The ARA of Arkansas honored a longtime football rivalry when it hosted its Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Texas Longhorns tailgate Saturday, Sept. 11, at the Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
“These two teams are archrivals, going back to when they were both members of the Southwest Conference,” says Brannon Oden, field service technician, United Rentals, Fort Smith, Ark. “I am a Razorbacks fan. It was a real good game. The Razorbacks won 40-21. It doesn’t matter whether we win another game this season. It was just important that we beat the Texas Longhorns.”
Fellow Razorbacks fan John Dykema, owner, Elite Rental and Outdoors, Rogers, Ark., agrees. “It was a great game, if you are a Razorbacks fan. It was an upset as well. It wasn’t anticipated. We were expecting to lose,” he says.
While the outcome of the game was very sweet for Razorbacks fans, it was more than the game that made the event so enjoyable, Oden and Dykema say.
“It was really good to see everyone. I haven’t been able to see anyone since the pandemic started. We had a couple of functions before the pandemic and haven’t been able to meet up in-person since then, so this was very nice,” Dykema says.
Dykema, his wife, nephew and a friend of his nephew attended. “We had tickets to the game, so we tailgated before the game. They were in a real nice spot, had tents set up and served barbecue and drinks on a garden area on the grass. They had TVs set up and were livestreaming the game. It was very family-friendly. I had the chance to network with others, and my nephew and his friend were able to go play with the other kids that were tailgating,” he says.
Oden couldn’t agree more. “This was my first ARA of Arkansas event. I am glad I went,” he says. “The atmosphere was great, the food was very good and I was able to connect with other rental operators. Some I talked with had just opened up their rental businesses. It was a lot of fun. I wish the ARA of Arkansas would offer tailgates at every game.”
Dykema is a firm believer in the value of events like the tailgate. “Being able to run ideas back and forth with others in the industry is important. You can learn from what others have done, find out what has or hasn’t worked for them. These were all folks from Arkansas so they are pretty much in the same market as I am in. They understand what it’s like to be in rental in our state. That is helpful,” he says.