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Arkansas Razorbacks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Arkansas Razorbacks
Logo
UniversityUniversity of Arkansas
ConferenceSEC
NCAADivision I (FBS)
Athletic directorHunter Yurachek[1]
LocationFayetteville, Arkansas
Varsity teams19
Football stadiumFrank Broyles Field at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium (primary)
War Memorial Stadium (secondary)
Basketball arenaNolan Richardson Court at Bud Walton Arena
Baseball stadiumBaum Stadium at George Cole Field
Softball stadiumBogle Park
MascotTusk VI & Big Red
NicknameRazorbacks
Fight songArkansas Fight
ColorsCardinal and white[2]
   
Websitearkansasrazorbacks.com
Team NCAA championships
50
SEC logo in Arkansas' colors

The Arkansas Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the intercollegiate athletics teams representing the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville. The University of Arkansas student body voted to change the name of the school mascot (originally the Cardinals) in 1910 to the Arkansas Razorbacks after a hard-fought battle against LSU in which they were said to play like a "wild band of Razorback hogs" by former coach Hugo Bezdek. The Arkansas Razorbacks are the only major sports team in the U.S. with a porcine nickname, though the Texas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas play in Division II.

The University of Arkansas currently fields 19 total varsity teams (eight men's and 11 women's) in 13 sports, and competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I (Football Bowl Subdivision in football) level as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

History

[edit]

After classes were first held at the university, a contest was held on campus to select school colors. Cardinal (a shade of deep red) was selected over heliotrope, a shade of moderate purple. The first Arkansas football team was formed that same year and was known as the "Arkansas Cardinals". Arkansas merchandise sold at the highest levels in school history during the 2012–13 academic year when royalties through CLC ranked 10th best in the nation.[3]

In 1909, the football team finished a 7–0 season, allowing only 18 points on defense and scoring 186 points on offense. College Football Hall of Fame coach Hugo Bezdek proclaimed his team played "like a wild band of razorback hogs". The name proved so popular that it was changed for the 1910 season.[4] The tradition of calling the hogs, "Woo, Pig! Sooie" was added in the 1920s.

In 1957, Frank Broyles was hired as the head football coach and served in that position for 19 years (1957-1976). Broyles' team was awarded the 1964 National Championship by the Football Writers Association of America and the Helms Athletic Foundation. At the time, the AP Poll and UPI Coaches Poll both awarded their championships before bowl games, and they gave their awards to an undefeated Alabama. However, Alabama lost the 1965 Orange Bowl game to Texas (a team Arkansas defeated in Austin, TX 14-13), while Arkansas won the 1965 Cotton Bowl Classic against Nebraska. The FWAA and HAF both awarded their national championship designations to Arkansas, who was the only team to go undefeated through the bowl games that year. Both the University of Arkansas and the University of Alabama claimed national championships for 1964.

In 1969, Broyles' team was ranked #2 and played the #1-ranked Texas Longhorns, coached by Darrell Royal, in Fayetteville. The game, known as "The Big Shootout" is perhaps the most notable football game in Razorback history. President Richard Nixon was even in attendance. The Razorbacks led 14–0 until the 4th quarter when Texas scored 15 unanswered points and won the game 15-14. Nixon gave Texas the UPI national championship trophy after the game. In the second half, Arkansas missed a field goal attempt, and then turned the ball over inside the Texas 5 yard line on another possession.

After Broyles left coaching to focus on his other job as Athletic Director, he hired Lou Holtz to take over his former position. Holtz served as the head football coach from 1977 through the 1983 season. Under Holtz, the Razorbacks continued their success, beating Oklahoma in the 1978 Orange Bowl to finish the 1977 season 11-1 overall and ranked #3 in the final polls. After finishing the 1978 season 9-2-1 with a tie against UCLA in the 1978 Fiesta Bowl, Arkansas won a share of the Southwest Conference championship in 1979, but lost to Alabama in the 1980 Sugar Bowl to finish 10-2. Holtz's last four teams finished 7-5 in 1980, 8-4 in 1981, 9-2-1 in 1982, and 6-5 in 1983.

In 1971, the women's athletic department was formed. On January 1, 2008, the men's and women's athletic departments merged along with a new athletic director.[5]

The basketball team rose to prominence in the 1970s now under the coaching of Eddie Sutton and with future NBA star Sidney Moncrief along with Marvin Delph and Ron Brewer, three similarly sized Arkansas-bred guards, known as "The Triplets". The team made a Final Four appearance under him, finishing 3rd by defeating Notre Dame on a last-second shot in the now-defunct consolation game.

In the 1980s, the football team was now coached by former Razorback All-American Ken Hatfield (1984-1989), and established itself as a powerful running team. The Razorbacks challenged for the SWC title each year, winning the conference championship in 1988 and 1989, and went to the Cotton Bowl Classic twice. Hatfield's teams established excellent regular-season records, but had difficulty winning bowl games, finishing 1-5 in bowls under Hatfield.

In 1990, Broyles announced that the Razorbacks would leave the Southwest Conference and join the Southeastern Conference beginning in the 1991-92 school year (the football team would play the 1991 season in the SWC while all other sports would compete in the SEC), setting off a major realignment in college football. Now with twelve teams, the SEC broke up into two separate divisions with Arkansas in the West with Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and LSU. In 1995, the Arkansas Razorbacks won its first SEC Western Division Title in football, but lost to East Division champion Florida in the SEC Championship Game.

In 1994, Nolan Richardson's basketball Razorbacks won the NCAA Tournament. His basketball teams challenged for the SEC and national championships regularly during the 1990s, making three trips to the Final Four (1990, 1994, 1995) and two to the championship game while compiling a record of 389–169 (.697) in his 17 years as the head basketball coach.

On December 10, 1997, Houston Nutt (1998-2007) was hired as head football coach for the Razorbacks to replace Danny Ford, who had been head coach since 1993, and the 1998 season was his first full season. Highly sought after as a Little Rock Central quarterback, Nutt had been the last recruit to sign under Broyles, but transferred to Oklahoma State University because he did not fit Holtz's offensive plans. Nutt would guide the Hogs to 3 SEC West Division title in 1998, 2002, and 2006, plus bowl victories over Texas in the 2000 Cotton Bowl Classic and over Missouri in the 2003 Independence Bowl. Nutt also coached running back Darren McFadden from 2005 to 2007, who would finish his career at Arkansas as the all-time leading rusher in school history, as well as the most decorated player to ever wear a Razorback football uniform. McFadden would be 1st team All-SEC for three years in a row, 1st team All-American in 2006 and 2007, and he would win the Doak Walker Award as the nation's best RB in 2006 and 2007, and the Walter Camp Award in 2007 as the nation's most outstanding player. McFadden would also finish as runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 2006 and 2007.

Soon after Houston Dale Nutt's departure, two significant things happened. First, AD Broyles retired, and he was replaced by new AD Jeff Long (2008-2017). Second, Long then hired Atlanta Falcons head coach Bobby Petrino (2008-2011), who abruptly departed the NFL to lead the Hogs. After a losing record in his first season, and finishing 8-5 in 2009 after winning the 2010 Liberty Bowl, Petrino led the team to a BCS game in 2010, but lost to Ohio State in the 2011 Sugar Bowl to finish the season 10-3. In 2011 his team would finish 11-2 and ranked #5 in the final polls after beating Kansas State in the 2012 Cotton Bowl Classic, thanks to a heavy passing attack. On April 1, 2012, Petrino drove his motorcycle into a ditch with a passenger aboard. He was fired after it was revealed this passenger was his mistress whom he had hired onto his staff. AD Jeff Long introduced special teams coordinator, and former Michigan State head coach, John L. Smith as the interim coach for the 2012 season in late April.

Smith entered the season as the steward of a preseason Top 10 squad with multiple preseason Heisman hopefuls. He recorded the school's first loss to a Sunbelt team in the program's 100-year history as Louisiana Monroe pulled the upset in Little Rock. In only his second game, he had managed the second-largest drop from the AP ranking narrowly missing the #1 spot held by Michigan after losing the season opener to Appalachian State just five years before.

In 2011, Long hired former Nolan Richardson assistant coach Mike Anderson (2011-2019) as the new men's basketball head coach. Anderson's tenure was an up-and-down roller coaster, featuring highs such as a last second victory over Kentucky in 2015, plus NCAA tournament teams in 2015, 2017, and 2018. But Anderson ultimately failed to take the Razorbacks back to national prominence on a consistent basis, and he was let go by new AD Hunter Yurachek after the 2018-2019 season.

Yurachek then hired Nevada coach Eric Musselman to take over as the new head coach in the 2019-2020 season. Following a 20 win first year, Musselman coached his next two teams to the NCAA's Elite Eight in the 2021 and 2022 tournaments. Both teams finished ranked in the AP Top 20 and the UPI Top 10.

On December 4, 2012, the school named former University of Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema (2013-2017) as head coach for the 2013 season. Coach Bielema rebuilt the team around a power running game and strong defense and led the Hogs back to a winning record in 2014 including back-to-back shutouts over top ten teams, the first time in history such a feat had been accomplished by an unranked team, and a victory over Texas in the 2014 Texas Bowl at the end of the season. Bielema would coach Arkansas to another bowl victory in 2015, beating Kansas State in the 2016 Liberty Bowl. However, his team collapsed in the last couple of games in 2016, and then stumbled to a losing record in 2017. AD Jeff Long had already been let go by the school prior to the end of the 2017 season, and interim AD Julie Cromer fired Bielema after the final game.

Cromer then hired SMU head coach Chad Morris (2018-2019) as the new head coach after the 2017 season. Cromer would then leave Arkansas to become the AD at Ohio University in the summer of 2019 after she was replaced by current Athletics Director Hunter Yurachek in early 2018. Morris' tenure as the head coach of the football team is considered one of the worst in school history. Over one full season, and a shortened second season, Morris never won an SEC game, and both of his teams would finish with abysmal records of 2-10. Yurachek fired Morris with two games left in the 2019 season, and promoted tight ends coach Barry Lunney Jr to interim head coach for the final two games. Lunney left after the season was over, and Yurachek hired Georgia offensive line coach Sam Pittman as Arkansas' new head coach. Pittman had been the Razorbacks offensive line coach under Bielema from 2013 to 2015, and had produced some of the best linemen, and offensive lines, in school history. Several former players signed a petition asking Yurachek to hire Pittman.

In 2020, Arkansas only played ten games (all teams from the SEC) due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Arkansas' last conference victory had been on October 28, 2017 against Ole Miss. On October 3, 2020, Pittman's Razorbacks broke a 20-game SEC losing streak by defeating Mississippi St in Starkville, 21-14. The team would finish the SEC-only season at 3-7, also beating Ole Miss and Tennessee. Pittman's 2021 squad would improve upon the previous season in a big way, going 9-4 overall after beating Penn State in the 2022 Outback Bowl on New Year's Day, and finish ranked in the final AP Top 25 at #21. Pittman would be named the 2021 AFCA Region 2 Coach of the Year.

Sports sponsored

[edit]
Men's sports Women's sports
Baseball Basketball
Basketball Cross country
Cross country Golf
Football Gymnastics
Golf Soccer
Tennis Softball
Track & field† Swimming & diving
Tennis
Track & field†
Volleyball
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor.

Men's sports

[edit]

Football

[edit]
ESPN College Gameday at the University of Arkansas.
Main article: Arkansas Razorbacks football

The football team plays its home games either at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, located on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville, or at War Memorial Stadium, located in Little Rock. In 1964, the Razorbacks were the only team to go through the regular season and a bowl game undefeated, and they were awarded the Football Writers Association of America National Championship. The 1969 team, led by quarterback Bill Montgomery, challenged the Texas Longhorns for a national championship in the Game of the Century.

Basketball

[edit]
Main article: Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball

The basketball team plays its home games in Bud Walton Arena on the University of Arkansas campus. One of the top 10 NCAA programs of all time, the Razorbacks were ushered into the modern era on the shoulders of Coach Eddie Sutton (800 game-winner). Under the leadership of Nolan Richardson, the Razorbacks won the NCAA tournament in 1994 defeating Duke University, and appeared in the championship game the following year, but were beaten by UCLA. The Razorbacks have been to NCAA Final Four in 1941, 1945, 1978, 1990, 1994 and 1995, though the first two were achieved before the NCAA gathered the final four teams in one site.

The current head coach for the men's basketball team is John Calipari. Calipari replaced former head coach Eric Musselman who lead Arkansas to two Elite Eights and a Sweet Sixteen appearance. On March 26, 2007, Stan Heath was fired as the head coach of the men's basketball team.[6] John Pelphrey ultimately replaced Heath and made the 2008 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, but did not make any subsequent postseason appearances and was fired after the 2010–11 season. Pelphrey compiled a 69–59 overall record and 25–39 SEC conference record while at Arkansas.[7] Mike Anderson was announced as the new men's Basketball head coach on March 23, 2011.

Baseball

[edit]
Bo Bigham bats for the Razorbacks at the 2012 College World Series.
Main article: Arkansas Razorbacks baseball

The baseball team, led by former Razorback Dave Van Horn, has reached the postseason NCAA tournament every year except one (2016) since he began coaching the team in 2003. In 2012, they reached the College World Series compiling a 2–0 record in Omaha before falling in consecutive games to two times defending national champion South Carolina in the championship of Bracket Two. South Carolina was defeated in the National Championship Series by Arizona.

The Razorbacks most recently also reached the 2018 College World Series where they finished runner-up to Oregon State, joining previous appearances in Omaha in 1979 (finished runner-up); 1985; 1987, 1989, 2004, 2009, and 2015. The team plays home games at Baum Stadium, located just south of campus, and which finished several major renovations in 2004 and 2009.

Many Razorbacks players have gone on to the majors, perhaps the most successful is Cliff Lee, the 2008 AL Cy Young Award Winner, with the most recent being Dallas Keuchel of the Houston Astros.[8]

Track and field

[edit]

The track and field team was under the direction of John McDonnell for over 25 years (since the 1977–78 academic year). McDonnell's men's teams have won 40 NCAA championships since 1984, including 11 cross country, 19 indoor track and 10 outdoor track along with 37 Southwest Conference championships, and 38 of 40 SEC titles.[9] The Razorbacks, under his direction, won five NCAA National Triple Crowns, achieved by winning NCAA titles in cross country, indoor and outdoor track in the same school year. Arkansas and the University of Texas-El Paso (UTEP) are the only teams to have ever won the National Triple Crown. The track and field Razorbacks men completely dominated the sport during the 1990s, winning 24 of the 30 available titles. Now under the direction of coaches Chris Bucknam, Doug Case, and Travis Geopfert who headed field events before his departure in June 2024 to be the track and field/cross country director at Kansas State in Manhattan, Kansas, the men's track and field team still dominates the NCAA. They have won multiple SEC triple crowns along with two NCAA national championships since taking over in 2008.

Golf

[edit]

The Razorbacks golf teams are based at The Blessings golf course in Fayetteville. From the back tees of the course, the rating is 79.1 and its slope is 153, making it one of the most difficult golf courses in the U.S.

John Daly remains an avid fan of the Razorbacks even after the University of Arkansas misplaced his 1991 PGA Championship trophy that he loaned to them.

The men's golf team has won three conference championships: 1958 Southwest Conference and 1995 and 2019 Southeastern Conference. R. H. Sikes won the NCAA Championship in 1963 and the team place second in 2009.[10]

Women's sports

[edit]

Basketball

[edit]
Razorback Women during a basketball game.
Main article: Arkansas Razorbacks women's basketball

The Razorback women's basketball team plays home games in Bud Walton Arena, often referred to as the "Basketball Palace of Mid-America". The building is located on the University of Arkansas campus. The women's basketball team completed its 39th season in 2014–15, and has made 21 postseason appearances (from AIAW through the current NCAA era). The Razorbacks' made their first NCAA Women's Final Four appearance in 1998, with the help of team leader Christy Smith.[11]

Cross country

[edit]

The cross country track team is led by head coach Chris Johnson. They practice and compete on cross country course at the university's Agricultural Experiment Station north of the main campus. The course is also home to the men's cross country team. Harter is the first Arkansas coach to have his team ranked No. 1 in the nation, and has won more SEC cross country titles than any other member institution. The women's team won its first national championship at the NCAA Women's Division I Cross Country Championship in Terre Haute, Indiana, in November 2019. The win completed a calendar-year sweep after the university's indoor and outdoor track and field teams won their respective championships.

Golf

[edit]
Main article: Arkansas Razorbacks women's golf

The golf team is headed by coach Shauna Estes-Taylor. The team practices both at Blessings course, which is located a few minutes from the University of Arkansas campus in Johnson, Arkansas, and also at the Fred W. and Mary B. Smith Razorback Golf Training Facility—which is also located at Blessings course—which features both indoor and outdoor practice areas. The men's golf team utilizes both areas as well.

Gymnastics

[edit]

The gymnastics team is referred to as the GymBacks. They are head coached by former US Olympian Jordyn Wieber. They practice in the Bev Lewis Center for Women's Athletics and compete in Barnhill Arena, both of which are located on the University of Arkansas campus. The Gym'Backs have five NCAA Regional appearances (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008), advanced two individuals (Dana McQuillin and Casey Jo Magee) to the NCAA Championship and hosted the 2006 NCAA South Central Regional.[12]

At the 2006 Regionals, the Gym'Backs placed second in a six-team field, qualifying them for the NCAA National Championships for the first time. They repeated this feat in 2008.

Also in 2008, team members Michelle Stout and Casey Jo Magee, became the Gym'Backs first All-Americans. Stout reached the first-team status on vault while Magee became a two-time second-team member on vault and uneven bars.

The team is also the only team in the entire NCAA to have a coaching staff composed entirely of olympians.[13]

Soccer

[edit]
Main article: Arkansas Razorbacks women's soccer
Razorback Soccer Stadium

The soccer team is head coached by Colby Hale, and practice/play on Arkansas Field which is an exclusively soccer field on campus. Arkansas soccer is one of the oldest programs in the Southeastern Conference,[14] competing as a varsity sport since 1986.

Softball

[edit]
Main article: Arkansas Razorbacks softball

The softball team is coached by Courtney Deifel. They practice and play at Bogle Park, which opened during the 2008–09 season.

Swimming and diving

[edit]

The swimming and diving team is coached by Neil Harper. The team's facilities are the University of Arkansas Natatorium, which is located inside the HPER building (which also is home to student intramural facilities).

Tennis

[edit]

The tennis team's head coach is Michael Hegarty. The team's facilities are the Billingsley Center (outdoor) and the adjacent Dills Indoor Tennis Center. Tennis is one of the oldest varsity sports at Arkansas with a continuous history from the first year of the Women's Athletics Department in 1971–1972.

Track and field

[edit]

The track and field team is coached by Chris Johnson, who began in 2023, and has won nine NCAA Division I championships since 2015, five in indoor track and field and three in outdoor track and field and one in cross country. The team also swept the 2019 calendar, winning the indoor, outdoor and cross country national championships.

The team has indoor training and racing facilities at the Randal Tyson Track Center and outdoor facilities at John McDonnell Field. The teams are the most successful in the Southeastern Conference, winning 16 league titles including the first-ever SEC women's triple crown (a sweep of cross country, indoor and outdoor titles in the same season).[11] His program produced numerous NCAA champions and most recently Athens Olympics medalists Veronica Campbell (two gold medals and a bronze for Jamaica in sprints) and Deena (Drossin) Kastor. Kastor is one of America's premier distance runners, earning a marathon bronze medal in Athens and holding numerous distance and marathon records.

Volleyball

[edit]

The volleyball team has been coached by Jason Watson since 2016. They practice and play in Barnhill Arena. Robert Pulliza was the previous coach, from 2008 to 2015. Before Pulliza took over for Chris Poole in 2008, Poole's teams had won 11 SEC Western Division from their inaugural season in 1994.

Notable non-varsity sports

[edit]

Rugby

[edit]

Founded in 1971, the University of Arkansas Rugby Club is the longest-tenured sports club on campus.[15] Arkansas plays college rugby in the Division 1 Heart of America conference, a conference composed mostly of Big 12 and SEC teams. The team plays at Walker Park, just south of the Donald W. Reynolds Stadium. Arkansas rugby is led by head coach Warren Fyfe.

Arkansas has consistently been one of the best teams in the Heart of America conference, winning the conference title in the 2009–10 and 2010–11 school years,[16] and finishing second in 2011–12. Arkansas defeated Kansas 28–12 to reach the finals of the 2012 Heart of America 7s tournament, where they lost to Lindenwood.[17]

Ice Hockey

[edit]

The Razorback hockey program was founded in 2007 as a club team playing in the ACHA's Division III. Playing their first full season in 2008–09, the Hogs posted a 6–6–0 record in the SECHC: since then, the team has yet to record a losing season, with five SECHC titles in their history. This success allowed the first team to move up to ACHA Division I in 2015–16, playing in the WCHL: a second team was added by the club that remains in DIII and the SECHC. Eventually, the teams would merge back into one, play at the Division II level, and move to the MACHA when the SECHC left ACHA for a rival sanctioning body. In 2021, the Ice Hogs reached the ACHA Division II national final but lost to Hope College. Home games are played at the Jones Center Rink in nearby Springdale and attract large crowds, reflecting the growth in popularity of hockey in Northwest Arkansas. The club's biggest rival is Missouri State: the Razorbacks and Ice Bears play an annual home-and-away series, with great attendance at both venues.

Cycling

[edit]

The University of Arkansas Cycling Club is one of the fastest-growing sports clubs on campus. For the past five years, Arkansas Cycling Club has hosted its annual cycling event, the Arkansas Classic, which attracts collegiate and non-collegiate cyclists from over 10 states, some from as far as Minnesota and Wisconsin. The club represents the university in the South Central Collegiate Cycling Conference (SCCCC), competing against teams from Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. Arkansas Cycling competes in most disciplines of cycling, especially Road and Mountain at the local, state, regional and national levels. For the past three years, the club has sent multiple riders to the Collegiate National Championships, which in 2017 will be hosted in Grand Junction, CO.

Cycling as a hobby and transportation option is growing rapidly in Northwest Arkansas, which has seen demand for the club to diversify. Although Arkansas Cycling Club has a well-grounded racing team, it also offers a number of great membership benefits and community-orientated group rides to those riders who are looking to enjoy the sport of cycling without the competitiveness of racing. For more information, please visit the Arkansas Cycling webpage[18]

Rivalries

[edit]

Through the administrations of athletic directors John Barnhill, Frank Broyles, and Jeff Long, the University of Arkansas maintained a policy of not competing against other in-state Division I schools.[19][20][21] There are four other Division I schools in the state of Arkansas: Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (athletically branded as "Little Rock"), University of Arkansas at 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; Little Rock does not have football, while UAPB and UCA compete in the Football Championship Subdivision.

In 2021, Arkansas announced its first football game against Arkansas State would take place in 2025 at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.[21]

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. The rivalry in all other sports resumed in the fall of 2012 after 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. Since the University of Missouri has entered the Southeastern Conference, a new rivalry was created in 2014 called the Battle Line Rivalry that goes back and forth between both school in Football.

In basketball, the primary rival for the Razorbacks in the SEC is the Wildcats of the University of Kentucky. This rivalry developed in the 1990s during the coaching tenures of Rick Pitino at Kentucky and Nolan Richardson at Arkansas when both Kentucky and Arkansas were annually in competition for a national title.

In baseball, the main rivals of the Razorbacks are the LSU Tigers and the Ole Miss Rebels. In 2022, Arkansas and Ole Miss met each other in the College World Series. The Rebels won the first contest while the Razorbacks took the second, but it was Ole Miss who won the third and advanced to the National Championship. Ole Miss defeated Oklahoma to win their first national title in baseball.

Mascots

[edit]
See also: Tusk (mascot) and Big Red (University of Arkansas)
Tusk, the live mascot for the University of Arkansas.
Boss Hog entertains fans at a basketball game in 2010.

The live mascot for the University of Arkansas is named Tusk. He is a Russian boar that weighs in at approximately 400 pounds. Tusk currently resides on the Stokes family farm in Dardanelle, Ark., and makes a two-hour trek up to Northwest Arkansas for every Razorback football game. The current mascot, Tusk VI, is a direct descendant of Tusk I. The live mascot program at Arkansas is supported by the Tusk Fund, which is administered by the Razorback Foundation.[22]

There are a number of costumed mascots for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks that attend most major sporting events. Big Red (aka the "Fighting Razorback") is the traditional mascot for the university and represents the intimidating fighting spirit of the Razorbacks at all athletic events. Sue E., is the female hog and is famous for her costume changes and dancing ability. Pork Chop is the "kid" mascot. Boss Hog, a nine-foot inflatable mascot, joined the mascot family during the 1998–99 football season.

The Razorback was officially adopted as the university's mascot in 1909 after Hugo Bezdek, the coach at the time, stated after a big win that his team played like a "wild band of razorback hogs".[23] Subsequently, the razorback became the mascot for the entire university, replacing the cardinals as the official mascot. The only current athletic logo for the university is the classic or running hog as has been depicted on the program's football helmets.[24] The university has ceased manufacture of memorabilia with any of the other logos in an attempt to re-brand the athletic department.

National team championships

[edit]

NCAA team championships

[edit]

Arkansas has won 52 NCAA team national championships.[25]

Other national team championships

[edit]
  • Men's
    • Football (1): 1964

Arkansas' 1964 football team was recognized contemporaneously as the national champion by the Football Writers Association of America, Helms Athletic Foundation and Poling System, and retroactively by the College Football Researchers Association, Billingsley Report, National Championship Foundation, and Sagarin Ratings.[26] Although the NCAA has never bestowed championships at the highest level of football, the NCAA website lists Arkansas as one of three national champions in 1964 as chosen by selecting organizations, along with Alabama and Notre Dame.[27]

Notable athletes

[edit]

Football

[edit]

Basketball

[edit]

Baseball

[edit]

Golf

[edit]

Track and field

[edit]

Gymnastics

[edit]
  • Katherine Grable – 2014 NCAA Champion on Vault and Floor. Second in the All-Around at the NCAA Event Finals.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Hunter Yurachek Named Athletic Director". ArkansasRazorbacks.com. December 4, 2017. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  2. ^ "Color Palette & Fonts". Arkansas Razorbacks Brand Style Guide (PDF). June 16, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  3. ^ "The Collegiate Licensing Company - - Rankings Annual 2012-13". Archived from the original on August 14, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  4. ^ "Arkansas Traditions". UArk.edu. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  5. ^ "Arkansas to merge men's, women's programs". ESPN.com. November 15, 2007.
  6. ^ "Despite 20 wins this season, Arkansas fires Heath". ESPN. March 26, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  7. ^ "Arkansas fires coach John Pelphrey". ESPN. March 14, 2011. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  8. ^ "The Texas Rangers May Trade Kevin Millwood, But They're Giving Away Holiday Cheer." Article. Dallas Observer. Retrieved on December 13, 2009.
  9. ^ This the count does not include two outdoor track championships that were vacated by the NCAA (2004 and 2005).
  10. ^ "Arkansas 2012–2013 Men's Golf" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 28, 2013. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  11. ^ a b "W. Basketball Program History". May 18, 2015.
  12. ^ "2015 Record Book" (PDF). arkansasrazorbacks.com. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  13. ^ "HIGH PROFILE: Jordyn Wieber became an elite gymnast but pursued coaching after a leg injury". Arkansas Online. October 9, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  14. ^ "2008 Arkansas Razorbacks Soccer".
  15. ^ University of Arkansas, Men's Rugby, "About Men's Rugby - Men's Rugby - Intramural/Recreational Sports - University of Arkansas". Archived from the original on June 10, 2012. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
  16. ^ Rugby Mag, Arkansas Champs of HOA Again, November 19, 2010, [1]
  17. ^ Rugby Mag, September 2012 Scores, September 23, 2012, "September 2012 Scores". Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  18. ^ "Cycling - University of Arkansas". urec.uark.edu.
  19. ^ Hall, Wally (October 15, 2006). "Like it is: Arkansas-ASU would have to be better than this". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Archived from the original on October 25, 2006. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  20. ^ Bahn, Chris (September 27, 2012). "Now Red Wolves Vs. Razorbacks Debate No Longer Confined To Offseason Radio". Arkansas Business. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  21. ^ a b Lederman, Eli; Jones, Matt; Murphy, Tom (February 4, 2021). "In a state football first, UA, ASU to meet in '25". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  22. ^ "Ticket Office Information". January 24, 2015. Archived from the original on August 13, 2013.
  23. ^ MacCambridge, Michael (September 1, 2005). ESPN College Football Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Game. ESPN. ISBN 1401337031.
  24. ^ "The Razorback". University of Arkansas. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  25. ^ "Championships summary through Jan. 1, 2022" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 20, 2014. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  26. ^ College football national championships in NCAA Division I FBS
  27. ^ NCAA College Football Championship History
  28. ^ "USATF - Hall of Fame". www.usatf.org.
  29. ^ "Jarrion Lawson Wins The Bowerman ::: The Bowerman: The Nation's Top Award for Collegiate Track & Field Athletes". The Bowerman. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
  30. ^ "Virginia "Gi-Gi" Miller-Johnson". USA Track & Field. Archived from the original on January 21, 2009.
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