Stadium expansion is a go

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A Long Term Plan

Dear Razorback Fans:

Anyone who has spent this time of the year “On the Hill” knows the majestic beauty of the University of Arkansas campus. Leaves turn to brilliant shades of color and provide a picturesque accent to the spectacular home of the state’s land grant institution. The vibrant fall landscape envelops Senior Walk and serves as a reminder to all that a change in season has begun.

The continued growth and transformation of our institution is unmistakable. The University of Arkansas and Razorback Athletics continues to evolve into a place that serves our students and our state today and in the future.

This fall, the University of Arkansas welcomed a record 27,194 students to campus. The U of A is not just growing in enrollment, it is expanding its reach throughout our state, our nation and around the world.

Razorback Athletics is proud to be a part of the University community, including its role in providing more than $3 million annually to support academic programs and initiatives. How is that possible?

Arkansas is one of less than 25 financially self-sustaining programs in the nation. What that means is our program, in partnership with the Razorback Foundation, generates the revenue to cover all the costs of maintaining a nationally competitive all-sports program encompassing 19 sports and affording opportunities for more than 460 male and female student-athletes. Not one dollar is diverted from campus for Razorback Athletics. No university funds, state funds or student fees subsidize intercollegiate athletics at the University of Arkansas.

Just as our campus has evolved to meet the changing needs our institution, Razorback Athletics has a history of proactively planning for the future of the intercollegiate athletics program. Whether it was the numerous expansions and improvements of our football stadium or the move from Barnhill Arena to Bud Walton Arena for basketball, we have always been prepared to take the necessary steps to help our program continue to grow and succeed.

Initiated in 2009, the Razorback Athletics Facilities Master Plan charted the future course for numerous projects including the renovation and north end zone expansion of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. I’m pleased to report that with the help of the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees, President Bobbitt and Chancellor Steinmetz, the financing is in place and the project is fully approved. In just a few weeks the first visible signs of this project will commence with the razing of the current Broyles Athletic Center. It is the first step in a process that will enable us to build on the history of our program will preparing it for future generations to come.

Just last week, we were reminded of the importance of this stadium to our tradition. On the Friday before the Ole Miss game, Coach Bret Bielema had the team busses take an alternate route from the Fred W. Smith Football Center on the way to the hotel to allow a short stop at the northeast “look in” at the corner of the stadium. He talked to our student-athletes about the importance of the place we call home and giving maximum effort to play for those who they represent. Coach Bielema talked about the 75,000 plus that would be in the stadium on Saturday night to help support them in a vocal way and give them a distinct home field advantage.

The next evening as a national television audience looked on, those student-athletes and Razorback fans more than delivered. It was an incredible game day atmosphere! The game lived up to it as well. As Ole Miss lined up for a fourth down with the game on the line in the waning minutes, ESPN announcer Joe Tessitore noted “You can actually feel Razorback Stadium shaking under our feet right now.”

Moments later Santos Ramirez jarred the ball loose from the Rebels and the game was over. Arkansas 34, Ole Miss 30. Another memorable moment added to the history of Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

Our program was built on moments like those and there are many more great memories to be made. As we prepare to embark on the next chapter in the Home of the Razorbacks, I wanted to pass along some recent images of what we will be coming home to in time for the 2018 season. I encourage you to visit DWRRS.com to learn more about the renovation and north end zone addition.

We have been blessed with loyal support, including sold out suites and nearly 100% occupancy in our existing club spaces for years. So if you are looking for a new game day experience, now is the time to act. This is a rare opportunity that will be gone shortly. Although it won’t open until 2018, suites are being sold now and club seats and loge boxes will be sold soon. I encourage you to contact the Razorback Foundation at (479) 443-9000 today.

Soon work will begin on the north end of the stadium. Just as it has evolved through the years, the shape of the stadium will be adapted to meet the growth of our program. But while additions and renovations will be made, what won’t be altered is the special place Razorback Stadium holds in the hearts of Razorback fans and those throughout out state and beyond.

That is why it was so important to preserve that breathtaking view into the stadium. It is more than just an iconic part of the state’s most recognizable landmark, it has become a part of the shared experience for generations of Arkansans. The Razorbacks truly are the tie that binds the state together.

As Coach Bielema told his team, “Everybody has a home they call home. That home has a lot of valuable things, but the people in it are the ones that really matter.”

So rest assured, even as the façade of our football home begins to change, the foundation of who we are remains the same. WE ARE RAZORBACKS!

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