Sam Pittman stressing historical importance of Arkansas playing in Little Rock to players

Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman knows what his speech to the team Friday is going to be about: War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Ark., and why it is an important part of the team’s culture.

The Razorbacks are returning to their state capital home this weekend for the first time since 2021 when they go up against Western Carolina. It is the 75th anniversary of the field opening in 1948 and Arkansas playing at the field for the first time.

“We really haven’t except for the fact that when we play on artificial turf, we flip practice fields,” Pittman said during a media availability this week. “All our good on good, all our kicking, all that has been on our practice turf. So we have done that but other than that we haven’t really talked a lot about it. On my Friday talk to the team. I will talk about the history of War Memorial and the history of the team going into Little Rock so the kids will know it’s a big deal. They need to know what’s the big deal to me and they need to know to a huge deal to the state of Arkansas.”

War Memorial Stadium has hosted over 200 Razorback games over the years, including a good stretch in the 20th Century when it hosted as many or more games than Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. For example, during the team’s 1964 national championship season, Arkansas played three games in Fayetteville and three game in Little Rock.

But that changed once the 21st Century came around as former athletic director Frank Broyles announced in 2000 that he was going to move another home game back to Fayetteville. While there was enough resistance at the time to keep two games in Little Rock for another decade, it was a harbinger of what was to come. Arkansas scaled back to one game at War Memorial Stadium and then one game every two years.

That one game every two years cycle will end after the 2024 season with what’s to come next for War Memorial Stadium hosting Arkansas football is unknown.

Saturday’s game was originally set to kick off in the afternoon at 3 p.m. CT but will now start at Noon CT.

“ith the weather forecast calling for temperatures in the mid 90s and high humidity on Saturday afternoon, shifting the game time up will allow for safer conditions for the student-athletes on the field and fans in attendance,” Arkansas’ press release on the matter read.