Arkansas AD open to moving 2025 game vs Memphis football because of stadium construction

Posted by Admin September 16, 2024 Football

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Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek said Monday night that he would be open to moving next season’s Arkansas vs. Memphis football game to Fayetteville if Memphis officials are interested.

“I’d be open to looking at both of our schedules and potentially doing a swap of the dates of the game,” Yurachek said before an appearance at the Memphis Touchdown Club. “If it worked better for them to have the game that was played in Memphis in future years when the stadium is done, I’d be willing to look at moving that game to Fayetteville next year.”

The game is set for Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium on Sept. 20, 2025. It’s part of a two-for-one deal where the Tigers will travel to Fayetteville for games in 2026 and 2028. But the stadium is in the midst of a $220 million renovation that isn’t scheduled to be completed until after the 2025 season.

That means the Arkansas-Memphis game is expected to take place at a limited-capacity stadium. This year’s capacity is 33,691, but that number could be higher by the time next season rolls around. Arkansas fans are expected to travel to the game, and there could be more demand than capacity.

“I just learned of that today,” Yurachek said. “It wasn’t on my mind that the stadium was under construction, that it’s still going to be under construction next season. That’s a two-for-one series, where there are two games in Fayetteville and one in Memphis, so that’s maybe an opportunity if there’s an interest for it to switch the dates of those games and play this game next year in Fayetteville and give Memphis the opportunity to host a game in a future year when their stadium is done.”

Still, Yurachek said he has not yet had any discussions with Memphis officials about the potential to move the game. Memphis has a new AD in Ed Scott, and while Yurachek said he knows Scott, they have not talked since Scott arrived in Memphis.

“I just think regional games are a big deal and should be scheduled, and just make financial sense for both schools,” Yurachek said.

Memphis-Arkansas basketball game up to coaches

Memphis has long wanted to schedule men’s basketball games with Arkansas. The programs met last season in the Battle 4 Atlantis, but that was their first matchup in 20 years.

Memphis coach Penny Hardaway said in April that he was hopeful a regular-season game would happen, especially now that former Memphis coach John Calipari is at Arkansas. Yurachek said he leaves basketball scheduling up to the coaches, but said it would be a “great game.”

“Coach Cal handles his schedule, and I’m sure Coach Hardaway does as well,” Yurachek said. “I think that’d be a great game, and obviously there’s a tie-in with Coach Cal having been here at Memphis. I wouldn’t be surprised to see that game on the schedule in future years, but I’ve had no conversation with anybody at Memphis about that. That’s really Coach Cal’s deal.”

Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan