From The Desk of Your AD

Hello Razorbacks!

As we enter the month of October, I wanted to take an opportunity to thank the most passionate fans in the nation for their support so far this season. From our first two home football games at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium to the thousands of fans who traveled to support our football team at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, we are appreciative of your support. While your continued loyalty of our program is not a surprise, it will never be taken for granted. Thank you!

As we get set to embark on a five-game football homestand, I want to encourage you and other Razorback fans to show up early and be loud to help support our student-athletes competing on the field for the University of Arkansas. That begins with this weekend’s game against No. 1 Alabama. It is a big weekend on campus as many of our sports will be hosting potential future Razorbacks on campus. We want to show them what being a Razorback is all about. I know that with an 11 a.m. kickoff, that will mean an earlier than usual wake-up call, but we want you and need you this weekend as we battle the Crimson Tide.

Next weekend, we will head to our home in Central Arkansas, War Memorial Stadium, for a rivalry game with Ole Miss (Oct. 13). With the kickoff at 6:30 p.m., that will provide plenty of opportunities to tailgate and enjoy the day before the Hogs take on the Rebels that night. I look forward to witnessing my first Little Rock game and the festivities that surround a game in Central Arkansas. There has been a great response for tickets thus far and we need your help in making sure we have a great crowd to cheer on our team. It should be a special weekend for all Razorbacks.

Make It A Weekend
While on your way into town to attend a football game, I encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity to catch some exciting action involving other Razorback teams. This weekend alone, our soccer, baseball and volleyball teams will be competing on campus. Our soccer team is one of the hottest programs in the nation coming off a 5-1-1 record in the month of September including an upset of No. 2 Texas A&M. Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams are off to a strong start after sweeping the team titles at the recent Chile Pepper Invitational.

On Friday night, volleyball will be taking on Ole Miss at Barnhill Arena while the baseball team will be playing a fall exhibition game against Wichita State at Baum Stadium. This is the first year the NCAA has allowed baseball to play outside competition in the fall. The OmaHogs will play Wichita State this Friday and then the Little Rock Trojans on Friday, Oct. 12 at 4:30 p.m. at Gary Hogan Field, the night before our football game at War Memorial Stadium.

Be sure to check out all the ways you can cheer on the Hogs with the 2018 Arkansas Football Home Game Weekend Events schedule. (Click Here)

Hogs & Hoops
Earlier this week, both our men’s and women’s basketball teams took the court for their first official practices of the 2018-19 seasons. Razorback fans will enjoy getting to know some of the talented newcomers on both of those squads. Of course, there will be some familiar faces as well, including Daniel Gafford helping lead the men’s squad and Malica Monk running the point for the women’s team.

Coach Mike Anderson welcomes a top 25 recruiting class to accompany his returners. The 2018-19 home schedule is packed with great matchups including Indiana, Georgia Tech and Florida. Coach Mike Neighbors’ squad returns 10 of 11 letterwinners, including 80.3% of its scoring from last season.

Now is the time to make certain you can be a part of the excitement for as little as $45. Both men’s and women’s season tickets are still available. Click below for more information.

Men’s Basketball Tickets
Women’s Basketball Tickets

ONE Hog Call
Just more than a month ago, on Friday, August 31 at 1 p.m. CST, fans all over the world – in 40-plus U.S. states, 16 foreign countries and beyond – dropped what they were doing and called the Hogs in unison to kick off the new year and show support for all Razorback student-athletes. The event marked the most widespread, simultaneous Hog Call in history.

Razorback fans answered the call to Call the Hogs, with approximately 1,250 fans attending university-sponsored events in Fayetteville and Little Rock, and thousands joining virtually and posting about the events on social media using #ONEHogCall.

I encourage you to review the infographic at the bottom of this newsletter for a summary of the #ONEHogCall event.

Thank you to all who helped us show the unity of the Razorback Nation. Stay tuned to hear more about the future ONE Hog Call events and other details on our ONE Razorback initiative.

A Few Snout Outs
Before we wrap up this edition of From the Desk of Your AD, I want to offer some congratulations to some former Razorbacks who have made some news recently.

Detroit Lions’ rookie Frank Ragnow is off to a great start and drew extensive praise from former NFL player and commentator Chris Collinsworth on a recent nationally televised game against the Patriots. Best of luck to Frank and all of our former Razorbacks playing in the NFL.

This week the Major League Baseball playoffs got underway with two former Razorbacks competing for a World Series title with their teams. I know many Razorback fans will be tuned in throughout October to watch Dallas Keuchel (Houston Astros) and Andrew Benintendi (Boston Red Sox) as they compete for the crown.

The NBA season tips off October 16 and several former Razorbacks will be taking the court. We wish all the best to Bobby Portis (Chicago Bulls), Patrick Beverley (LA Clippers), Daryl Macon (Dallas Mavericks) and Jaylen Barford (Charlotte Hornets) as they prepare for the start of the regular season.

Finally, I want to congratulate nine former Razorbacks who were recently announced (Read Here) as the latest University of Arkansas inductees into the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame. Join us on Nov. 5 at the Little Rock Touchdown Club in Little Rock as we honor: Gary Anderson (football), Bobby Crockett (football), Marvin Delph (basketball), Peter Doohan (tennis, deceased), Glen Ray Hines (football), Tim Lollar (baseball), Reuben Reina (track & field), Jimmy Walker (football), Tracy Webb-Rice (women’s basketball).
Hope to see you On the Hill or in Central Arkansas in the coming weeks as we Stand as ONE Razorback!

 

One Hog Call