Arkansas has locked in its 2026-27 non-conference men’s basketball slate, and it comes with a little of everything: two home exhibitions, eight games in Bud Walton Arena and the program’s annual stop in North Little Rock.
The first chance for fans to see this team comes on Oct. 2, when Arkansas stages the second annual Primetime at the Palace inside Bud Walton Arena. The free event begins at 8 p.m., but everyone in attendance, regardless of age, must claim a free ticket for entry.
Before the regular season tips off, the Razorbacks will host Gonzaga on Oct. 24 and Memphis on Oct. 28 in exhibition games. Those games are not included in the 2026-27 season ticket package. Razorback Foundation members can buy exhibition tickets next week in a tiered presale based on giving level, with public sales opening later in the week.
The 104th season of Razorback basketball begins Nov. 3 with a first-ever matchup against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Arkansas then heads to Washington, D.C., to face Virginia before returning home for games against Robert Morris on Nov. 11 and Central Arkansas on Nov. 13. The meeting with Robert Morris is only the second between the programs, while Arkansas and Central Arkansas will square off for the third straight year.
A demanding stretch follows. Four of the next five games will be away from Fayetteville, starting with a trip to Madison Square Garden to play Indiana on Nov.
- Mississippi Valley State visits Bud Walton Arena on Nov. 20, then Arkansas gets a pair of high-profile neutral-site tests: Michigan State in Detroit on Nov. 26 in the CBS Thanksgiving Classic and North Carolina on Dec. 1 in the SEC-ACC Challenge.
The run ends with Oral Roberts in North Little Rock on Dec. 5.
The Razorbacks will also face Arizona in the Hall of Fame Series in Phoenix on Nov. 19, adding another road showcase to the schedule.
Back home, Arkansas hosts Oakland on Dec. 8 and UT Arlington on Dec. 13 before closing out the non-conference portion with Central Michigan on Dec. 22 and UT Rio Grande Valley on Dec. 29 in Bud Walton Arena.
The SEC schedule opens Jan. 2 with Missouri coming to Fayetteville.
A few of the matchups carry some extra history. Arkansas has never played UAPB in basketball, though it went 28-2 against other opponents in Pine Bluff from 1977-78 to 1992-93.
The Razorbacks are 10-0 all-time against Central Arkansas and have played the Bears six times from 1924-25 to 1946-47 before resuming the series in 2020-21. Arkansas is 6-0 against Mississippi Valley State, with the last meeting coming in 2020-21, when the Razorbacks won, 14-2-62, in the season opener.
Against Oral Roberts, Arkansas owns a 12-2 edge and last met the Golden Eagles in the 2021 NCAA Sweet 16, a 72-70 Arkansas win. The Razorbacks are 20-10 all-time in North Little Rock and 16-10 in Simmons Bank Arena, where they have won four straight and eight of their last nine.
Arkansas has also seen Oakland before, holding a 3-0 series lead, and the Hogs are 9-0 all-time against UT Arlington. Central Michigan has appeared on the schedule once, with Arkansas winning 72-59 in Bud Walton Arena on Dec.
5, 2006. UT Rio Grande Valley will be a first-time opponent.
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Pressure around Arkansas football moved from the stands into the boardroom this week, as the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution calling for a comprehensive review of the athletic departments competitiveness. The directive puts President Jay B. Silveria in charge of examining how the department is operating, with an eye toward strengthening the resources behind football, where expectations remain high and frustration has been building.
The move was proposed by trustee Ashley Caldwell and seconded by trustee Steve Cox, a sign that the concern has widened beyond just game-day complaints. It also lands at a moment when fans have been openly dissatisfied with both the teams performance and athletics director Hunter Yuracheks leadership, making the review feel less like a routine administrative step and more like a response to a program under real scrutiny. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Just Set Up Calipari For A Brutal Early Measuring Stick
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Arkansas Faces A Harsh Early Test For Its Stalled Run Game
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The timing could hardly be tougher with an SEC opener against No. 2 Georgia, a defense that gives up only 60 rushing yards a game. Arkansas coaches and players have already acknowledged the need to get the run game moving to create better opportunities elsewhere, but the Bulldogs are the kind of opponent that can turn that goal into an early test of whether those adjustments are real or still a work in progress. [Read more 🡒]