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Little Rock's two: UNLV, LouSCOTT CAINARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE FAYETTEVILLE -- In the first year of its pared-down schedule for Arkansas football games, Little Rock will get Las Vegas and Lou. The Razorbacks released their 2001 schedule Tuesday, putting the Sept. 1 season opener against UNLV and the Oct. 13 game against Lou Holtz's South Carolina team in War Memorial Stadium. Opening in Little Rock against UNLV allows Arkansas to unveil expanded and renovated Reynolds Razorback Stadium for the Sept. 8 game against Tennessee. The stadium is expected to seat more than 72,000 next year. It will be the first time since 1954 that Arkansas has played only two games in War Memorial Stadium. In February, the UA system board of trustees voted for Arkansas to play five games in Fayetteville and two in Little Rock in 11 of the next 15 seasons. Little Rock gets three games in the other four seasons, one of which is this year. Broyles said War Memorial Stadium officials were notified of the schedule last week. Stadium officials could not be reached for comment late Tuesday. The 2001 schedule has been in place for a while. Broyles held off on announcing it because he wanted to replace one nonconference opponent with a heavyweight like Oklahoma or UCLA. But none of the schools Arkansas officials talked to wanted to schedule a home-and-home series beginning next year, Broyles said. Arkansas associate athletic director Bill Gray, who arranges the game contracts, will continue to look for a name opponent to play on the road perhaps as soon as 2002, with a return game in Fayetteville or Little Rock in 2005, Broyles said. Texas appears on the schedule in 2003 and 2004. Talks will continue with Oklahoma, Texas A&M and "some even bigger than those," Broyles said. "We're talking to a lot of people. "We think every once in a while we want to bring a high-marquee team to our fans in Arkansas. We think they deserve it. Texas is going to be first, and then after that we're going to do it as quick as we can." In UNLV and South Carolina, War Memorial will play host to coaches who each have won a national championship. Holtz's Notre Dame team won the 1988 title, and UNLV Coach John Robinson led Southern Cal to the 1978 title. The South Carolina game was a natural for Little Rock because the date coincides with the War Eagle craft fair that brings thousands of visitors to Northwest Arkansas and jams area hotels, Broyles said.
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