Liberty Bowl honors UA fans

AutoZone Liberty Bowl Executive Director Steve Ehrhart and 2009 AutoZone Liberty Bowl Festival Association President Kevin Kane were in Fayetteville yesterday to honor Razorback fans for their overwhelming response to the invitation Arkansas received to play East Carolina on Jan. 2, 2010, in Memphis. Ehrhart and Kane joined UA Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long, UA football head coach Bobby Petrino and the football team on court at halftime of Saturday’s basketball game against Stephen F. Austin. As part of the ceremony, fans had the opportunity to see the AutoZone Liberty Bowl Trophy, which will be presented to the winner of the game. The Arkansas athletic department announced Saturday that it had sold out its total allotment of more than 25,500 tickets to the game. The total is more than double the allotment UA originally received for the game (12,000). Prior to Saturday’s basketball game, the media was invited to meet with Ehrhart and Kane who indicated they believe Arkansas will have approximately 50,000 fans in Memphis since thousands of Razorback fans have purchased their tickets through the bowl game. The Razorbacks will be making their 37th bowl appearance and first under head coach Bobby Petrino. The appearance will be the fourth in the Liberty Bowl for Arkansas all-time (1971, 1984 and 1987). The AutoZone Liberty Bowl will be aired live nationally on ESPN at 4:30 p.m. CT.