Date and Location: November 16, 2024, Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium

Reflections: Life’s all about little risks. Not quite understanding the depths of the hatred between Texas and Arkansas, I took a big one.

As a little bit of context, after British Airways chose to erroneously cancel my flight to Houston, I arrived in the United States via Austin and promptly ruined myself for all other US cities. I waited in line for 2 hours for Franklin’s BBQ, making lifelong friends of a couple from Wichita Kansas I’ve never spoken to again. I went to the Wittliff Collections in San Marcos and saw the Lonesome Dove costumes. I attended a screening of Brokeback Mountain surrounded by crying Texans. It was all amazing, leading to me feeling a real loyalty to my first landing spot and all of its weird, Texan glory.

When they came to Arkansas in November of 2024, I picked my side.

I got into the student queue in the Arkansas baseball cap which had become my gameday uniform, scanning into the game with my Razorback Access Pass. I then got changed into my UT shirt in the bathroom, not expecting the chaos that would ensue.

“Fuck Texas!” three separate students yelled as I walked past. One directed this insult down my top. As someone from a locale 4914.8 miles away from this sporting battlefield, I couldn’t stop laughing. Seeking relative safety with the herd of other Longhorns fans in the cheap seats, we celebrated an easy win together, ignoring the flung middle fingers from Razorback fans and luxuriating in the shade of the “wrong” side of the stadium.

I changed back into my camouflage before I left.

Final Score: Somewhat predictably, the Longhorns beat the Razorbacks 20 – 10.

Best Food or Drink: The incredibly detailed cookies provided by the Poultry Science tailgate. Thanks guys!