Razorbacks to open venues to full capacity

Arkansas Razorbacks fans call the hogs before a football game, Saturday, October 27, 2018 at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas announced Tuesday it plans to open all athletic venues to 100% capacity for the 2021-22 academic calendar, a move that had been expected for some time.

The Razorbacks employed staggered increases for crowd sizes at Baum-Walker Stadium for baseball and Bogle Park for softball, from about half-capacity to full capacity by season’s end. Baum-Walker Stadium had sellouts as the Razorbacks clinched the SEC regular-season championship during the final weekend of the regular season, and both programs sold out for home super regionals.

The UA athletic department suffered about $30 million in losses last year during the coronavirus pandemic, largely due to diminished gate revenue from football at Reynolds Razorback Stadium and basketball at Bud Walton Arena.

Arkansas limited capacity to 16,500 at 76,412-seat Razorback Stadium last season, based on coronavirus distancing guidelines provided by the Arkansas Department of Health.

Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek said earlier in the year the department would sell season tickets for 2021 as if Razorback Stadium would be at full capacity.

“We’re anticipating things returning to some sense of normalcy,” Yurachek told WholeHogSports in January. “That’s my crystal ball outlook of what I think right now.”

The Razorbacks went 3-7 in Coach Sam Pittman’s debut season, outperforming the predictions of most analysts against an all-SEC schedule.

Several other SEC programs previously have announced plans to open all athletic venues to 100% capacity this fall, and most athletic directors have stated their intentions to do so.

At Arkansas, that means the return of HogTown, a pre-game mix of live music, food trucks and family activities at the corner of Razorback Road and Maple Street north of the stadium.

The Hog Walk, with Pittman leading the Razorbacks into the stadium; the team running through the “A”; and halftime performances from the band and cheerleaders are also scheduled to return.

The Razorbacks will open the season Sept. 4 against former Southwest Conference rival Rice, and they’ll host Texas one week later at 6 p.m. on ESPN.