On June 18, 2025, the Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team suffered a heart-wrenching 6-5 walk-off loss to the LSU Tigers in the College World Series, cementing their reputation as perhaps the most cursed program in sports. Leading 5-3 in the bottom of the ninth with one out to go, Arkansas imploded, committing three errors that allowed LSU to snatch victory and advance to the championship series. This collapse, marked by a throwing error, a misplayed line drive, and a final ball off Cam Kozeal’s glove, epitomized the Razorbacks’ tortured history in Omaha.
Arkansas, tied for the second-most College World Series appearances (12) without a title, has endured a string of agonizing defeats. Their 0-5 record against LSU in Omaha, including losses in 2009 and now 2025, fuels the narrative of a program hexed by their SEC rivals. Social media erupted, with fans and analysts decrying the “Arkansas Omaha Curse,” pointing to the team’s knack for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. One X post lamented, “There’s no other explanation. Arkansas lost, not LSU won.”
The Razorbacks’ curse transcends baseball. In football, they’ve faced near-misses, like the 1969 “Game of the Century” loss to Texas, and basketball fans still rue the 1995 NCAA championship game defeat to UCLA. Despite boasting elite talent—124 home runs in 2025, the most in program history—Arkansas repeatedly falters on the biggest stages. Their 2025 baseball squad, with a .316 batting average and stars like Wehiwa Aloy, was poised to end the drought, yet defensive miscues in the clutch moment against LSU proved their undoing.
That goes without mentioning the infamous “foul ball” game against the Oregon State Beavers back in 2018.
This latest collapse, where Jared Jones’ walk-off single off Kozeal’s glove sent LSU to face Coastal Carolina, has fans questioning if the Razorbacks are doomed by fate. The program’s resilience is admirable—eight consecutive 40-win seasons—but the inability to secure a national title across sports breeds a sense of cosmic injustice. As one fan on X sighed, “Being an Arkansas fan has taken 20 years off my life.” Until the Razorbacks break through, the curse narrative will linger, haunting every close call in Fayetteville.
Pour one out for the folks in the Ozarks tonight. I mean, my gracious.
They truly might have it worse than the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Toronto Maple Leafs and Sacramento Kings.
The poor Arkansas Razorbacks, man.
In the meantime, take a look at Kyle Larson racing Christopher Bell on Wednesday night.
The Most Cursed Program in Sports History? The Arkansas Razorbacks