UA: Bielema flew close to 20,000 miles recruiting

Arkansas coach Bret Bielema watches from the sideline during a game against Missouri on Friday, Nov. 27, 2015, at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

— Arkansas coach Bret Bielema has logged close to 20,000 air miles since the end of the Razorbacks' 2015 regular season.

Bielema has flown 19,714 miles since Nov. 29 for mostly recruiting purposes, according to a release from the Razorbacks.

That is about 3,000 miles shy of the distance it would take to fly around the world, the release states, and about the equivalent to four round-trip flights from New York to Los Angeles.

During the busiest week, Bielema logged 5,153 miles between Nov. 29 and Dec. 3. That week included a flight to the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, where Bielema was a guest analyst for CBS Sports, but it's unclear if that trip was included in the Razorbacks' calculations.

Not included in the calculations were the miles Bielema flew to Phoenix for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, where he was an analyst for the SEC Network.

Arkansas fans will be able to judge how effective Bielema's travels were Wednesday, which is National Signing Day for football.

About 20 high school seniors are expected sign letters of intent to play for the Razorbacks. Based on players who have verbally committed, Scout.com ranks Arkansas' class 29th nationally and eighth among SEC schools.