Arkansas head coach John Calipari and the Razorbacks have added a marquee matchup to their 2024-25 schedule, according to a report by Jeff Goodman on Friday.
The Hoop Hogs are expected to face the Baylor Bears in non-conference play on Nov. 9 at American Airlines Arena in Dallas, per Goodman.
With high-profile matchups against Michigan, Miami and Illinois already secured, Baylor rounds out what should be a competitive litmus test for Calipari's new-look Arkansas roster.
"Got to get the national stuff done first," Calipari said at the Razorback Roadshow in mid-May. "We’ve been called by CBS, ESPN, different events. They want us in. I’ve got to get through that. As we get through that, then you’ll want to look and see if we want to do any home-and-homes. But we’ll see. I have fond memories of Memphis and my time there, so we’ll see how it all plays out."
Those calls seemingly resulted in Arkansas' participation in the Jimmy V Classic against Michigan at Madison Square Garden in New York, as well as the Multi-Team Event (MTE) that culminated in a neutral site tilt against Illinois.
Arkansas and Baylor last faced off in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge during the 2023 season, when the Bears edged the Hogs in Waco, Texas, 67-64. Before that, the Razorbacks fell to head coach Scott Drew's Bears in the Elite Eight in 2021, 81-72. Baylor went on to win the national championship that season.
Calipari and Drew have met three times as head coaches, each between Baylor and Kentucky. Drew leads the all-time series between the head coaches 2-1, with the most recent matchup coming on December 6, 2013.
Other non-conference bouts for Arkansas include Pacific, Little Rock, North Carolina A&T, Oakland, Troy and Maryland-Eastern Shore. Arkansas' full SEC basketball schedule was also announced earlier this week.
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