Unless Jerry Jones does some shrewd negotiating, the Arkansas-Texas A&M game in Arlington will return to campuses in 2025.
Aggies officials have already said they will honor the contract and then move their games to College Station.
Arkansas’ Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek has indicated he agrees.
It is about money, and the allure of playing in AT&T Stadium, the magnificent home of the Dallas Cowboys, is starting to wear off.
While all the $125 tickets for Saturday’s game are gone — only $300 club seats remain — the past few games in Arlington were not close to a sell-out.
Part of the problem was the ticket prices to see Arkansas, who was not competitive.
With both teams ranked and undefeated there is more interest in this game, but what both programs are looking at is the revenue for home games has gone up with increased ticket prices and stadium expansions.
When Arkansas drew more than 74,000 for its game with Texas it made a ton of money, although the north end zone, the $160 million expansion that added only 3,200 seats (and none for the students), was maybe half full.
The decision to spend that kind of money for those few seats may be the biggest mistake in Razorback history, and yes, that includes the hiring of Chad Morris.
As one long time major booster put it when approached about buying a suite in the new expansion, “You must think I’m crazy if you think I’d pay that kind of money for a seat in the end zone.’
Lastly, playing in Texas helps the Hogs’ recruiting, another good reason for the Aggies to say no to an extension.