This article originally appeared on November 26, 2013 on The Arkansas Traveler website, uatrav.com.
The UA Athletic Department and War Memorial Stadium officials announced Tuesday that only one Arkansas football game will be played in Little Rock each season from 2014 to 2018.
The five games will include two Southeastern Conference games and three nonconference games. Next year's game in Little Rock will be Oct. 18 against Georgia.
The previous contract was for the Razorbacks to play two games at War Memorial Stadium through the 2016 season.
“The new agreement will put the University of Arkansas in a better position to respond to scheduling challenges," athletic director Jeff Long said.
Attendance at the two games in Little Rock this season was only 92,546, down by 14.7 percent from last year.
The Mississippi State game’s announced attendance of 45,198 Saturday was the third-lowest attendance for a SEC game in Little Rock.
Last season, the Razorbacks played LSU in Fayetteville for the first time since 1992, Arkansas’ first year in the SEC.
War Memorial Stadium has a capacity of 53,955, while Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville has a capacity of 72,000.
Arkansas will pay War Memorial Stadium $400,000 in 2014, 2015 and 2016 to offset the revenue lost by removing one of the scheduled games each of those seasons, according to the press release.
Also, the Razorbacks will not have to pay a rental fee for the 2017 and 2018 games as part of the amended agreement.
Arkansas’ first home game played in Little Rock was in 1906, but the Razorbacks have played at least one home game in the state’s capital since 1932.
From 1955 to 2002, at least three home games were played in Little Rock. In 2003, it was changed to only two games per season, one nonconference game and one SEC game.
“War Memorial Stadium and the Razorback football program have a long and rich history," said Kevin Crass, chairman of the War Memorial Stadium Commission. "We are pleased that we have come to an agreement that will ensure that the University of Arkansas will continue to play football games at War Memorial Stadium through 2018."
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