For the first time ever, Arkansas will play Arkansas State on the gridiron.

The Razorbacks announced that matchup as part of a larger deal with Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium. Arkansas will face its in-state rival for the first time in 2025.

It wasn’t that long ago that this seemed like an impossibility. Former Arkansas coach Bret Bielema once said it would ‘never’ happen.

Arkansas also announced a handful of other nonconference games that will take place in Little Rock in future years, including two matchups with Arkansas Pine Bluff and one game vs. Western Carolina. The first game against APB is set for Oct. 23, 2021.

This continues a long tradition of Arkansas playing games in front of fans in Little Rock at War Memorial Stadium.

“We are grateful to the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism and War Memorial Stadium for working with us to be able to host some historic in-state matchups at War Memorial Stadium, while also allowing us to host Southeastern Conference games on our campus,” Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek said in a statement. “The Razorback program belongs to our entire state and as we have shown in many of our sports, it is important that we continue to maintain a presence in Central Arkansas. It is also essential we provide our coaching staff the opportunity to showcase our campus during SEC games to potential student-athletes.”

Arkansas will also face UAB in Fayetteville in 2024. Additionally, games against Missouri in 2021 and 2023 will now take place in Fayetteville instead of Little Rock.

The Red Wolves have had success in recent years and are currently transitioning to new head coach Butch Jones. Blake Anderson left Jonesboro after the 2020 season to take the Utah State job.

Arkansas-Arkansas State is scheduled for Sept. 6, 2025.