After eight years it was working and Director of Athletics Jeff Long decided it didn’t need fixing.

A little tweaking, yes, but fixing, no.

The Arkansas Razorbacks playing two games in War Memorial Stadium instead of three caused the Great Stadium Debate in 2000, but since then most have adjusted.

So Friday when Long and War Memorial Stadium Commission Chairman Gary Smith announced the contract had been extended two years, it was not a big surprise.

There will be only two games each season despite the fact that the 18-page contract, replaced Friday by a two-pager, called for three games in two of the final seven years.

That’s what you call a winwin-win for the Razorbacks, War Memorial and for some Razorbacks fans who are faced with high gas prices and twonight minimums at hotels in Razorbacks land during some belt-tightening economic times.

The key to the news conference — and Long being a good neighbor stressed it — was that War Memorial needed the extra two years to get a bond issue that will allow the stadium to upgrade facilities.

It is labeled simply as updating the press box, but the press box as we know it now, which looks like an old square aluminum box atop the west-side stands, will be gone.

In its place most likely will be a longer, three-story fixture that will allow the UA to sell some expensive club seats, maybe even suites if it dreams big enough.

That will cut heavily into the $ 1 million revenue hit the Hogs take when they play in the Rock rather than the mountains.

A few months ago, Long, who has already shown a knack for finding ways to raise new revenue, was flown to Little Rock by Johnny Tyson, a member of the UA board of trustees and longtime Razorbacks supporter.

Long met with Warren Stephens, the man behind one of the most wealthy and powerful brokerage firms off Wall Street, who had been a proponent for keeping a third game here eight years ago.

Stephens had generously offered to pass a bond issue and overhaul War Memorial to 67, 000 seats to keep a third game, but then-Director of Athletics Frank Broyles said no thanks.

What happened Friday could be termed the Great Compromise.

East and southeast Arkansas, via central Arkansas, will remain connected to the flagship program, and the UA will not be expected to make $ 1 million less every time it plays in War Memorial.

Long will now find fundraising in the Delta much easier than it had been recently, and the strong fan base in Northwest Arkansas and down to Razorbacks-loyal Fort Smith won’t be leaned on as heavily for donations.

Long stated firmly Friday that every Razorbacks fan is the responsibility of the UA.

Which has been the foundation of UA athletics since 1948 when War Memorial opened.

It is possible donations and ticket sales had slipped since 2000 in the parts of the state that had to travel the most miles to watch their Hogs.

Friday’s announcement came as a prelude to War Memorial celebrating its 60 th birthday, and after this season the old gray lady will get a touch-up and a new place for some of the Hogs faithful to enjoy the games.

Extending the contract at this time was more than magnanimous on the part of Long and Chancellor David Gearhart.

The Hogs will start a 10-year series with Texas A&M in Arlington, Texas and while Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys and a former Razorback, is talking lots of long green, it is still a game lost that would have been in Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

Maybe that big-money game is why Long was willing to extend the contract, but if what he has accomplished so far as the head Hog is an indication, there is going to be more revenue raised than just some luxury seats.

Main thing: Jeff Long didn’t try to fix something that wasn’t broken.