Report: To continue hosting games, War Memorial Stadium in need of major renovations
By Paul Harvey
Published:
It looks like Arkansas’ tradition of playing one game annually at War Memorial Stadium is in jeopardy.
According to a recent report, the Razorbacks have indicated that Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium is in need of serious upgrades and renovations in order to continue hosting Hogs football games. Arkansas has played at the stadium annually since 1948 with the current agreement to play there set to expire following the 2018 season.
The report listed numerous improvements that are needed along with the discrepancy in revenue between on and off campus games. Matt Jones with Whole Hog Sports shared the story. The total cost of the renovations is around $10 million:
Up to $10 million in improvements are needed for War Memorial Stadium to continue hosting Arkansas Razorbacks football games, according to documents and emails exchanged between officials of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.
Jones also indicated the per-game revenue between games on campus far exceeds that of games at War Memorial Stadium:
UA officials have determined the average per-game net revenue at Razorback Stadium is $7.4 million, double that of War Memorial’s $3.7 million, and that the difference in net revenue for 2018 and beyond is projected to rise to $4.7 million per game.
The Razorbacks most recent game in Little Rock was this year’s season opener. They took down Florida A&M 49-7 in that matchup.
The tradition of playing a game in Little Rock is a neat one, but it will be interesting to see if the Razorbacks continue to do so.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
