Texas A&M and Arkansas officials are close to finalizing a non-conference football series at the new Cowboys stadium in Arlington starting in 2009, a source close to the negotiations told The Dallas Morning News.
The schools are close to signing a six- to eight-year deal that would bring a potential blockbuster matchup to the area that could rival the annual Texas-Oklahoma game at Fair Park. Arkansas officials are expected to fly to the area this week for one final look at the stadium and the contract, the source said.
A&M spokesman Alan Cannon said he could not confirm a contract with Arkansas. He did say the school was considering a non-conference game at the new Cowboys stadium. Arkansas and Cowboys officials could not be reached.
A&M athletic director Bill Byrne has made no secret about his desire to play a high-profile game in North Texas. For months, it was thought A&M would play Texas Tech. An Arkansas game would effectively take those plans off the table.
Byrne was asked about the possibility of bringing a Big 12 game to the Dallas area during an Internet chat with fans hosted by The News on Aug. 29.
"It's more likely for us to look at a non-conference game," Byrne said then. "We haven't established an opponent yet, but we're very interested in being in the Metroplex starting in 2009."
The game could generate millions for both schools, just like the Texas-OU game does. However, A&M and Arkansas would play in a new, $1 billion stadium, as opposed to the aging Cotton Bowl. The new Cowboys stadium can be configured to hold a maximum of 100,000 fans. If school officials charged a premium ticket price, possibly $90 to $100, ticket sales alone would generate at least $9 million.
One potential snag could be Arkansas' current scheduling of games in Little Rock, Ark.
The Razorbacks traditionally play a couple of games in the state capital every season. It's unclear how moving one of those games to Arlington would affect Arkansas' future schedules.
A&M and Arkansas played each other for decades as members of the now-defunct Southwest Conference. The schools haven't played each other since 1991.
1 comment:
I'm all for this. The more old SWC foes on the schedule the better, even if it is SMU. I was surprised to see how Arkansas has dominated the series against A&M, though. Look for more of the same.
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