FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas' track rivalry with Texas has been put on hold for the foreseeable future.
That was disappointing news for men's track and field coach Chris Bucknam, whose team had won all six dual meets between the schools.
"I think they got beat down so bad, they didn't want to come back," Bucknam joked with a group of fans during the team's monthly "In the Zone" luncheon.
While the dual meet has dropped off the schedule, Texas will be one of several top programs in Fayetteville Jan. 29-30 for the Razorback Invitational.
When going head-to-head since 2010, though, the Razorbacks dominated their former Southwest Conference rival. Arkansas won the six meetings by an average of 16.8 points, including the final two by 20- and 34-point margins.
Bucknam softened his stance when speaking to the media afterward, saying that he understood why Texas decided to end the series.
"They're doing what's best for their program," Bucknam said. "They're elite and they need to do things the way they think they need to. It was a great run that we had with Texas."
The women's teams joined the dual meet in 2014 and Arkansas' dominance continued. Arkansas' women won their meets by scores of 91-63 and 96-72.
"We heard grumblings in the past that it wasn't fulfilling what they wanted to accomplish," Arkansas women's track and field coach Lance Harter said. "I think that you have to respect (that)."
Bucknam and Harter also acknowledged the recruiting benefit the Razorbacks got by hosting the Longhorns each year and that it wasn't always reciprocal.
Still, they remain optimistic that the series could resume down the line because of fan interest surrounding the event.
"Maybe they're going to miss it and call and say, 'Hey, we want to do it again,'" Bucknam said. "We're going to let that sit for a little bit and then hopefully they'll come back."