Texas Game Probably Shouldn't be Floating if Fans Mattered

In latest SEC schedule, there apparently are going to be games floating between nights, but one in particular really stood out

Arkansas Razorbacks John Calipari at his first press conference after being hired April 10 at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. / Craven Whitlow-Hogs on SI Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Earlier in the week, the SEC released all of the league basketball schedules and a lot of Arkansas fans immediately looked for Kentucky. Then the game with Texas was next.

There was some surprise to find out the game is one of those where the date isn't firm. Flex scheduling has arrived in a more dramatic way than football schedules, which just move the time around.

For basketball, they are changing entire dates. For fans planning their travel schedules around the dates of the game that gets rather dicey. It probably takes some planning to juggle some kids' games with planning a trip to Fayetteville for the Texas game. When they announce the firm date probably will depend on how the season plays out.

Everybody knows John Calipari's return to Lexington, Ky., is going to be a big deal on Feb. 1. The Wildcats' fans will be in a frenzy. Everybody in Arkansas will be glued to the television sets and it will be a national broadcast on some network (my guess is ABC for maximum exposure).

But then the Longhorns will be coming into Bud Walton Arena and that's a game that will be huge. Whenever the Razorbacks face any Texas team, the fans come out in force with that ridiculous Horns Down thing that actually is a badge of pride for the players in burnt orange. The desired effect is just the opposite, actually.

Quite frankly, it is a clear signal what's important to the league and teams. They are more interested in how many people watch the game on television as opposed to sitting in the stands. While they yammer about ticket sales, it's a small part of the revenue that simply stacks up a lot of expenses (security, parking control, etc.) and just a tiny amount of profit.

That's for every sport these days, by the way. As online streaming continues to grow, get ready for more of that. You can have whatever opinion you choose about the whole thing. You can spend the money for the massive donation just to buy a ticket or build an extra room on the house to watch the games and eat whatever food you choose.

It's something a lot of fans are considering these days. Get ready for even more as technology continues to expand ... and it will keep going. Whether you like it or not isn't really relative anymore.

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• Nation's college basketball coaches acknowledge Arkansas' NIL superiority

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