If you were already getting hopes up of seeing Michigan in Fayetteville in a couple of years, forget it.
The Wolverines backed out.
And will pay $2 million to do it.
Based on an agreement signed in 2012, the two schools were scheduled to play a home-and-home series with a game at Michigan during the 2018 season and at Arkansas in the 2019 season.
“Primarily, we are disappointed in Michigan’s timing in pulling out of a non-conference football series between the SEC and the Big Ten that has been set for four years,” athletics director Jeff Long said in a press release. “While there are many other quality opponents that would help us strengthen our non-conference schedule, the late notice of Michigan’s cancellation makes securing those games substantially more difficult.
“Our focus will be to find a program that welcomes the opportunity to compete against a nationally respected program in the most competitive conference in college football.”
“As a former player and coach in the Big Ten, I was looking forward to the opportunity for our team to compete against one of my favorite Big Ten conference rivals,” Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said. “I’m disappointed that won’t happen now.”
Of course, finding out why the Wolverines cancelled will be interesting.
