Arkansas’s Ricky Council IV knocks the ball away from Illinois’s Ty Rodgers during first half of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament Thursday, March 16, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)It appears Arkansas Razorback fans will be able to make a weekend of it north of the border this Thanksgiving holiday.
The Razorback football squad is scheduled to play the Missouri Tigers on Nov. 30 in the SEC’s 2:30 to 3:30 pm., kickoff slot at Columbia, Mo., and based on reports out of Illinois, John Calipari’s first Razorback basketball team will face the Illinois Fighting Illini on Thanksgiving day (Nov. 28) in Kansas City.
Some enterprising local travel agent ought to be organizing a party bus weekend package as we speak.
While Arkansas has yet to make an announcement, Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman let the cat out of the bag at an annual media roundtable he participated in on Thursday, based on reports.
For Razorback fans wanting to get away for Thanksgiving, this might be a tantalizing opportunity.
Razorbackers could watch the Hoop Hogs face a Big 10 opponent in the Fighting Illini on Thanksgiving, and get some Christmas shopping done in Kansas City on Friday before making the two-hour drive east to Columbia to watch the Razorbacks cap their football regular season against Mizzou on Saturday.
While Razorback fans have not appreciated the SEC foisting Missouri on them as a “rival,” from the perspective of Tiger fans, the Hogs haven’t won often enough in the series for the game to be considered a rivalry. Since the Tigers joined the SEC in 2014 and the series began, the Razorbacks have won only twice in 2015 and in 2021.
I’m not sure how many more losses to the Tigers it will take for Razorback fans will begin to take the game seriously?
As for the Hardwood Hogs, it appears Calipari is crafting an excellent schedule for his inaugural season as Arkansas’ head coach. The Razorbacks reportedly will play the Miami Hurricane in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Dec. 3 before facing the Michigan Wolverines on Dec. 10 at Madison Square Garden, reportedly as part of the Jimmy V Classic. Arkansas has only officially announced the Miami contest.
Arkansas Razorbacks 2024 football schedule
Countdown to Kickoff: 69 Days
Aug. 29 – Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Little Rock
Sept. 7 – at Oklahoma State
Sept. 14 – Alabama-Birmingham
Sept. 21 – at Auburn
Sept. 28 – Texas A&M at Arlington
Oct. 5 – Tennessee
Oct. 12 – Open Date
Oct. 19 – LSU
Oct. 26 – at Mississippi State
Nov. 2 – Ole Miss
Nov. 9 – Open Date
Nov. 16 – Texas
Nov. 23 – Louisiana Tech
Nov. 30 – at Missouri
Hall of Honor Class Announced
Eight former Razorback greats and a current head coach will be honored as the latest members of the UA Sport Hall of Honor.
Razorback baseball head coach Dave Van Horn leads the list of men and women who will be honored in a ceremony, held Sept. 13 at the Walton Arts Center, the evening before the football Hogs’ season opener agains Alabama -Birmingham at Razorback Stadium.
Other Razorback greats joining Van Horn include Olympic silver medalist Matt Hemingway, quarterback Matt Jones, running back Alex Collins, point guard Kareem Reid, linebacker Ravin Caldwell, pitcher David Walling, sharp-shooting guard Wendi Willits, and softball slugger Devon Wallace.
Inductees to the Hall of Honor are voted in by Razorback letter winners in conjunction with the A Club.
Ticket information will be forthcoming by the UA. For information about sponsorships for the banquet, call the Razorback Foundation at (479) 443-9000.
Herd of Track Hogs Headed to Olympic Trials
Nearly two scores of athletes with ties to the University of Arkansas track and field program will begin competition today at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. in hopes of making their Olympic dreams come true.
Eleven current Razorbacks, 15 UA alums, and 10 other professional athletes, who have opted to train in Fayetteville take another step toward earning a spot on Team USA for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic, which runs from July 26 through Aug. 11.
The USA Network’s television coverage of the trials begins at 5 p.m. Friday. The Peacock Streaming Network also features coverage from 5:30-10 p.m. on Friday.
Here’s the lineup:
Current Hogs
James Benson II – 400m
Kaylyn Brown – 400m
Rosey Effiong – 200m, 400m
Rachel Glenn – 400m Hurdles, High Jump
Destiny Huven – 100m Hurdles
Lance Lang – 200m
Ariane Linton – 100m
Elijah Morris – 110m Hurdles
Kason O’Riley – High Jump
Daniel Spejcher – Decathlon
TJ Tomlyanovich – 400m
UA alums
Chris Bailey – 400m
Jada Baylark – 100m, 200m
Taliyah Brooks – Heptathlon
Stephanie Brokaw – 800m
Krissy Gear – 3,000m Steeplechase
Alex Gochenour-Brondyke – 100m hurdles, Heptathlon
Lauren Gregory – 5,000m
Nikki Hiltz – 1,500m
Katie Izzo – 10,000m
Logan Jolly – 3,000m Steeplechase
Jarrion Lawson – Long Jump
Matthew Lewis-Banks – 110m Hurdles
Sandi Morris – Pole Vault
Paris Peoples – 400m
Jordan West – Shot Put
