December 20, 2020
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – For the first time since 2016, the Arkansas Razorbacks will go bowling and will be selected to play TCU at the Mercari Texas Bowl at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas on Dec. 31 at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
The game against former Southwest Conference rival TCU will be the 71st in history dating back to its first meeting in 1920. The Hogs and Horned Frogs last met in 2017 as the second game of a home-and-home match. series. No. 23 TCU topped Arkansas at Fayetteville 28-7 in 2017. The Razorbacks took No. 15 TCU 41-38 in double overtime in Ft. Worth, Texas in 2016. Arkansas is 44-24-2 all time against the Horned Frogs.
Under freshman head coach Sam Pittman, the Razorbacks won three games against a full SEC schedule, tripling the number of SEC wins in the past three seasons combined. Arkansas broke a 20-game Southeastern Conference breaking streak at No. 16 in the state of Mississippi for Coach Pittman’s first win as Head Hog and followed with victories over Ole Miss and Tennessee.
Coach Pittman becomes the first Arkansas head coach to lead the Razorbacks to a bowl game in his first season since Houston Nutt led the Hogs to the Florida Citrus Bowl to close out the 1998 season. Pittman is just the fifth Arkansas head coach to lead the Razorbacks to a bowl game in his first season on The Hill with Nutt, Ken Hatfield (1984), Lou Holtz (1977) and John Barnhill (1946).
The Mercari Texas Bowl will be the 43rd bowl appearance for Arkansas going back to the 1934 Dixie Classic in Dallas, a 7-7 draw against Centenary.
Due to limited capacity at NRG Stadium, tickets are not available through the Razorback Ticket Center. Fans interested in attending the Texas Bowl can visit mercaritexasbowl.com for ticket information.