Breaking down Arkansas hate for Texas as Longhorns move into SEC

Arkansas really doesn’t like Texas and the two will see each other again this fall on the football field as the two schools are now SEC foes.

The long time rivals go back a long time. The Razorbacks hate the Longhorns and vice versa. But there might be more hate from the Arkansas end of things. 

Inside Texas’ Joe Cook broke down the hate from Arkansas but noted the transition from a few years ago to now based on Texas’ trajectory.

“You know, one of the cool things about Reynolds Razorback Stadium, that’s an open air press box,” Cook said on Andy Staples On3. “That may have been the loudest road environment until I got to Bryant Denny that I’ve been to and that’s a you know, I think 75,000 person stadium but that 75,000 person Stadium was just vitriolic. That place has a hate for Texas unlike a lot of other schools, even Oklahoma and even Texas A&M, and they put it on the Longhorns that day. 

“That was year one of Sark, game two of Sark. They were switching quarterbacks, the team wasn’t prepared and Arkansas was and they were able to play to the crowd. The fans had fun with the SEC bit doing the chants and things like that. But you look back at that and think of oh wow, soft Texas you know, Sark’s not getting it done. Can’t prepare a team and now look, we’re just we’re about to talk about Sark’s contract extension.” 

How things change right? Texas just won the Big 12 and were a few plays away from a College Football Playoff national title game appearance.

“And now they are a playoff team,” Cook said. “And now you know, a couple years later, Sam Pittman is hanging on in Fayetteville because he has a good record since the 2020 season. So things can change in the sport very quickly. It can change slowly and Sarkisian’s ability to build up the program, they’re gonna have to need it in Fayetteville because like he said that place has a lot of hate for Texas. 

“That’s the type of environment that can add a little bit of effort, add, maybe a point or two on the spread, but it’s part of what makes this SEC move great. Not only are you keeping your Oklahoma rivalry … You’re getting the Arkansas rivalry, one that I think both at least Arkansas wants to maintain, Texas probably does too.”