Arkansas Razorback Football: New Site for Battle for the Golden Boot

The University of Arkansas announced today that the Razorbacks will no longer play LSU in the Battle for the Golden Boot in Little Rock at War Memorial stadium but will instead play the Tigers in Fayetteville at Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Nov. 24.

There was much speculation leading up to this announcement that Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino and athletic director Jeff Long wanted to move the game from Little Rock to Fayetteville for both economic and thought recruiting advantages.

The last time the Hogs hosted the Tigers in Fayetteville the result was a 30-6 win for Arkansas during the 1992 season, the Razorbacks initial season in the SEC.

The Razorbacks had a 5-4 winning edge over the Tigers at War Memorial Stadium spanning the past 18 years. The last meeting between the two schools in Little Rock resulted in a 31-23 win for the Hogs over LSU in the 2010 season.

Since 2001, the winner of the Arkansas versus LSU game has gone on to represent the SEC West in the SEC Championship Game seven times. In 2002 the Hogs defeated LSU 21-20 in the game known as the Miracle on Markham in Little Rock to earn a berth in the SEC Championship Title Game.

The Golden Boot Trophy was first awarded in 1996 to help build upon the natural SEC West rivalry between the bordering states. The 24-karat gold trophy is molded into the shape of the two states forming a boot.

The Golden Boot Trophy is 4-foot tall weighing 175 pounds.

Arkansas also announced their two-year series with Rutgers on Friday. The home-and-home series will be the first time an SEC school has played at Piscataway, N.J. during the BCS era.

The Scarlet Knights will travel to Arkansas on Sept. 22 with the Razorbacks returning the scheduling favor Sept. 21, 2013. The void on the Hogs schedule was made possible when Texas A&M joined the SEC.

Due to the switch of venues for the LSU game, Arkansas will move the Ole Miss home game to War Memorial Stadium on Oct. 27.

If CBS picks up the broadcasting rights for the Arkansas versus LSU game, the game day could move from Saturday Nov. 24 to Friday Nov. 23. 

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