First, this is an article on 247, Hawg sports.com, but it is open to the public. I am not a paying member. I am not validating the story at all and it is “per a source”. The decision makes sense if the info is correct.
Supposedly, the way the contract reads, if Arkansas elects to play in Fayetteville in 2021, they would be obligated to play A&M in Arlington in 2026.
Now this part is just my assumption:
I’m guessing there is probably an “act of god” clause that allows A&M to get a pass on not playing there in 2020 because of the pandemic. If the pandemic continues on and affects the 2021 season, then Arkansas would probably get a pass on the 2026 game in Arlington if the SEC schedules are changed like this year and the Hogs play A&M in Fayetteville in 2021. That could be why HY said the would continue to assess the situation. If the first part is true and my assumption is correct, then HY probably made the right choice in playing in Arlington in 2021 rather than in 2026.
edit: I corrected the source to be 247, not Rivals.
I’ve read the contracts and I haven’t seen anything like that. There is language in the original contract that if a team backs out of a scheduled game it would owe $5 million to the non-breaching party, which in this case would seem to be the Cowboys.
The Force Majeure language would seem to protect Texas A&M from being penalized this year.
So, we get $3M from playing, or make $8M from a home game. Take out the $5M penalty, and we get the same $3M, plus we have a home conference game. It seems a no brainer to me, play in Fayetteville.
