There's been a sentiment around the Razorback fanbase that Arkansas is a 'basketball school,' especially after hiring John Calipari to lead the team. And it's fair.
The basketball program has reached at least a Sweet Sixteen in four of the last five seasons, while football has sat just below .500 in the same period. When fans believe that, it's not a problem. Because deep down, the love for football will always be there, and if/when it returns to prominence, the fans will be right back in those seats at Razorback Stadium.
It only becomes a problem when that same sentiment seeps into the minds of the people in power, those who implement policies around Arkansas athletics.
Has Arkansas given up on its football team?
On the Locked On Razorbacks Podcast Tuesday, host John Nabors levied a wild--but disastrous if true--allegation claiming the administration at the University of Arkansas has basically given up on the football program.
"But something that I've heard, and it was kind of reiterated to me again yesterday... is that it seems like there is an idea among the administration at the Univeristy of Arkansas in the Athletic department that football at Arkansas can only do so much," said Nabors.
"Every few years or so, the hope that [the administration] has is that [the football program] can be competitive on occasion... more often than not, they're just going to have to be accepting average to possibly below average because that's just the way it is... They've accepted that fate."
If this report is true, it's the highest form of malpractice that collegiate athletic administrators can have. For a moment, let's forget about the history, tradition, and nostalgia that comes from the great Razorback football teams of the past. On an economic level, football is the cash cow of every college athletic department that has a program, and to say, "It is what is," to being mediocre is foolish and can go as far as negligent.
During the 2023 fiscal year, Arkansas athletics generated $167.3 million in revenue, and $72.5 million came from the football program. How can an athletic department be seen as competent when it semi-openly quits on the sport that brings in 43.3 percent of the revenue in a season where the team went 4-8? Is it because they believe fans will continue to spend their hard-earned money year in and year out for a poor product? Arkansas fans are hopeful, but they're not stupid.
What's more, Arkansas has competed at a high level in the recent past. So, why is it so unfathomable to expect more than mediocrity?
Only 15 years ago, Arkansas was a legitimate national championship contender. And the man who led Arkansas to those heights is literally on the coaching staff as this conversation occurs. It is in no uncertain terms that the administrator(s)--if they have indeed shared this attitude--should not sit in a position of power for Arkansas athletics, nor should they work for any athletic program with a football team.
On an emotional level, it's completely disheartening to hear. Arkansas football is loved by many, both native and adopted Arkansans. It's like having a childhood pet that's been by your side for years, but you've just learned there's a cancer threatening its life.
Fans should still seek a second opinion about the alleged 'cancer' inside the Arkansas administration; grabbing the torches and pitchforks isn't needed yet. But if Nabors' source is accurate, the surgery to remove it needs to happen swiftly and as painless as possible.