The Arkansas Razorbacks have been in search of a Power Five non-conference opponent for the 2018 and 2019 season after Michigan canceled their series and left the Razorbacks in a pickle.
Apparently unable to find a Power Five team to play in both seasons, Arkansas has received a waiver from the SEC and will be able to count the Colorado State Rams.
Arkansas was already scheduled to host Colorado State on Sept. 14, 2019. Today, that single-game was essentially converted into a home-and-home series, and the Razorbacks will take on the Rams at Colorado State Stadium in Fort Collins on Sept. 8, 2018.
“We are appreciative of the assistance of the Southeastern Conference and Colorado State University in filling the scheduling void created by the cancellation of a home-and-home series with a Big Ten opponent,” Arkansas Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long said. “Since we received the news of that cancellation this past summer, we worked on a number of scenarios to meet the SEC requirement, but were ultimately unable to find a Power 5 conference opponent at this late date. I would like to thank Commissioner Sankey and the other SEC AD’s for their cooperation with the waiver. Colorado State is an outstanding program with a beautiful new football stadium. We look forward to our series with them in the coming years.”
The addition of a game at Colorado State completes the non-conference schedule for Arkansas in 2018. The Hogs are also scheduled to host Eastern Illinois (Sept. 1), North Texas (Sept. 15), and Tulsa (Oct. 20).
“This is exciting for our football program and for our fans,” said Colorado State head coach Mike Bobo. “Being able to bring an SEC opponent to Fort Collins speaks to the growth of our program and also speaks to the impact our new on-campus stadium is already making. We want to challenge ourselves in our non-conference schedule and also bring those quality opponents to our home field and our fans.”
Colorado State has also completed their non-conference schedule in 2018. In addition to hosting Arkansas, the Rams face Colorado in Denver (Sept. 1), play at Florida (Sept. 15), and host Illinois State (Sept. 22).
Football Schedules