Arkansas now knows when it will head to Nashville for its Week 7 date with Vanderbilt.
The Razorbacks and Commodores will kick off on October 17 at 6 p.m. (CDT) on ESPN2. It will be the 11th all-time meeting between the programs, with Arkansas holding a 7-3 edge in the series.
This one has been a while coming. Arkansas and Vanderbilt haven’t played in eight years, and their last matchup in 2018 went the Commodores’ way. Vanderbilt came into Fayetteville and beat the Razorbacks 45-31.
Both teams enter the matchup with identical 2-3 records through five weeks, and neither has picked up a conference win yet. Arkansas has wins over North Alabama in Week 1 and Tulsa in Week 4. Vanderbilt’s victories came against Austin Peay in Week 1 and Delaware in Week 2, and the Commodores are carrying a three-game losing streak into the stretch run.
Before that trip to Nashville, Arkansas has a tough one at home. The Razorbacks host No.
17 Tennessee on Saturday at 3:15 p.m. (CDT) on SEC Network.
The teams have split the last two meetings. Arkansas shocked the fourth-ranked Volunteers 19-14 in Fayetteville in 2024, then lost a wild one in Knoxville the next year, 34-31.
After the Vanderbilt game, Arkansas gets a Week 8 open date before diving into a heavy late-season run. Missouri comes to town in Week 9 on October 31 for The Battle Line Rivalry, with the Razorbacks still looking for their first win in the series since 2021. Missouri won again last season in Fayetteville, 31-17, and finished 8-5 in 2025.
Week 10 sends Arkansas to Auburn on November 7 to face the Tigers and new head coach Alex Golesh. The teams have met every year since 1992, with Auburn leading the series 21-13-1. Last season in Fayetteville, the Razorbacks unraveled late with four fourth-quarter turnovers and fell 33-24.
South Carolina visits Razorback Stadium in Week 11 on November 14. That will be the first meeting between the teams since 2022, when Arkansas beat the Gamecocks 44-30 in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks lead the all-time series 14-10, and the programs have met 24 times overall.
Arkansas then heads back to Austin for the second straight year to face No. 1 Texas on November 21.
The Razorbacks are trying to snap a two-game skid against the Longhorns, who lead the series 58-23. Texas rolled past Arkansas 52-37 in Austin last season.
The regular season ends in Fayetteville on November 27 with the Battle for the Golden Boot against LSU. The Tigers now have new head coach Lane Kiffin, and Arkansas is trying to stop a four-game slide in the series. LSU won last year’s matchup 23-22.
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Calipari Missing On One Target Could Reveal Arkansas Bigger 2027 Plan
King Gibsons commitment to LSU trimmed one more name from Arkansas early wish list in the class of 2027, but it also underscored how active John Calipari and his staff already are on the recruiting trail. Gibson, a highly regarded combo guard, had been a target for the Razorbacks along with several other programs, and his decision leaves Arkansas to keep pressing forward as the long-range board continues to take shape.
The bigger picture for the Razorbacks is less about one miss than about where Calipari is directing his energy next, with Beckham Black and Demarcus Henry among the names still in play. Henry is expected to choose in early November, and Arkansas pursuit of multiple top targets suggests the staff is trying to build momentum well beyond one recruit, even as the race for 2027 keeps shifting. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Has A New Problem Behind This Painful SEC Skid
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One of the quieter blows came with the departure of wide receiver Jelani Watkins, who is now focusing on track, leaving the offense with even less margin for error. KJ Jackson tried to keep things moving, finishing 13 of 25 for 111 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while Chris Marshall provided the main spark with seven catches for 76 yards and Arkansas only score, but the bigger question is how this group patches enough holes to stop the slide. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Now Knows When Its Next Chance To Change The Season Comes
Arkansas now has a date and a network for its next swing at changing the direction of the season. The Razorbacks will head to Nashville to face Vanderbilt on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. CT at FirstBank Stadium, with the SEC announcing the game will air on ESPN2.
It will be the first meeting between the programs in eight seasons and only the 11th time they have lined up overall, which gives the matchup a little extra weight as the calendar moves deeper into October. For Arkansas, it is the kind of road game that can shape what the rest of the season looks like, and now the team knows exactly when that chance arrives. [Read more 🡒]