:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56157615/457849776.0.jpg)
Yes college football scheduling is ridiculous. The players that will be freshman for the 2025 season are currently 11. That doesn’t stop the SEC from scheduling their conference games through that year. So what do those schedules look like?
After seeing an awesome looking graphic from @HailStateUnis we wanted to look at Arkansas’ schedule the same way. Our photoshop skills may not match but you get the idea.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9035931/Arkansas_Future_Schedule.png)
First impression is that there are quite a few holes left to fill. Which is fine, there’s still plenty of time to do so. The green shaded spots are what still needs to be filled. Right now the Home game against Texas in 2021 and the series with Notre Dame are the only finalized ones. Fitting with the pattern Jeff Long wants, 2022 and 2024 will likely be on the road and 2023 at home. There is also the possibility of getting a neutral site game coming out of nowhere too.
The even years are always going to be more kind for the Hogs on the SEC front. Those years Arkansas gets both Alabama and LSU at home and only two SEC West road games as long as the A&M deal doesn’t change. They’ll get Missouri on the road as well which means the opposing SEC East game is in Fayetteville. Don’t ask me if that’s a good thing or not because there is no way of knowing what each SEC team will look in 5 years.
The only thing we know about games in Little Rock is that 2018 is the last year they have contracted right now. Since the last two FCS games were in Little Rock there is no reason to think that changes. I would expect to hear something about the future of games in War Memorial after this season.
The only year we know all 12 games is next year, and the schedule sets up really well for the Hogs to have a good year. With road games against Colorado State, Missouri, Auburn, and Mississippi State, the Hogs have things setting up right to have a successful year.
Scheduling group of five games and FCS games is pretty much a crapshoot. That won’t stop us from wild speculation though. Looking back at previous schedules, there are a lot of games against teams from Texas and Louisiana. I wouldn’t be surprised to see names like UTSA, Tulane, Rice, or North Texas show up soon.
Who would you like to Arkansas fill those power 5 spots with? Would you want another neutral site game? Let us know!