Arkansas vs. Arkansas State is a fitting potential last hurrah for War Memorial Stadium

If Saturday’s game between Arkansas and Arkansas State is the final Razorback football game played at War Memorial Stadium, it’d be a fitting way for one of the most historic sporting venues in the Natural State to end its tenure as Arkansas’ home away from home. 

Since September 1948, War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Ark., has hosted at least one Razorback football game in all but two seasons. While Little Rock is nearly three hours southeast from the University of Arkansas itself, War Memorial Stadium was built at a time when Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville lagged significantly behind in regard to capacity, amenities and the overall gameday experience.  

In a state with no professional sports franchises and a lack of major collegiate athletic programs aside from the Razorbacks, the U of A’s decision to play games in Little Rock allowed a dedicated fan base from around the state to make a relatively easier drive — at least, in the days before I-49 was constructed — to see the Hogs play. 

As the years wore on, however, Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville began to outshine War Memorial. When Arkansas left the ailing Southwest Conference for the Southeastern Conference in the early 1990s, Razorback Stadium only continued its rapid expansion.  

Today, Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium is palatial in comparison to War Memorial. Arkansas’ home away from home hasn’t aged gracefully, and while the Razorbacks have continued to play at least one game in Little Rock every year — save for 2020 and 2022 — myriad problems, such as poor logistics for ticketing and concession processes in 2023 and a lack of plumbing and air conditioning in 2024, have marred War Memorial’s once-proud image.  

2025 is the final year of the University of Arkansas’ contract to play at War Memorial Stadium. It’s not the first time that WMS’s future has been uncertain, but this time, the writing seems to be on the wall that Razorback football may never return to Little Rock.  

But if Saturday’s game is the final game Arkansas plays at War Memorial Stadium, a first-of-its-kind, in-state matchup with the Arkansas State Red Wolves is a perfect send-off. 

Arkansas and Arkansas State have never met on the gridiron, as Arkansas largely avoided playing other in-state schools over the decades. Before a 2021 contest with UA-Pine Bluff at War Memorial, Arkansas hadn’t played against an in-state foe since a 1944 matchup with UA-Monticello. 

The Razorbacks will welcome former Tennessee head coach Butch Jones and the Red Wolves to Little Rock for a game that will captivate all four corners of the state.

“I’m excited about it,” Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman said in a news conference on Monday. “I’m excited to get this game (with) it being the first time we’ve ever played. I’m glad I’m going to be part of the history of that.” 

Pittman, who was a Razorback fan growing up in Eastern Oklahoma and an offensive line coach at UA before becoming Arkansas’ head coach, knows what War Memorial Stadium means to both the Razorbacks and the state of Arkansas as a whole. 

“Hopefully, this one is packed and it’s as loud as Peyton Manning says it is over there,” Pittman said. “I still think (the) history of the power of the Hogs in our state, a bunch of it is because we would take the team over to Little Rock.”  

The luster of War Memorial Stadium has certainly faded over the years, but on Saturday, the state of Arkansas will come together for one more classic on Markham. 

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker