Arkansas is poised to finalize contracts to host Little Rock and MD-Eastern Shore as part of a four-team multi-team event (MTE), which also features a game against Illinois in Kansas City.
LITTLE ROCK — Pending any unexpected issues, contracts are set to be finalized for Arkansas to host games against in-state Division 1 team Little Rock and D1 Maryland-Eastern Shore at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. These games are expected to take place in November as part of a four-team multi-team event (MTE), which also includes the Razorbacks’ previously announced neutral-site game against Illinois on November 28 in Kansas City, Mo., as reported by multiple sources.
Each team will participate in three games during the event. Arkansas and Illinois will each host the other two participating teams, in addition to their scheduled matchup on Thanksgiving Day in Kansas City, which reports suggest will be broadcast nationally by CBS. Little Rock will host Maryland-Eastern Shore and play road games against both Arkansas and Illinois, giving Maryland-Eastern Shore three away games in the event.
While the Arkansas-Illinois game is confirmed, there remains a slight chance that either Little Rock or UMES could be substituted with another team until all contracts are fully executed.
However, sources indicate it’s highly improbable that the four-team lineup will change, barring any significant unforeseen issues at the last minute, as noted by a source on Hogville.
Historically, Arkansas holds a 1-5 record against Illinois, 1-0 against Little Rock (including a 93-78 home victory in December 2021, and a prior exhibition win in October 2019), and 1-0 against UMES (a 100-40 home victory in January 2001).
Illinois concluded the 2023-24 season as runners-up in the Big Ten with a 29-9 overall record (14-6 in conference play), winning the conference tournament and finishing ranked 6th nationally. As a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament, they advanced to the Elite Eight before falling to eventual champions UConn. Illinois will return junior Ty Rodgers as their sole starter, alongside notable additions from transfers, high school recruits, and international signings, including 7-2 center Tomislav Ivisic, twin brother of Arkansas sophomore Zvonimir Ivisic.
Little Rock, the Ohio Valley Conference regular-season champions in 2023-24 with a 21-13 record (14-4 in conference), will feature former Razorbacks guard KK Robinson, who was a first-team All-OVC performer. They have strengthened their roster with transfers like Johnathan Lawson from Creighton/Memphis and LSU graduate Mwani Wilkinson, aiming for NCAA eligibility extension for former Razorback standout Makhel Mitchell. Little Rock’s potential matchup with Arkansas would mark the Razorbacks’ second game against an in-state D1 team in the 2024-25 season, alongside a planned game against Central Arkansas in North Little Rock.
UMES ended the previous season second-to-last in the MEAC with a 9-20 overall record (4-10 in conference play).
Assuming the additions of Little Rock and UMES to the schedule, Arkansas’ non-conference opponents for the upcoming season include:
– Maryland-Eastern Shore at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville (likely in November)
– Little Rock at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville (likely in November)
– Illinois at Mobile T Center in Kansas City (Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28)
– Away game against Miami in the ACC/SEC Challenge (Dec. 3)
– Michigan at the Jimmy V Classic in Madison Square Garden, NYC (Dec. 10 or 11)
– Central Arkansas at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock (likely in mid-to-late December)
– Oakland at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville (Dec. 30)
