Missouri is a permanent football rival for Arkansas: GET PUMPED!
Well, the BattleLine Rivalry folks are going to be right, after all.
Missouri was named Arkansas’ permanent (for what that’s worth) rival earlier in the week as the SEC football schedule for 2024 is being hashed out. The reason for the fervor more than normal? Texas and Oklahoma are scheduled to join that year, creating a need for a new setup.
Yes, Arkansas and Missouri, how exciting.
The Hogs may not get Texas A&M on a yearly basis anymore. They may not get Texas or Oklahoma or either of the Mississippi schools. They’ll get Missouri, a school with which the only history is a largely manufactured one after the Tigers joined the SEC just last decade.
And, no, it isn’t the most appealing rivalry. But it actually may be the best outcome for Arkansas.
Missouri has largely owned the series since joining the conference. The Tigers are 8-4 against the Hogs since 2014. About half of those Mizzou wins are considered upsets, though, meaning Arkansas’ odds of beating Missouri year-in and year-out are relatively high.
Higher than they would be against perennial powerhouse Oklahoma or almost-always-good Texas and Texas A&M. That doesn’t mean that Arkansas won’t get any of those teams year after year – the league powers-that-be are still figuring out how to sort everything – but it does mean historical rivalries may be taking a break.
And, really, that might not be bad for the Hogs.
