Editorial: Will New Arkansas Gun Carry Law in Razorback Stadium Effect Football Recruiting?

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @HogManInLA

On Wednesday, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson (Rep.) signed House Bill 1249 allowing Arkansans to obtain a permit to carry a concealed handgun in public places including churches, airports, bars, polling sites, and, more importantly to some outside of the political sphere of influence in the sports world, at athletic events. The law that will go into effect on Sept. 1 allows gun permit holders to bring a handgun into Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, the home field for the Hogs.

The law may have support within the state among some politicians but raises a lot of pointed questions that only time can answer outside of politics. Questions such as how will fans react to the new law in the form of buying tickets to athletic events and will parents outside of the Natural State feel safe sending their child to the University of Arkansas to receive a degree and/or play any sport, especially Arkansas’ cash cow, football, if the bill stands as is?

The bill put forth by Rep. Charlie Collins (Rep.) allows an individual who takes an additional eight hours of training to carry a gun in public places with the exception of kindergarten through 12th grade public schools, courtrooms, and some state facilities like the Department of Correction. Four of the eight hours can be waived if an individual has taken concealed-carry permit training in the last 10 years. Yet, the exact training protocol for the extended carry permit has not been set yet.

The bill, supported in person by the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action executive director Chris Cox, is meeting some push back by State Representative Greg Leding (Dem.). Lending discounted HB 1249 mentioning it was “far worse” than the original version and added concerns stating, “Sometimes people have a little bit to drink before they go to the game. I just think it’s a really dumb idea to introduce loaded weapons into that situation.”

During an interview with Arkansas Online, Gov. Hutchinson explained his reasoning for signing the bill stating, “A bad guy could get a gun into Razorback Stadium now.” Gov. Hutchinson added, “I am convinced that the public will be more safe [sic]. We will have more safety in our institutions and our public spaces.” Hutchinson did not add how safety measures would be set up at sporting events statewide for gun carriers entering various state funded venues nor did he mention beefing up police security at sporting events if all Arkansas fans are in peril going into Razorback Stadium, for example, as the governor is leading the public to believe.

Fans that oppose the idea of passionate die-hards wielding a gun during an Arkansas football, basketball, or baseball game may have strong support from the University of Arkansas System and the Arkansas State University System. A bill passed in 2013 by Collins allowed for universities to opt out of the law making it legal for staff and faculty to carry a concealed weapon upon completion of training, which the school administrators did unilaterally.

In a statement given to ArkansasNews.com, UA System spokesman Nate Hinkle gave the impression that same philosophy would continue forward, “Our position has always been that we believe a decision such as this that involves the safety our students is best left to our board of trustees, which has voted continuously to disallow concealed handguns on our campuses at the advice of our law enforcement officials.”

Chances are everyone that has been to a college football event has seen at least one fight either in the parking lot or inside the stadium. Those same fans have also seen the masses tailgating ahead of the game consuming various amounts of alcohol before entering the stadium. Those fighting are not necessarily always fans of opposing teams going too far to show their school spirit but can also be fans, in this case, Arkansas fans fighting one another. The excitement for fans wanting to have a good time by spending their hard earned cash on tickets to a game has the atmosphere of the event ruined by having to take in a fight. The unpleasant actions of a few can only be exacerbated over time when a handgun comes into play, especially in a stadium with tens of thousands of people standing around including children.

If Collins’ bill is allowed to effect Arkansas Razorback games in any form in its current status, the question is not when will something happen at an event but how badly will others get hurt because of his law?

The short-term effect of Collins’ bill on Razorbacks’ athletics may go unseen to most but still have a major impact. The average fan pays little attention to recruiting not caring which athlete is interested in the Hogs only taking notice once said players have signed with the school or once they are on campus. But there is a big potential fallout that the Arkansas coaching staffs across the board may have to overcome answering questions of safety concerns with parents for their child and for the parents themselves once on campus for a sporting event – how safe is it to attend an Arkansas game? This law could keep top Arkansas recruiting targets from even wanting to attend a Razorback game on an unofficial visit much less sign a letter of intent with the school.

The long-term effect of Collins’ law will truly be felt the first time there is a shooting at an Arkansas sporting event when one fan turns a gun on another. What may seem like a good idea today will eventually cost the university and athletic department millions upon millions and more than likely setback all Arkansas athletics for decades.

If Razorback fans are truly in danger because of a “bad guy” entering the stadium with a gun, why not add more law enforcement officials to Arkansas related sporting events instead of putting the law and safety of thousands into the hands of those who may be under the influence of alcohol?

The good news for those in opposition of HB 1249, the new gun carry permits in public places like Razorback Stadium will not be available until Jan. 1. WPS!

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Three examples of fights at Arkansas sporting events. Beware, explicit language in videos!

Photo credit: pinterest.com; Arkansas fans “Calling the Hogs.”