On Thursday, the SEC announced that it will transition from an eight-conference game model to a nine-game model in 2026, featuring three permanent opponents and six rotating opponents, essentially retaining historic rivalries.
The problem for Arkansas is which rivalries?
Ask five Razorback fans which three teams Arkansas should face every year, and you’ll probably get five different answers. Still, a handful stand out as the most logical rivals: Texas, LSU, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and, unfortunately, Missouri. Beyond those, there are a few more programs without much history that could still blossom into compelling rivalries.
Arkansas football's must-have annual opponents
Texas
Hogs v. Horns is a match-up that Arkansas, Texas, and college football fans deserve. It’s been more than thirty years since Arkansas joined the SEC, and in that time, a lot of people—even some Texas fans—have forgotten just how much bad blood once fueled this rivalry. Their recollections cleared up on Sept. 11, 2021, though.
Last season, in the teams' first contest as conference opponents, the Razorbacks faced a No. 4 Texas team. Arkansas was just trying to become bowl eligible at that point, while the Longhorns were on their way to making the SEC championship and the College Football Playoffs.
Still, the Hog were able to hold off Texas' offense for much of the game. In the fourth quarter, Arkansas was only down by three points. Despite being the less-successful program in recent history, the passion still burns bright for Arkansas when they play Texas.
LSU
This is a game that's become one of Razorback Nation's most anticipated each season. Even though the match-up has lost a bit of its luster since the conference moved it from Black Friday to earlier in the season, it's still a trophy game.
The Golden Boot is one of the more impressive trophies in college football, weighing in at between 175 and 200 pounds. Cast out of 24 karat gold in the shape of Arkansas and Louisiana, it's valued at around $10,000. It would be a shame not to see it on TV every season, but the "Battle for the Boot" is more than just a pretty trophy. There's history behind it.
Sure, the Tigers basically own the series, but the games have often been spectacular. Both of the 'Miracle on Markham' games and Arkansas' win against No. 1 LSU—eventual national champions—in 2007 were some of the most memorable games in Arkansas history. But even the losses weren't bad games overall. Five of the last seven games, and 14 of the 29 Golden Boot series games in total, have been decided by one score or less.
Oklahoma
Although there's hardly any history between the two programs, Oklahoma could be an incredible rivalry if the two teams would just let it happen. The Hogs and Sooners have never faced off in the regular season. They've only played 3 times post-segregation, and all three were in the postseason. Overall, they've played 15 times with OU leading the series 10-4-1. But what they lack in history, they make up for in proximity.
Norman, Okla., is only 247 miles from Fayetteville, and more importantly, the cultures are similar. Folks who live in eastern Oklahoma and western Arkansas, you can't drive through town without seeing someone wearing the other team's logo. Honestly, it's puzzling why the game hasn't been played more.