Latest on Hogs-LSU
A few Louisiana media outlets, including The Baton Rouge Advocate, reported this week that LSU athletic director Joe Alleva expects the annual regular season finale between Arkansas and LSU to be replaced with Texas A&M vs. LSU.
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Friday morning just after 9 a.m., Arkansas Athletic Director offered this on Twitter:
Hog Fans, I do not know where LSU is getting this information. Have had repeated conversation with SEC officials and there are no plans as of 6/1/12 to change LSU from our season ending football game.
Alleva told the Advocate that "Arkansas will be in the middle somewhere," and that he expects Texas A&M to become the final regular season opponent.
SEC Spring Meetings in Destin (Fla.) conclude Friday and more information should come out then. Much discussion has centered on scheduling - including whether or not to keep permanent opponents from opposite divisions - possibly going from eight conference games to 10 and several other tweaks.
LSU has made it clear they are against having Florida or any other school as a permanent opponent from the Eastern Division, rather preferring to rotate opponents. Arkansas' permanent Eastern Division foe has been South Carolina since 1992. The Gamecocks have also been vocal against retaining Arkansas as their permanent opponent.
The Arkansas-LSU game has traditionally been played the Friday following Thanksgiving and features The Golden Boot trophy. The game is referred to as 'The Battle for the Golden Boot.'
Initially it was somewhat of a forged rivalry with the trophy being created in 1996. Every team in the SEC-Western Division had an instate rival to face during rivalry week except LSU and the Razorbacks. Given that the states share a border, it was a natural rivalry that just needed a little nudge.
The two teams have met 57 times, including 36 games in-a-row from 1901-36.
The past several years it typically has been a huge game as it has helped decide the Western Division champion. Last season national title aspirations were on the line as No. 3 Arkansas travelled to No. 1 LSU.
The Tigers lead the series 10-6 since the Boot was created and lead 12-8 since the Razorbacks joined the SEC.
When Arkansas is the home team, the Razorbacks have hosted in Little Rock every season except for 1992 when the Hogs topped the Tigers 30-6 in Fayetteville. The game has been moved back to Fayetteville for the 2012 season.
Until last season when the Tigers beat the Hogs 41-17 in convincing fashion, the previous six seasons saw the game decided by an average of 3.5 points.