Arkansas basketball releases SEC schedule for John Calipari's first season

FAYETTEVILLE — The SEC released its 2025 men's basketball schedule Thursday, giving Arkansas basketball fans two months worth of confirmed matchups as the program continues to finalize its non-conference slate.

The highlight of the release is the Razorbacks matchup with Kentucky on Saturday, Feb. 1. That will mark John Calipari's first trip back to the Bluegrass State since leaving the Wildcats this offseason to become the new head coach at Arkansas. Calipari coached Kentucky for 15 seasons, winning one national championship and guiding the Wildcats to four Final Fours.

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Arkansas will open league play on the road against Tennessee on Jan. 4. The first home SEC game will be either Jan. 7 or 8 against Ole Miss. The league will announce the official schedule for midweek games at a later date, along with tipoff times and TV designations.

After the trip to Knoxville, Arkansas will alternate between two home games, followed by two road games for the next 16 games until playing Mississippi State in the regular-season finale on Mar. 8. The schedule includes a “bye” with no midweek game the last week of January.

Arkansas will renew its rivalry with Texas on either Feb. 4 or 5. The first matchup will be in Austin, with the Longhorns coming to Fayetteville on Feb. 25 or 26.

The Razorbacks have not released a full non-conference schedule, but a few matchups have already been confirmed. Arkansas will face Illinois on Thanksgiving Day in Kansas City, and the Hogs will travel to play Miami on Dec. 3 in the ACC-SEC Challenge.

It has also been reported that Arkansas will head to Madison Square Garden for a date with Michigan later in December for the Jimmy V Classic, and the University of Arkansas Little Rock announced a Nov. 22 matchup with Arkansas in its schedule release last week.

Below is the full conference schedule for the Razorbacks.

Arkansas basketball 2025 SEC schedule

Jan. 4 at Tennessee

Jan. 7/8 OLE MISS

Jan. 11 FLORIDA

Jan. 14/15 at LSU

Jan. 18 at Missouri

Jan. 21/22 GEORGIA

Jan. 25 OKLAHOMA

Feb. 1 at Kentucky

Feb. 4/5 at Texas

Feb. 8 ALABAMA

Feb. 11/12 LSU

Feb. 15 at Texas A&M

Feb. 18/19 at Auburn

Feb. 22 MISSOURI

Feb. 25/26 TEXAS

Mar. 1 at South Carolina

Mar. 4/5 at Vanderbilt

Mar. 8 MISSISSIPPI STATE

* HOME GAMES IN BOLD

Mar. 12-16          SEC Tournament (Nashville, Tenn. – Bridgestone Arena)

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas basketball releases SEC schedule for John Calipari's first season