FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas no longer has Houston, but the Razorbacks still could be in Dallas on New Year’s Day.

The Cotton Bowl continues to have a strong interest in Arkansas, Cotton Bowl President Rick Baker said Tuesday, the day after Houston Nutt resigned as the Razorbacks’ coach.

Arkansas has played in the Cotton Bowl, a Dallas sporting tradition, 10 times and could make it 11 this year.

Bowl invitations won’t be extended until Sunday, but the Cotton Bowl is expected to invite Arkansas or LSU.

Nutt twice coached the Razorbacks in the Cotton Bowl, when they beat Texas 27-6 on Jan. 1, 2000, and when they lost to Oklahoma 10-3 on Jan. 1, 2002.

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“Certainly, we’re going to miss Houston, but we invite a university and a team, not one person,” Baker said. “We’re still very interested in Arkansas.

“ Those players have had a great season and deserve the best trip possible.” If LSU beats Tennessee in the SEC Championship Game to earn an automatic BCS bowl berth, the Cotton Bowl likely will invite Arkansas to play a Big 12 opponent.

If LSU loses to Tennessee, the Cotton Bowl likely will invite the SEC West champion Tigers and Arkansas will go to Atlanta for the Chick-fil-A Bowl against an Atlantic Coast Conference team or Memphis for the Liberty Bowl against the Conference USA champion.

Arkansas defensive coordinator Reggie Herring has been named the team’s interim head coach until Nutt’s successor is hired.

Cotton Bowl vice president for communications Charlie Fiss, a Springdale native and Arkansas graduate, said the game never has featured a team with an interim head coach in its previous 71 matchups. But Baker reiterated that won’t be a deterrent to inviting Arkansas.

“We have a lot of confidence in Arkansas and Coach [Frank ] Broyles and Jeff Long,” Baker said of the Razorbacks’ outgoing and incoming athletic directors. “We know they’ll be ready for a great game if they come here.”