Hardin doesn’t want to live in Hog Heaven
Anywhere you go in Arkansas, somebody is wearing a Razorbacks shirt or driving around with a Hog on his license plate. Even in Jonesboro, where a small segment of the population shows its love for the hometown Arkansas State Fill-in-the-Blanks, people show up to class with Arkansas gear.
Well, University of Central Arkansas president Lu Hardin has had enough of the state’s and Conway’s love affair with the Razorbacks. He has sent a letter to the Conway Area Chamber of Commerce that he would like people in the community to cease and desist from showing their love for the Hogs and instead express their Purple Pride. UCA athletics moved up to Division I last year and the university is growing. But you don’t see any “Go Bears Go” signs on hillsides near Atkins, do you?
It seems like Hardin is facing an uphill battle to get what he wants, but he does make some valid points in his anecdotal note:
To Conway Area Chamber of Commerce Members,
As Mary and I were leaving Conway on our way to the UCA/Missouri State
game, we noticed a local bank with employees wearing Razorback
t-shirts. UCA Vice President Kelley Erstine had a similar experience with a
credit union whose employees were wearing Razorback shirts. A coffee
shop had a sign on the drive-in window that said, “We love the
Razorbacks”.Mary received her bachelor’s in business administration from
UA-Fayetteville and I received my juris doctorate from UA-Fayetteville. We spent our first year of marriage on the campus. Conway can be supportive of
the Razorbacks, but remember that our primary duty is to our local
colleges.A study by Dr. Roger Lewis indicates that UCA pumps $150 million
directly into Conway’s economy. That is not the dollar turned over, but
direct impact. Many businesses would not exist, or their revenue would be
down more than 50 percent if UCA were not in the city.We have 12,700 students and almost 2,000 full and part-time employees. Please remember that our almost $83 million payroll is not included in what we spendon construction projects. Right now, UCA has $24 million of
construction in the pipeline. The deposits in credit unions and banks, as well
as purchases in stores, are not being made by employees of the
UA-Fayetteville but by UCA employees and students. A Razorback fan might stop for a $5 hamburger and fries, but it won’t approach the $150 million
that helps keep the pulse of Conway alive and thriving.We are very grateful for Paint the Town Purple Day and for the
businesses that already wear purple on game days. We are asking business
employees to wear purple or UCA shirts, instead of Razorback shirts, on
Fridays and Saturdays during football season. In the fall, you can pull
for the Razorbacks, but remember that UCA is our home team and the
economic engine that helps drive Conway. During basketball season, I
encourage businesses to wear not only UCA shirts but Hendrix as well, as
Hendrix is also a key part of our economy and culture.GO BEARS! Wear purple, or orange, when appropriate.
11 Responses to “Hardin doesn’t want to live in Hog Heaven”
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Respect is something you earn, not ask for!
In other words, you don’t DEMAND it, you COMMAND it!
Sorry, Lu, I went to UCA and don’t really care what the football team does. Whether it’s Fayetteville, Little Rock, Russellville, Jonesboro or Conway, Arkansans love the Razorbacks most of all.
You might be able to pressure Conway-area businesses into not showing their love of the Hogs, but what about the throng of red-clad fans shopping at those businesses? Maybe you can have Conway police enforce a “No Cardinal and White” law on Saturdays. Get real, Lu.
I guess you didn’t really read Lu’s comments, Joe. He’s not saying the Hogs won’t still be the most popular team in the state. His remarks were to the Conway business community and reminding them why they are successfull. With 12,700 students now and 2,000 people on the payroll, UCA has a major impact on the economy. What do razorback fans traveling to games do for the Conway business community? A $5.00 hamburger on their stop to Fayetteville? UCA is pumping in $150 million into the economy and what’s wrong with them acknowledging the Bears every now and then? Take 25% of the economy away (UCA’s share) and Conway is just a bedroom community to LR just like Benton/Bryant, etc. And, when’s the last time you’ve been to a Bear game? It’s not like it used to be, with a lot better tailgating atmosphere, larger crowds, etc. It’ll never be like a razorback game and we know that; however, not all of us bleed hog red and root for other teams in the state (gasp!!). And, we’re tired of having the hogs shoved down our throats everyday. There are other good teams to root for out here!
The problem is that it’s not just the fans from Fayetteville who are traveling that stop to buy merchandise. Razorback fans cover the entirety of the state, from the four borders inwards. Business recognize that the Razorbacks are the most popular team, and it is good business to market towards the likes / dislikes of your demograph. Thus, it is the Razorback fans in town who see the signs in the windows and the employees wearing the shirts that decide to eat at this place or shop at that because of what they can offer. The Razorback fans there provide them with continual revenue because it is their hometown.
It’s not the businesses that need to be modified; it’s the local area consumers. Businesses reflect the consumers wants, not vice versa. The solution to the problem is the same as the answer to this question: How do you get the customers to prefer UCA over U of A?
Good luck.
Tyson Foods pumps a lot of money into the local economy, but I’m not going to buy a ticket to watch them play a football game, either. The thing is, you can’t force people into being fans of a team they don’t care about.
If you want to go watch a UCA game, Bruin, more power to ya. It’s your choice. Just like it’s any business owner’s choice to show support for whichever team he chooses. The problem is, many are choosing the Hogs in Conway, it seems. Why? Because they are FANS.
You spoke of having the Hogs shoved down your throat. It doesn’t sound to me like any business in Conway is having the Razorbacks shoved down their throat. If anything, Hardin is trying to strong-arm the Chamber of Commerce into backing the Bears.
Tyson Foods has a football team? Wow, I din’t know. Do they run the WildChicken offense?
Seriously, Blind Joe, The Conway C of C is actually putting a drive together to encourage all business in Conway to support UCA and “Think Purple” and it was started long before Lu’s letter. Do you think that is “strong-arming”? What do you think they should do to promote Conway - “Think Red and Go Hogs! ’cause we are all Hog Fans”?? Of course they wouldn’t do that. My point is that yes, most people in the state are hog fans - you have nothing to worry about there. That’s not the point. the point is if a business is located in an area who’s biggest single economic force is a university, wouldn’t it make sense to support that university in some way instead of flaunting another university that really has not direct impact on the economy of that area? That’s all Lu was asking - for CONWAY businesses to help out instead of promoting a university that does not affect Conway other than some of it’s fans stopping for gas or a hamburger on game day travel. I’m sure I’ll never see the Fayetteville C of C trying to get it’s businesses to wear purple ’cause UCA has no impact on the Fayetteville economy whatsoever. And “hog fans” will shop anywhere, not just ’cause there’s a hog sign in the window. That’s a stupid point. I have a lot of friends that are hog fans and never have I heard them say “let’s not eat/shop there - there’s not a hog sign up there”.
Man, when did UCA fans get so touchy?
It absolutely IS strong-arming! If I own a restaurant in the middle of downtown Fayetteville, I should be able to deck the entire place out in Tennessee Volunteers orange if I so desire. It’s my shop and I should be able to support whichever team I want, without outside pressure from some local university chancellor.
This brings up an interesting point. If I had a Tennessee Volunteers-themed restaurant in the middle of Fayetteville, it probably wouldn’t stay in business very long, would it? Obviously, the businesses in Conway aren’t too afraid of snubbing UCA to show their support for the Razorbacks. Why? Because the majority of football fans in Conway are Hogs fans.
It’s that simple. Sorry.
Bruin,
Are you kidding us with this? Look, I grew up in Little Rock and never attended the U of A. I went to Ouachita and did a doctorate at Rice University. Do you think I care if those teams get support? Absolutely not. Why? Because being a Razorback fan is synonymous with being an Arkansas. We support the Hogs because we have Arkansas pride.
To have the president of UCA try to undercut community support for the Hogs will only backfire. I have lots of friends who attended UCA. Do you know where there loyalties lie? NOT with the Pink Bears or whatever UCA’s mascot is. If you don’t wish to support the Hogs, that is your choice. But it’s a bit like being angry because everyone supports the USA teams during the Olympics, but you prefer Germany. It’s fine to have your preference, but don’t be bothered by the fact that the rest of show loyalty to our state (or country).
Woooooo Pig Sooooie, and Go Hogs Go! I wear my red with pride, and I’ll make a point of stopping at those Hog supporting businesses on the way to Fayeteville next gameday.
Nothing in Arkansas is bigger than the Hogs. I believe it is right for Lu to reach out to the community but I am certain this was NOT the right way to do it. It is not like UCA is going to relocate or not spend money in Conway. If anything this could cost UCA money from the state simply out of spite.
I understand the frustration motivating this as ATU, OBU, HU, SAU, UAM, HSU and ASU all face the same thing. Tradition is something that takes time to build. The best course of action is to build the support one fan/business at a time. Go to the big UCA boosters and ask them to start publicly supporting the Bears. Pick a business and give them UCA gear to have their employees wear. There is no better opportunity than the UCA Homecoming week.
On a side note, ending the ATU vs UCA Governor’s Cup was the dumbest thing that could have been done as far as tradition goes. Maybe an annual UA vs UCA game is needed to start a new tradition.
Oh, Hogfan101, you are SOOOO funny. Relax, fellas! I’m not angry at any hog fans and no one should feel any threats. I root for the BEARS and don’t care what any hog fans think about it (dang, does that mean I don’t have any state pride? I gues that means I don’t care about Arkansas as a state. And all this time I thought the state of Arkansas itself was more important than one football/basketball program.). Yes, yes, yes we all know that most of the poeple in Arkansas are hog fans (but not All!). I was myself until I went to college and then decide to be true to my school. But I just don’t think is it too much to ask of local folks to support, every once in a while, the local home team. And that means ASU in Jonesborro, ATU in Russelville, etc. Doesn’t mean you loose your hog card or your place in line at the swine-shrine. But a crumb or two won’t hurt anyone. And, ATU I was dissapointed that the UCA/Tech (oldest rivialry involving any college in the state with any other school) game is no more as well. But not because UCA didn’t want it anymore. They would even pay ATU to come to Conway. Bob Brown doesn’t want to play UCA in anything anymore, for whatever reason. And OBU grad, give something back to your school sometime. I bet that degree is worth something to you now, no? Go see a football game (maybe the HSU game?), give a gift. Dr. Horne is a good guy and they would appreciate the help.
Lu has a good point, and if this helps a local Conway business show some support for a local team, then his letter did some good. Conway is home to one rapidly growing university (UCA not U of A) and two fine colleges. They add millions of dollars to the local economy every year. The University of Arkansas does nothing for our local economy (Unless you want to count a Hog fan stopping for a bite and filling up on his way to Fayetteville). It is not expecting too much for Conway to support these schools-and a number of businesses in Conway do show great support for the local schools.
Go Bears!