Arkansas Razorbacks - Rivalries

Rivalries

Historically, Arkansas' most heated rivalry was with the Longhorns of the University of Texas. However, the rivalry has become much less intense since the two teams joined different conferences in the early 1990s and now meet up infrequently. Texas leads the series in football and baseball, while Arkansas holds the series lead in basketball and track & field.

Another rival from the state of Texas is Texas A&M. During their Southwest Conference rivalry days, the two teams played annually in all sports. In 2009, the rivalry resumed again on an annual basis, being played each year at Cowboys Stadium. (see Arkansas–Texas A&M rivalry) The rivalry in all other sports resumed in the fall of 2012 atfer A&M joined the SEC.

Since joining the Southeastern Conference the Razorbacks have developed a rivalry with Louisiana State University (LSU Tigers) in football. The game between these two teams usually takes place near the end of the season and has sometimes decided the SEC Western Division Championship. The winner of this game takes home the "Golden Boot" which is a gold trophy in the shape of the two states. Arkansas took the Golden Boot home in 2007 with a 50–48 win over the #1 ranked Tigers in Baton Rouge. This was their first time winning the trophy since 2002. Arkansas and LSU have also built a rivalry in baseball, as the two schools have been at the top of the NCAA attendance standings for the past several seasons. In 2001, despite coming into the series in last place in the SEC West, Arkansas swept a three-game series from top-ranked LSU, which won the 2000 College World Series, in Fayetteville.

In basketball, the primary rival for the Razorbacks has been the Wildcats of the University of Kentucky. This rivalry developed during the coaching tenures of Rick Pitino at Kentucky and Nolan Richardson at Arkansas when both teams were competing for a national championship on an annual basis. The two schools also participate in a blood drive during the week of the UA-UK basketball game, with a trophy going to the school that gives the most blood.

Inside the state of Arkansas, the University of Arkansas has contiuned to maintain the policy of not competing against other in-state Division I schools There are now four other Division I schools in the state of Arkansas: Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. ASU is the only school of the three to compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision; UALR does not have football, while UAPB and UCA compete in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision.