Colorado State - Arkansas to play two-sport combo series

Colorado State’s headin’ south, y’all.

Today, the school announced a two-sport combo series, meaning men’s basketball and football will each play against the Razorbacks in the near future.

For basketball, it sets up a home-and-home series in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. For football, their trip to Fayetteville, Arkansas comes in 2019.

“It is always our goal to create the most competitive schedule for our program,” said CSU football head coach Mike Bobo in a statement. “Going on the road to face teams from the SEC will test our team and prepare us well in the non-conference season for the challenges our Mountain West schedule will present.”

It’s not just SEC teams, as  Colorado State annually faces the University of Colorado out of the Pac 12, at least through 2020, which means they’ll play two teams from the Power 5 through 2019. It will be a seven-year streak at the time they play Arkansas, dating back to 2013 when the Rams played Alabama tough, then beat Boston College on the road in 2014 and faced Minnesota at home in an overtime loss last season. CSU heads to Minnesota this fall, plays at ‘Bama and hosts Oregon State in 2017, Florida in ’18, Arkansas and then Florida and Oregon State again in 2020, bringing the streak to at least eight years.

Playing teams in the Power 5 is important for Colorado State as it not only readies them for the conference schedule, which comes after they play the others, but also because it gives the Rams national attention.

CSU continues to look to fill the other two games of their non-conference schedule in 2019.

For men’s basketball, it will be their first game against the Razorbacks and CSU hoops has a 10-6 record against SEC teams overall.

“This is a great opportunity for our team to get a home-and-home with a program with the history and quality of Arkansas,” Rams head coach Larry Eustachy said in a statement. “Any time you get a chance to have a two-game series like this, it is great for the players, the program, the athletic department and the community. Bringing them to Moby Arena will be great for everyone, and I am excited we get the chance to add them to our schedule for those two seasons.”

The hoops team has been lacking notable opponents in their non-conference schedule, and while Arkansas isn’t necessarily a powerhouse, they’re a recognizable name. Now, the Rams need more.

On Wednesday, the team’s top two assistant coaches — Ross Hodge and Leonard Perry — left the school for associate head coaching positions at Arkansas State (ironically) and Pacific, respectively. Their losses, as Justin Michael wrote, were monumental.

Colorado State football is in the midst of their spring camp — with the annual green and gold game slated for a 1 p.m. MT kickoff at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium — while Hodge was in the middle of recruiting and filling four open scholarships for the hoops squad. Leon Gillmore III remains committed to the team per Eduardo Martinez. Gilmore committed last week.