By Harry King
LITTLE ROCK — Let’s say Santa caved and agreed to a Razorback football road game of choice, decent tickets and plane fare included.
A sly dog, his affirmative answer was predicated on a cheap flight from XNA to Dallas and a reasonable ticket for Arkansas-Texas A&M on Oct. 3. When the UA announced this week that a good seat in Jerry Jones’ show-off of a stadium was going for $300, the bearded guy in the red suit had to regroup.
Working within a budget and pledged not to drive, he has five options — A&M, Alabama on Sept. 26, Florida on Oct. 17, Ole Miss on Oct. 24, or LSU on Thanksgiving weekend.
Assuming room and board and rental car rates will be about the same at each location and simply perusing online for reasonable flight connections, take a look at the potential outlay:
ALABAMA: Air fare for two, $776.80. Tickets for two, $110. Includes driving an hour from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa. Total, $886.80.
A&M: Air fare for two, $300.40. Tickets for two, $600. Total, $900.40.
FLORIDA: Air fare for two, $998.80. Tickets for two, expensive, if available.
MISSISSIPPI: Air fare for two, $786.40. Tickets for two, $110. Total, $896.40. Includes a short drive from the Golden Triangle Airport in Columbus, Miss.
LSU: Air fare for two, $776.80. Tickets for two, $100. Total, $876.40.
Price eliminated Florida and so the question comes down to the pros and cons of the other four.
Arkansas is the Southeastern Conference opener for Alabama, defending champion of the Western Division, and will get the Crimson Tide’s full attention. Alabama will have a new quarterback, but it will be a typical
Nick Saban team which means an emphasis on defense and a difficult assignment for the Razorbacks.
One plus is that a visitor will see Bryant-Denny Stadium prior to the 10,000-seat expansion that’s will up capacity to 103,000.
In Arlington, the state-of-the-art stadium will be complete with everything and more than can be imagined. The tourist attraction alone is enough to keep the A&M game in the picture. In addition, there is the shopping in Dallas and, for those who are old enough, familiar haunts from the days when Arkansas was in the Southwest Conference.
In fact, in a five-paragraph letter promoting the A&M series, Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino says success begins by winning home games and adds, “With the start of this annual series, that list of home fields has grown by one.”
Other than a stroll through The Grove, the amenities in Oxford cannot match those of the Dallas area. The Rebels do have some star power, including quarterback Jevan Snead, and, deserved or not, they are one of the favorites in the Western Division.
If Arkansas vs. its former coach is a must-see, Fayetteville to Oxford is less than a six-hour drive.
Tentative against Arkansas in Little Rock, LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson will be all grown up by the time the Razorbacks arrive in Baton Rouge. And, the Tigers’ defense will be much improved under John Chavis, transplanted from Tennessee. If the game is on Friday as usual, Thanksgiving dinner would be hurried.
The tie-breaker goes to the A&M game for a couple of reasons. First, it is an important non-conference game, not only to provide the foundation for a winning record, but to help recruit in Texas. More overriding, the Aggies are the team that Arkansas is most likely to defeat outside the state borders.
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Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media’s Arkansas News Bureau. His e-mail address is hking@arkansasnews.com.
