John Calipari and Tom Izzo are set for another Thanksgiving Day showdown, and this one carries the kind of familiar edge that has made their meetings a staple for college basketball fans.
Arkansas’ schedule release for the upcoming 2025-206 season confirmed that the Razorbacks will meet Michigan State in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day, renewing a rivalry between two Hall of Fame coaches who have already built plenty of history against one another. It will be the seventh time Calipari and Izzo have gone head-to-head, and the winner will move back ahead in the series after last year’s Michigan State victory evened things at three wins apiece.
Their connection goes back to 2008, when they met for the first time in the Sweet 16. Memphis came away with a 92-74 win that night, knocking off a top-10 Michigan State team in convincing fashion.
The most recent chapter came last November, when Izzo handed Calipari and Arkansas a 69-66 loss at home. That game was the first time Calipari had faced Izzo since taking over at Arkansas two seasons ago. The Thanksgiving meeting had been expected to land at Bud Walton Arena, but that plan is now on hold until at least 2027, when the home-and-home is likely to resume.
Calipari enters this matchup looking for his first win against Michigan State since 2019, when he was at Kentucky. He has dropped his last two games against the Spartans, and after last season’s narrow defeat, this one figures to be circled on his calendar.
Arkansas is bringing in another freshman class that is expected to help push the program toward a third straight NCAA Tournament appearance, with hopes of making a deeper run than the Sweet 16. A game like this should give Calipari a sharp read on where his team stands early in the season.
Both teams are already being viewed as national contenders, with Michigan State ranked No. 8 and Arkansas No. 11 in ESPN’s preseason top 25 released earlier this summer.
Jeff Borzello’s way-too-early projected Arkansas starting five features 5-star freshman Jordan Smith, junior guard Jeremiah Wilkinson, junior wing Billy Richmond III, 5-star freshman Miikka Muurinen and senior center Cooper Bowser.
For all the familiar names and the long track record between the two coaches, this still feels like one of the marquee games on the college basketball calendar. Tipoff is set for 4:30 p.m., and CBS will carry the matchup.
In Other News...
Hunter Yurachek Just Sent A Clear Message About Arkansas Keeping Up
As college athletics keeps moving deeper into the revenue chase, Hunter Yurachek is making it clear Arkansas intends to stay in the game. The Razorbacks athletic director pointed to the departments recent push to create more income, including the new stadium naming rights agreement with CommunityAmerica Credit Union, as part of a broader effort to keep pace in the SEC without leaning on campus or state support.
Arkansas has already been ahead of the curve in some of these moves, from adding field and court logos to its venues to becoming one of the first programs to use jersey patch sponsorships. Yuracheks message was less about novelty than necessity, with the department continuing to look at every available option to remain competitive in a landscape where self-sustaining programs have to keep finding new ways to pay the bills. [Read more 🡒]
KJ Jackson Could Decide Arkansas' Biggest 2026 Question
Arkansas biggest quarterback question for 2026 is starting to come into focus around KJ Jackson, whose blend of athleticism, experience and leadership has made him one of the most important players on the roster. He already showed enough last season in limited action to suggest he can handle the position, and coaches and former players have continued to point to his poise and game management as reasons he remains such a compelling option.
Jackson still has work to do before the job feels settled, though, and the next step in his development is clear. For all the confidence around his presence and decision-making, accuracy remains the area he has identified as the key piece he needs to sharpen, which is why the coming months carry so much weight for Arkansas as it tries to sort out its future under center. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Is Headed For Another Massive Recruiting Fight With Duke
Arkansas and Duke have spent the better part of the past few recruiting cycles circling the same elite high school talent, and the 2027 class is already shaping up to be another familiar collision course. The latest name drawing attention is Beckham Black, the five-star point guard who has both John Calipari and Jon Scheyer watching closely after a recent run in Las Vegas, a reminder that when these two programs want the same guard, the race usually gets serious fast.
The Hogs do have some early leverage in the class with Davion Thompson already committed, though there is still buzz around whether he might reclassify. Arkansas is also in the mix for Lewis Uvwo, whose stock has climbed after a breakout EYBL showing, and Caleb Ourigou remains in the picture too after narrowing his list following official visits. For a staff trying to build another elite class, the challenge is obvious: Duke is right there, and these battles tend to stay tight deep into the process. [Read more 🡒]