FAYETTEVILLE, Ark — The Arkansas men’s basketball program will open the 2023-24 season – the fifth under head coach Eric Musselman – on Nov. 6.
The non-conference slate includes eight games in Bud Walton Arena, a trip to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis during Thanksgiving, the third and final meeting with Oklahoma in Tulsa and the Razorbacks’ annual trip to North Little Rock.
The first regular-season game, versus two-time defending SWAC champion Alcorn State, will be the second-earliest opener in program history. The earliest opener was when Arkansas hosted Rice on Nov. 5, 2019 – the first game of the Musselman era.
For the second time in three years, Arkansas’s second game of the year will come against Gardner-Webb. Two seasons ago, the Hogs defeated the Runnin’ Bulldogs, 86-69, on Nov. 13. This year’s meeting with GWU will be on Nov. 10. The Razorbacks will close the opening four-game homestand versus Old Dominion (Dec. 13) and UNC Greensboro (Dec. 17). ODU won 19 games last season while UNCG won 20 games last season and finished a game out of first place in the Southern Conference. Arkansas defeated UNCG, 65-58, last season (Dec. 6).
Arkansas will then travel to The Bahamas, Nov. 22-24, for the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis, facing Stanford in the opener, either Memphis or Michigan game two and either North Carolina, Northern Iowa, Texas Tech or Villanova on day three.
The Razorbacks close the month by returning home for the highly-anticipated matchup with Duke on Nov. 29 as part of the SEC-ACC Challenge.
This will mark the first time Arkansas has ever played eight games in the month of November. Arkansas is 141-41 (.775) all-time in November and Coach Musselman is 22-1 as Razorback head coach in the month with his lone setback coming to Creighton in last season’s Maui Invitational.
Arkansas will play three home games in December and two games away from Bud Walton Arena, but close to home. First, the Hogs welcome defending SoCon champion Furman on Dec. 4. The Paladins have won 22-plus games in five of the last six years and upset #4 Virginia in last year’s NCAA Tournament.
The Razorbacks will then play a pair of neutral site games. First, the Hogs will make the short trip to Tulsa, Okla., to face Oklahoma (Dec. 9) for the third edition of the Crimson & Cardinal Classic. Second, Arkansas will host Lipscomb on Dec. 16 at North Little Rock’s Simmons Bank Arena.
Arkansas closes its non-conference schedule by hosting Abilene Christian on Dec. 21 and UNC Wilmington on Dec. 30. The Hogs hosted ACU during the 2022-21 season, a year the Wildcats reached the NCAA Tournament and upset #3 Texas in the first round. This will be the first meeting with UNCW, a program that has won 47 games over the last two seasons.
A charity exhibition game with Purdue was previously announced and will be played on Oct. 28. For tickets, CLICK HERE. Dates for the annual Red-White Game and the Razorbacks’ first exhibition game are to be announced.
Nov. 6 Alcorn State
Nov. 10 Gardner-Webb
Nov. 13 Old Dominion
Nov. 17 UNC Greensboro
Nov. 22 vs. Stanford (Battle 4 Atlantis, The Bahamas)
Nov. 23 vs. Memphis or Michigan (Battle 4 Atlantis, The Bahamas)
Nov. 24 vs. TBD (Battle 4 Atlantis, The Bahamas)
Nov. 29 Duke (SEC-ACC Challenge)
Dec. 4 Furman
Dec. 9 vs Oklahoma (Tulsa, Okla.)
Dec. 16 vs. Lipscomb (North Little Rock)
Dec. 21 Abilene Christian
Dec. 20 UNC Wilmington
