Arkansas will open 2023 season with Western Carolina

Western Carolina's helmet on the field before the start of an NCAA college football game between Texas A&M and Western Carolina Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Juan DeLeon)

FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas will open the 2023 season on Sept. 2 with a home game against Western Carolina at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette received a copy of the game contract, with the game guarantee redacted, on Wednesday via a public records request.

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Western Carolina is a Football Championship Subdivision school based in Cullowhee, N.C. The Catamounts, coming off a 3-8 season, compete in the Southern Conference, where they posted a 1-7 league record last year.

The Razorbacks and Catamounts have never played in football.

Second-year Arkansas Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek was a senior associate AD at Western Carolina from 2000-04.

Arkansas has two known non-conference games in 2023. The Razorbacks will host BYU on Sept. 23 as the return game on a home-and-home agreement, with Arkansas traveling to Provo, Utah, for a game on Oct. 15, 2022.