Scheduling: Arkansas adds Southern Miss to 2013 schedule

Arkansas and Southern Mississippi will play their first ever game against each other in 2013, the Golden Eagles said.

Southern Miss. AD Jeff Hammond said in a release: “We look forward to the challenge of going to Fayetteville in 2013 to face a strong Southeastern Conference opponent in the University of Arkansas,” Hammond said. “Playing quality opponents it helps with our national exposure as well as a new regional rivalry that allows our fan base an opportunity to see their team play. We are not strangers to playing teams in the SEC and now we can add Arkansas to that long list.”

The game will be played in Fayetteville, although a date has not been set.

The Golden Eagles already have a connection with the SEC West – former coach Kevin Sumlin coaches there at Texas A&M.

BOTTOM LINE: Great news for Southern Miss., as a game like this will certainly help its strength of schedule, which is already very strong with match-ups against Nebraska and Boise State in September. As for Arkansas? We’re not so sure. With no-conference schedules becoming increasingly important for a team’s route to a National Championship, couldn’t the Razorbacks picked a stronger opponent.