The Arkansas/Missouri rivalry

Back in the day when Nolan Richardson was at Arkansas and Norm Stewart was at Missouri, there was a decent rivalry.

Now with Missouri moving to the SEC, the natural border, the recruiting of DGB, and two fan bases that are crazy about their football teams, this rivalry can get going in a big way. If either one lands DGB, this will intensify the rivalry. It is a shame they will be on opposite sides of the conference.

What makes this even better is the fact that both Football programs are on the upswing. I think the basketball rivalry will be there again as well, with Coach Anderson coming home.

I welcome the rivalry and welcome Mizzou and its fans to the SEC.

and one more thing.........Woo Pig Sooie!!!!!

Excellent points Franchise.   I have family in the Van Buren area so I do have some love for Arky.   The Nolan/Norm years were great and it will be great again.  Here is to a long fun rivalry between the Tigers and Razorbacks.  Let's not let all of this internet smack talking over DGB ruin our attitudes towards one another.   Thank you for the welcome.  MIZ

Well i use to follow the razorbacks but not so much these days but i did when nolan richardson i don't remeber missouri being a rival with Arkansas. i also use to have family that lived in Van Buren but they moved back to Oklahoma.

Yeah, I was going to say what Shel posted, that I don't ever remember there being an Arkansas-Missouri rivalry... even back when Richardson was coaching Todd Day & Lee Mayberry. 

Welcome to the SEC, Mizzou fans!

Yeah, we played alot in the 90s.  I believe in 92 Nolan got mad at the Antlers for brandishing hog heads on a pike at the entrance of Hearnes Center and allegedly getting blood on his suit.    link of alltime

http://www.hogstats.com/seriesresul
ts.php?opponent=Missouri

There used to be some really good games between the two in Basketball. I can't understand why they ever stopped playing.

Shel and Hog fan.... I said there was a decent rivalry. They played 10 straight years from late 80s-90s and Missouri got the most of the Todd Day and Lee Mayberry and Oliver Miller teams, but the hogs put it on them after that. The night Bud Walton opened the Hogs beat Missouri by the largest margin in Missouri history. There was some bad blood there. I can't remember for sure, but I think when Quinn Snyder took over they played a few more times and pretty close, from what I recall.

Anyway....this is really about football here. They have really only played a couple of times in recent years...Arkansas won the 2003 Independence bowl and Mizzou blew out the Hogs in the 2008 Cotton.

Congrats Missouri fans on landing Green-Beckham. Would have been great for Arkansas, but I think they are going to be alright. Still, it never hurts to get the #1 guy.

I gotcha, Fran, my bad on that.  I will echo the congrats on signing DBG.  He should be excellent!  After reading his story here and on other sites, since he didn't choose Arkansas... I'm glad he stayed in his home state, to be close to his family.  Best of luck next season!

Yep, I remember that beating we took in basketball very well.   The worst ever for Mizzou.   We ended up only losing three games that regular season before the NCAA tourny and went undefeated in the Big 8 and got a number one seed.    Its crazy that the year we took our worst beating ever was one of the best, if not the best year we ended up ever having.

Sorry about the pig's head and pig's blood though.   The Antlers got in alot of trouble and were banned for a year and half for going all out "Carrie" on Coach Richardson.

One of those rivalries that was never taken off the stove, it was on the back burner a simmerin! Something tells me the first time the Hogs and the Cats play each other it will be a tad more intense than say a Razorback / Ole Miss game.

It should be a great rivalry in basketball almost instantly.  Mizzou will be a younger team next year with people to replace and Anderson will have another year in Fayetteville so I think it could be real competitive by then.  In football I hope that eventually Arkansas and Missouri can be in the same division or maybe cross division annual foes (add a 2nd CD game??)  Without an annual game building the rivalry will be tougher.  Can't wait.


MIZ..

I have a friend who went to Missouri State (formerly Southwest Missouri State).  He had a professor who always said that if you gave Missouri's bootheel back to Arkansas, you would raise the average IQ in both states.

I have always wondered why Mizzou and Arkansas never tried to really form a "border war" type of atmosphere. I think both have been missing out for years. Missouri has it with Kansas, and to a lesser extent, with Illinois. I guess the move to the SEC will help. Though putting Mizzou in the East (dumb) might take some of the momentum away from that.

I have always wondered why Mizzou and Arkansas never tried to really form a "border war" type of atmosphere
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Problem is you can not manufacture rivalries. They just are not rivals. Kansas has always been their big rival. It will take yrs and some heartbreaking games to foster a rivalry. Looks like Texas A&M is thier "rival" in the West. They do not play Arkansas next yr. It seems almost impossible to generate a rival when you will play sporadically

I agree... I was sad that it looks like Texas A&M and not Arkansas is the cross East/West rival because I think it would be a great rivalry going forward. 

There is no rivalry because Arkansas dominates and is head and shoulders about Mizzou in all sports.  Sure Mizzou basketball this year is better but wait until the reject Mizzou hires brings in his players they will be wanting Quinn Snyder back. 

Mizzou sucks Arkansas gains nothing by beating them.  Mizzou should start a series with Arkansas State, that would be competitive games.  Maybe DGB could really impress with his 4.8 speed. 

and two fan bases that are crazy about their football teams

Arkansas yes, Missouri not so much...They got fired up about DGB, but normally they won't even sell their allotment of away game tickets. They also rarely sell their allotment of bowl game tickets. They get pretty fired up about basketball though. With you stealing their coach I am guessing that will be where your rivalry blooms.

There is no rivalry because Arkansas dominates and is head and shoulders about Mizzou in all sports

Only in Sleepy's world is a losing record against an opponent dominating...

Problem is you can not manufacture rivalries. They just are not rivals. Kansas has always been their big rival. It will take yrs and some heartbreaking games to foster a rivalry. Looks like Texas A&M is thier "rival" in the West. They do not play Arkansas next yr. It seems almost impossible to generate a rival when you will play sporadically

I kind of felt that way myself.  I hoped Florida would get to renew its annual Auburn game, but Alabama, Auburn, and Tennessee are the sticking point.  I'm pretty sure Alabama held out its support for expansion if they realigned and upset the Iron Bowl, or the Bama-Tennessee annual rivalry that goes back over a hundred years.  Moving Auburn to the East would have solved a lot of problems, but it just wasn't meant to be. 

Gators, I would love for Auburn to be able to play Florida every year.  I miss those days.  I think you are still our 2nd most times played opponent.  When I was in school we played Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama every year.  Those were some fun games.  I think there was some talk of Auburn moving to the East with the addition of Missouri but Alabama didn't want to give up their annual rivalry with Tennesse (and I completely understand that) and no way the conference was not going to have the Iron Bowl.  I would have probably let Missouri and Arkansas be permenant cross division foes and moved South Carolina to playing Texas AM.