re: How can Arkansas be so bad every year

It is long and short term issues together at this point.

Long term leaving the SWC hurt our recruiting but we didn't have a choice. The expanding Big 8 did not want Arkansas whereas the SEC, with Ole Miss leading the charge believe it or not, really wanted us. Demographics have also not been our friend. For decades Little Rock was one of the best, and at times the best, city in the US for football talent. Those times are over. Meanwhile the SE part of the state is hollowing out.

Short term the BoT "won" a pissing contest with the Walton family over who would be our next Chancellor. The Waltons, who are still super active in the area, took their cash and walked away. The Tysons are all in on basketball and could care less about football. We've hired a string of average to rotten head coaches which has pretty well wiped out enthusiasm.

Personally I think that since many of the fans now live in NW Arkansas the football team being garbage isn't that big of a deal to them. Plenty of things to do in a top 5 place to live in America. So folks roll their eyes at our crappy football and count down the days till basketball and baseball start.