FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas announced Thursday an upcoming home-and-home football series with Brigham Young University.
The Razorbacks and the Cougars are scheduled to meet for the first time on the football field in 2022 in Provo, Utah. BYU will make the return trip to Fayetteville in 2023.
The agreement further cements Arkansas' marquee non-conference games for the next decade. Upcoming opponents include Colorado State, of the Mountain West Conference; Texas and Oklahoma State, of the Big 12 Conference; and independents BYU and Notre Dame.
According to the scheduled dates, Colorado State will visit Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Sept. 14, 2019; Arkansas will meet the Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium on Sept. 12, 2020; Texas will travel to Fayetteville on Sept. 11, 2021; BYU will first host Arkansas on Oct. 15, 2022, at Lavell Edwards Stadium; the return leg of the series will be held in Fayetteville on Sept. 23, 2023; the Razorbacks and Cowboys will renew their rivalry on Sept. 7, 2024, at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla.; and Arkansas will host Notre Dame in 2025 and Oklahoma State in 2027.
The Southeastern Conference mandates teams play at least one opponent from another Power 5 conference or an independent each season. Arkansas has traditionally played only one, while many other programs schedule two or more per year.
Arkansas previously met TCU in 2016 and 2017, Texas Tech in 2014 and 2015, Rutgers in 2012 and 2013, and Texas in Austin in 2008. The 2021 game with the Longhorns is the second game of the previously scheduled series. The Razorbacks also met Texas A&M for three years in the Southwest Classic at the Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, before the Aggies joined the SEC.
The SEC granted a waiver to Arkansas for the 2018 and 2019 seasons without Power 5 opponents after Michigan canceled a series with Arkansas to renew its rivalry with Notre Dame. The Wolverines paid $2 million to buy out the contract.
Colorado State was scheduled to play in Fayetteville in 2019 for a fee of $1.3 million. The fee was canceled after a second game was scheduled in Fort Collins, Colo., giving the Rams a rare home game against an SEC team. Arkansas led, 27-9, in the third quarter of the game in September, but Colorado State rallied for a 34-27 victory.
Arkansas' series with Notre Dame was announced in 2017. The series with Oklahoma State was finalized last month.
Sports on 11/02/2018