Preseason chatter is one of the best parts of college sports.
For former Arkansas tight end Ty Washington, things didn’t end on the best terms with his old team. And as his new squad, Notre Dame, prepares to visit Fayetteville next month, Washington isn’t shying away from stirring the pot.
“If you shut them out quick, it’ll be done,” Washington said after Notre Dame’s Friday practice. “The fan base will be quiet. It’s too hot at Arkansas. If they’re losing, everybody just wants to go home. They’ll head for the exits.”
With today’s transfer portal giving players the flexibility to move freely between programs, they’re gaining firsthand insight into how fanbases and stadium atmospheres compare across college football.
While it may seem like there’s lingering bad blood between Ty Washington and Arkansas — whether with the fanbase or coaching staff — the former Razorback says he’s grateful for his three seasons in Fayetteville.
“It’s going to be great,” Washington said Friday after a Fighting Irish practice. “Even though it ended badly, I love the fan base, and I love everything that was there. The players, I still love the players, and I still love a few of the coaches.”
Washington’s exit from Arkansas came after a suspension stemming from his refusal to enter a game against Mississippi State last season. The situation raised eyebrows, but Washington later opened up about his personal struggles during that time. In an appearance on a podcast with former Razorback D.J. Williams, he revealed that he was battling emotional turmoil after the passing of his grandmother.
“It’s easy to label former players as villains, especially when they come back in a different uniform,” Washington said. “If some want to call me the villain, they can call me the villain. But I think mental health is a serious topic that doesn’t get talked about enough.”
He explained that the circumstances surrounding his grandmother’s passing deeply affected him, a pain that was compounded by family ties.
“When my grandma was about to pass, that really hit me at home, and I tried to tell them that,” Washington said. “For my dad, that was his only parent.”
Washington understands he might hear boos when he returns to Razorback Stadium, but he isn’t taking it personally. He knows how college football works. After all, that day in Starkville, his focus wasn’t on the team or the fans — it was survival.
Arkansas is set to host Notre Dame on September 27 at 11 a.m. CT. The game will be nationally televised on ABC.
Despite the early brunch-time kickoff, Razorback Stadium should be rocking when Arkansas and Notre Dame meet for the first time in history.
“It’s going to be very, very hectic [in Razorback Stadium],” Washington said. “They get loud. The fan base gets in there quick; the student section gets in there fast.”
Washington looked poised to become a key weapon in the Razorbacks’ offense before injuries derailed his 2023 season, including a setback during the game at Florida. That year turned into a grind for Arkansas, highlighted (or lowlighted) by an infamous 7-3 home loss to Mississippi State — a game many considered one of the ugliest in program history.
During Washington’s time in Fayetteville, the Hogs went a combined 10-8 in home games. However, recent struggles in SEC play have dulled the stadium’s edge. Arkansas has dropped five of its last six SEC home games by double digits, a skid that’s been reflected in a fanbase that’s grown weary of the losing.
In his Razorback career, Washington caught 14 passes for 212 yards and scored four touchdowns, showing flashes of the playmaker many expected him to become.
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