Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Thursday unveiled a new rivalry series between the University of Central Arkansas and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
The competition, known as the Governor's I-40 Showdown, will pit the two schools against each other in 11 sports contests throughout the year, Hutchinson said during the announcement at the Capitol.
"The schools came to me with the idea, and with the governor’s name there, they appropriately asked my support, and it was a quick decision," he said. "I like sports — the Arkansas public likes sports — and I think they will enjoy this in-state competition."
The program, which was discussed for several years before Thursday's announcement, was modeled after competitions between Division I athletic programs in other states, UCA Athletic Director Brad Teague said.
UALR Athletic Director Chasse Conque added that a point tally will be kept and displayed on a website to keep fans engaged throughout the year.
After the announcement, the governor unveiled the rivalry's logo in front of a crowd of chancellors, cheerleaders and fans from each university.
"We’re competitive, but we’re all friendly here today," Conque said. "Dr. Teague told me he was going to bring the pep squad, so I said I’d bring ours. I thought about bringing about 25 band members, but then I remembered he had a marching band, so we left those folks at home."