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The University of Arkansas has decided to play this year’s annual Red-White Spring Game in Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium on the relatively early date of April 7.
Arkansas Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Hunter Yurochek and new head coach Chad Morris feel it is an opportunity to bring the new staff together with other parts of the state. The game is slated for a 1 p.m. kickoff.
“To better connect our new staff and program across the state this spring, Coach Morris and I have decided that we will be taking the spring game to War Memorial Stadium on April 7,” Yurocheck stated.
Former head coach Bret Bielema had a reputation for hosting traditionally late spring games as last year’s scrimmage was over three weeks later on April 29. Morris had an early one last year on April 8.
It was April 23 in 2016 at Arkansas, April 25 in 2015, April 26 in 2014 and April 20 in 2013. Bielema liked to get in a full eight-week winter training cycle in before the spring and an eight-week summer cycle before the start of preseason camp, but there were some disadvantages to the late start and finish to spring drills.
If there is an injury in the spring, an early start and finish allows for more recovery time. In this case, a full three weeks. And while the coaches would get out and recruit while practices were going on in the past, the Spring Evaluation Period does start on April 15. This gives the new staff a full week before focusing solely on recruiting on the earliest possible date.
The April 7 date is the earliest in at least a decade. Even in 2012 under Bobby Petrino, the game was set for April 21 (eventually not under Petrino). It was April 16 in 2011, April 15 in 2010, April 24 in 2009, April 18 in 2008, April 27 in 2007 under Houston Nutt and April 14 in 2006.
Morris started last year's SMU spring on Feb. 28 (a Tuesday) and ran them through the spring game on April 8. The Razorbacks will return to Little Rock on Oct. 13 when they host the Ole Miss Rebels.