Given the fervent exchanges between fans of Arkansas and alone, there’s little uncertainty surrounding whether the upcoming basketball game will secure one of the eight coveted slots featured by the SEC in collaboration with ESPN. This partnership, part of the rights agreement transferring control of prime football and basketball games from CBS to ESPN, appears almost assured, especially with the anticipated debut of John Calipari as head coach against his former team.
However, pinpointing the exact scheduling of this game proves as challenging as hitting a target blindfolded while spinning in reverse. Historically, the SEC’s placement of the Arkansas-Kentucky match-up on the schedule lacks a discernible pattern beyond the venue. Given that the Razorbacks and Wildcats faced off twice each season for the past two years, adjustments will be necessary to accommodate the inclusion of Texas and Oklahoma in the conference schedule, likely resulting in a reduction of repeated games. Thus, it’s improbable for Arkansas and Kentucky to clash twice for a third consecutive season.
While the previous game took place at Rupp Arena, the rotational scheduling suggests the next match will occur in Lexington. Moreover, from a marketing perspective, Calipari’s return to Kentucky presents a more enticing narrative than Mark Pope bringing his team to Bud Walton Arena.
Over the past seven seasons, the Arkansas-Kentucky basketball game has been scheduled on almost every available weekend offered by the SEC. The only two weekends that have seen a repeat of this match-up are the last weekend in February and the first weekend in March.
Here’s a recap of the recent scheduling:
– 2018: Feb. 20 at Bud Walton Arena
– 2019: Feb. 26 at Rupp Arena
– 2020: Jan. 18 at Bud Walton Arena
– 2021: Feb. 9 at Rupp Arena
– 2022: Feb. 26 at Bud Walton Arena
– 2023: Feb. 7 at Rupp Arena, March 4 at Bud Walton Arena
– 2024: Jan. 27 at Bud Walton Arena, March 7 at Rupp Arena
Given the significance of this game for both the SEC championship and NCAA seeding, it’s likely that the conference will schedule it later in the year, particularly in late February to early March. Additionally, ESPN, aiming to maximize viewership, will probably schedule the game post-Super Bowl, ensuring optimal exposure.
As fervent as the recruiting battles between the two schools may be at the moment, it’ll be a lengthy wait of around 10 months before any definitive conclusions can be drawn on the basketball court. During this interim period, the only lingering question concerning these programs will likely revolve around the advertising presence of Tyson Chicken throughout the game. These advertisements will serve as a poignant reminder to both fan bases of the origins of this anticipated match-up.
