The University of Arkansas announced that it has moved up the kickoff time for the Razorbacks season opener to noon CT against Western Carolina this Saturday in Little Rock at War Memorial Stadium.
Kickoff was originally scheduled for 3 p.m., but with the weather forecast calling for temperatures in the mid 90s and high humidity on Saturday afternoon, shifting the game time up will allow for safer conditions for the student-athletes on the field and fans in attendance, according to the UA.
"We're trying to do what is best for our team and what's best for the fans," head coach Sam Pittman said Monday. "We're trying to. I imagine tailgating three hours before when it's nine o'clock and it's 88 degrees versus 96 or 95 or whatever it will be if you started at noon, I would think it would be better for the fans. We play five of our first eight games on the road.
"So, when the heat came out there was a decision to make are we going to move it forward or are we going to move it backwards. Moving it backwards, if it starts at six or seven, you're going to get the team home at 1:30 or 2:30 in the morning versus 7:30. We don't have a break until after Week 8, and obviously you guys know we have a four-game spread there on the road."
Per the UA, the flexibility to move game time came with the game being broadcast on SEC Network+/ESPN+. As part of the Southeastern Conference’s new deal with ESPN, schools are allowed to dictate kick time for games streamed on SECN+/ESPN+.
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