| Big Red | |
|---|---|
 Big Red poses with Razorback cheerleaders, 2012 | |
| University | University of Arkansas |
| Conference | SEC |
| Description | Anthropomorphic razorback hog |
| First seen | 1960s (live mascot), 1973 (costumed) |
| Related mascot(s) | Tusk, Sue E., Pork Chop, Boss Hog, Ribby |
Big Red is the main costumed mascot of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The mascot is modeled after the wild razorback hog.
In the early twentieth century, wild razorback hogs were a common sight in rural Arkansas. After the team's fifth straight victory, over LSU in Memphis, to open the 1909 football season, coach Hugo Bezdek told a group of fans at the train station upon their return that the team played "like a wild band of razorback hogs." [1] The name stuck, and "Razorbacks" replaced "Cardinals" (still the school color) as the school's nickname. Since the 1960s, live mascots have been kept, the current one being Tusk, a Russian boar which resembles the old razorback hogs; previously, the live mascots were also called "Big Red".
There are currently five costumed mascots serving the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. [2] "Big Red" is the original mascot, also nicknamed "the Fighting Razorback." Big Red made his debut during the early 1970s and was also commonly referred to as "the Dancing Razorback" throughout the 1980s. [3] [4] A female Razorback mascot, "Sue E. Pig," performs at all women's events, and is known for her dancing skills and costume changes. There is a child-sized mascot named "Pork Chop," popular with younger fans. Pork Chop has appeared at Razorback games since at least 1998. [5] Since 1999, "Boss Hog" (named for the character from "The Dukes of Hazard") has served as a 9-foot-tall (2.7 m) inflatable mascot. There is also a baseball-specific razorback mascot named Ribby (a play on the baseball abbreviation "RBI") that attends every Arkansas home baseball game. [2]
The University of Arkansas is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System. Founded as Arkansas Industrial University in 1871, classes were first held in 1872, with its present name adopted in 1899.
The Arkansas Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the intercollegiate athletics teams representing the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville. The University of Arkansas student body voted to change the name of the school mascot in 1910 to the Arkansas Razorbacks after a hard-fought battle against LSU in which they were said to play like a "wild band of Razorback hogs" by former coach Hugo Bezdek. The Arkansas Razorbacks are the only major sports team in the U.S. with a porcine nickname, though the Texas A&M–Kingsville Javelinas play in Division II.
David Kevin Van Horn is an American baseball coach and former infielder, who is the head baseball coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Baum–Walker Stadium at George Cole Field is the home venue of the Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team of the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference, located in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States. The playing field itself is named George Cole Field, in honor of the former Arkansas athletic director. George Cole Field was also the name of the Razorbacks' old home stadium, in use from 1975 to March 1996. Baum Stadium replaced George Cole Field in April 1996. The stadium is located one-half mile from the main Arkansas campus, which lies across Razorback Road from the stadium. On January 31, 2019 the stadium was renamed Baum–Walker Stadium at George Cole Field in recognition of longtime support from the Walker Family and the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation.
Hugo Francis Bezdek was a Czech American athlete who played American football and was a coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He was the head football coach at the University of Oregon, the University of Arkansas (1908–1912), Pennsylvania State University (1918–1929), and Delaware Valley College (1949). Bezdek also coached the Mare Island Marines in the 1918 Rose Bowl and the Cleveland Rams of the National Football League (NFL) in 1937 and part of the 1938 season. In addition, Bezdek coached basketball at Oregon and Penn State (1919), coached baseball at Arkansas (1909–1913), Oregon (1914–1917) and Penn State (1920–1930), and served as the manager of Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates (1917–1919). He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1954.
The Arkansas–LSU football rivalry, formally known as the Battle for the Boot but more recently sometimes informally called the Battle for the Golden Boot, is an American college football rivalry between the Razorbacks of the University of Arkansas and Tigers of Louisiana State University. The first game between the Razorbacks and Tigers was played in 1901. With the admission of Arkansas as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in 1992, the rivalry became an annual game between these members of the SEC Western Division. "The Boot" trophy was first awarded to the game's winner in 1996.
The Arkansas Razorbacks football program represents the University of Arkansas in the sport of American football. The Razorbacks compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Home games are played at stadiums on or near the two largest campuses of the University of Arkansas System: Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Sam Pittman is the head coach and has served since 2020.
Tusk is the name of the official live mascot for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. The current live mascot is Tusk VI. All Tusks so far have been male and from the same lineage.
The 1969 Texas vs. Arkansas football game, sometimes referred to as the "Game of the Century", was a college football game played on December 6 in which No. 1 Texas visited No. 2 Arkansas at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Longhorns came back from a 14–0 deficit after three quarters to win 15–14.
The 1909 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas during the 1909 college football season. In their second year under head coach Hugo Bezdek, Arkansas compiled a 7–0 record, shut out four of seven opponents, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 185 to 18.
The University of Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and is coached by Dave Van Horn. The program started in 1897, and is in its 102nd season of play in 2024. Arkansas is one of only four schools in the SEC to turn a profit from its baseball program in recent years, along with SEC Western division rivals LSU, Mississippi State and Ole Miss.
The 2009 Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team represented the University of Arkansas in baseball at the Division I level in the NCAA for the 2009 season. Dave van Horn, a former Razorback player, is the coach in his fifth year. The team clinched a berth in the 2009 College World Series with a defeat of the Florida State Seminoles on June 6. The Razorbacks' run in Omaha ended on June 19 when they were defeated by the LSU Tigers, finishing tied for third nationally with the Arizona State Sun Devils.
The 2010 Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team represented the University of Arkansas in baseball at the Division I level in the NCAA for the 2010 season. Dave van Horn, a former Razorback player, was the coach in his sixth year at his alma mater. The 2010 club hosted and won the Fayetteville Regional, but fell in the Tempe Super Regional to the top-seeded Arizona State Sun Devils. The team was led by two All-Americans, Brett Eibner and Zack Cox.
The 2014 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas during the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Razorbacks played their home games at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. They competed as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. They were led by second year head coach Bret Bielema. They finished the season 7–6, 2–6 in SEC play to finish in last place in the Western Division. They were invited to the Texas Bowl where they defeated Texas.
The 2015 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas during the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Razorbacks played their home games at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville and War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. They competed as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Arkansas was led by third-year head coach Bret Bielema. Dan Enos served his first season as offensive coordinator, replacing Jim Chaney who left for a job with Pittsburgh. Enos was previously the head coach of Central Michigan.
The Battle Line Rivalry is the name given to the Arkansas–Missouri football rivalry due to the state line between the two states dividing the North and South during the Civil War. It is an American college football rivalry game between the Arkansas Razorbacks and Missouri Tigers. The teams have met fifteen times, between November 1906 and November 2023. They have faced off twice in bowl games, first in the 2003 Independence Bowl and second in the 2008 Cotton Bowl Classic. The rivalry was formally introduced in 2014, and the Battle Line trophy was first awarded in 2015.
The 2020–21 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team represented the University of Arkansas during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team was led by second-year head coach Eric Musselman and played its home games at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas, as a member of the Southeastern Conference. The Razorbacks finished second in the SEC regular season and earned a 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament's South Regional. Arkansas went on to make it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 1995–96 season, and then to the Elite Eight for the first time since the 1994–95 season. Freshman guard Moses Moody was named the SEC Freshman of the Year, 1st Team All-SEC, Freshman All-American, and AP Honorable Mention All-American. The Razorbacks finished the season with an overall record of 25–7, 13–4 in SEC play, and finished ranked #6 in the Coaches Poll and #10 in the AP Poll. Arkansas's season ended when they lost to eventual national champion Baylor in the Elite Eight.
The 2024 Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team represented the University of Arkansas in the 2024 season. The Razorbacks played their home games at Baum–Walker Stadium in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Located in: Fayetteville, Arkansas | ||
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