Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

12/4/2011 at 10:00pm

Image by Mark Wagner

No. 6 Arkansas will face No. 8 Kansas State on Jan. 6 in Cowboys Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Arkansas isn’t in a BCS Bowl this season, but is still getting a Top 10 matchup.

This year’s Cotton Bowl will feature the sixth-ranked Razorbacks (10-2) and No. 8 Kansas State (10-2). Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Jan. 6 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Both the Wildcats and Arkansas are ranked high enough to be considered for BCS bowls, but the Big 12 and SEC have other representatives in the top-tier bowls. BCS rules limit each conference to two teams in BCS bowls.

Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long said the bowl's time slot, location and matchup of Top 10 teams make it a good option for the Razorbacks. No other bowls are set for Jan. 6 and the team visits an area Arkansas wants to make a push for students, athletes and donors.

"Exposure. That’s what we’re looking for," Long said. "That’s what helps us in recruiting. That’s what helps our university. I mean, one of the missions of our athletic program is to help bring positive light to our university and the Cotton Bowl will do that nationally and in an area of the country where we recruit students. This is a big, big win for our athletic department and the University of Arkansas."

Cowboys Stadium is a venue the Razorbacks are familiar with, having beaten Texas A&M there on Oct. 1. Arkansas has played in the billion-dollar stadium the last three seasons in a regular season game with the Aggies.

Coach Bobby Petrino, who has guided the program to three consecutive bowl games, was not made available for comment on the Razorabcks' bowl destination. Long said Petrino was out recruiting to find players to "help us beat No. 1 and No. 2," a reference to Arkansas' 24-point losses to LSU and Alabama this season.

“We’ve enjoyed success in Cowboys Stadium and the hospitality and experience the Cotton Bowl provides gives our team a special opportunity to compete together one more time," Petrino said in a statement. "I know this game will be highly anticipated by our fans and the support they will give the Razorbacks will once again be tremendous.”

Arkansas is playing in the Cotton Bowl for the 12^th time in school history, its first since a 38-7 loss to Missouri in 2008. Entering this year’s bowl the Razorbacks are 3-7-1 in the bowl.

Kansas State ended the season with a 30-23 victory against Iowa State. Arkansas is coming off a 41-17 loss at No. 1 LSU.

Other Top 10 matchups include the BCS title game (No. 1 LSU vs. No. 2 Alabama), the Fiesta Bowl (No. 3 Oklahoma State against No. 4 Stanford) and the Rose Bowl (No. 5 Oregon against No. 10 Stanford). Arkansas' is the only non-BCS game with a Top 10 matchup and its the highest ranking of two teams in the Cotton Bowl since 1994.

Traditionally, the Cotton Bowl has been seen as a lower-tiered option for SEC teams. The Capital One Bowl, which picked South Carolina to face Nebraska, has the conference's first pick of teams behind the national title game and Sugar Bowl. Long said Arkansas was not "snubbed" by the Orlando-based bowl picking a team ahead of the Razorbacks.

Since the Razorbacks were last in the Cotton Bowl (2008) the game has changed venues and adjusted its timeslot from an a.m. to primetime kickoff spot. Long said the school's allotment of 12,500 tickets was gone by 8:33 p.m. on Sunday.

"I don’t think our season is any less accomplished because we’re playing in the Cotton Bowl. Absolutely the opposite," Long said.

Long said he imagines when the BCS contract expires in 2013, changes could be made to the system. Until then, he said there is no reason to "blow up anything."

"I do think we’ll see in the next contract with the BCS there will be changes," Long said. "We’ve already seen a lot of discussion about eliminating only two from a conference in a [BCS] bowl game. Certainly that would have benefited us this year and our highest ranking at No. 6."

AT&T Cotton Bowl
Date: Jan. 6
Location: Dallas
Kickoff: 7 p.m.
Network: FOX
Other Scheduled Bowls: None
Total Payout: $3.6 million
Previous Appearance: Missouri 38, Arkansas 7 - 2008

Tagged: Arkansas Razorbacks, Cotton Bowl, AT&T Cotton Bowl, Kansas State Wildcats