to become a member of the Longhorns Country message board community today!
