5-game deal will help Monroe stay in I-A
Posted on Saturday, January 31, 2004
FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas will be a visitor in its own house.
The Razorbacks extended their football contract to play Louisiana-Monroe at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock through the 2012 season, playing in even-numbered years, but the Indians will be designated the home team. Arkansas will host the game, handle all ticket arrangements and the like, but the designation will help Louisiana-Monroe meet Division I-A attendance requirements.
A new NCAA rule requires Division I-A teams to average 15,000 in attendance for two consecutive years or possibly lose their division status. Arkansas averaged 52,357 at its War Memorial games the past four years.
If 52,357 show up for the Indians’ "home game"against Arkansas this fall, Louisiana-Monroe would have to average just 10,849 in its remaining nine home games in 2004-2005 to meet NCAA qualifications.
Indians Athletic Director David Hanks said Louisiana-Monroe averaged more than 11,000 this past season, including one game that was delayed more than an hour by weather.
Arkansas sports information director Kevin Trainor said NCAA teams can only have one home game at an off-campus site per year, so one of the two games the Razorbacks play in Little Rock has been designated as neutral anyway.
The game will be a part of the Razorbacks’ season-ticket package and fulfill the requirement to play two games in Little Rock that arose from the stadium debate a few years ago.
Arkansas will still pay Louisiana-Monroe a $500,000 guarantee for each game. The Razorbacks have found it difficult to find a Division I-A team willing to play in Arkansas without requiring a trip to the other team’s home.
This way, both teams have it both ways. The Razorbacks get a game against a Division I-A opponent in Arkansas, while the Indians get $500,000 and 52,000-plus fans on their ledger. "This was a great opportunity for us to establish a long-term series while helping Louisiana-Monroe retain its Division I-A status,"Arkansas Athletic Director Frank Broyles said in a statement. "Our players and our fans won’t notice any difference between these games and regular home games at War Memorial Stadium. This is just a way to help them as well as ensure that we maintain the number of in-state games we need to meet our obligations financially."
Hanks said the game is a good one for the Indians because the trip from Monroe to Little Rock is not a difficult one for Indians ’ fans. The attendance boost is much-needed for Louisiana-Monroe. "It provides us some cushion for unforeseen events,"said Hanks, referring to the rain-delayed game from 2003. "I think it’s a win-win. It’s home and home and home and home and home for both of us."
Hanks said, jokingly, that he didn’t think the Indians would have home-field advantage when the teams played at War Memorial, where the Razorbacks have never lost in Houston Nutt’s five seasons, compiling a 16-0 record.
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