Arizona, Arkansas reportedly schedule home-and-home series

Arizona and Arkansas have reportedly agreed to a home-and-home series over the next four seasons, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander.

The Wildcats and Razorbacks will first square off in Phoenix at Mortgage Matchup Center on Dec. 19 as part of the Naismith Hall of Fame Series.

The doubleheader at the home of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury will also feature UNLV vs. SMU in the other game.

The schools will reportedly receive hundreds of thousands of dollars for the games not to take place on campus sites, according to Norlander.

The following season, in 2027-28, Arizona and Arkansas will meet at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, the home of the Razorbacks, before a game will later be played at McKale Center during the 2028-29 season.

The deal between Arizona and Arkansas also features an option for a fourth game to be played in 2029-30 at an undetermined location, closer to Arkansas, according to Norlander.

This December’s game will be the first regular season matchup between the two schools since Nov. 17, 1995, a 93-73 Arizona victory. Arizona recently topped Arkansas 109-88 in the Sweet 16 last season in San Jose. Six different Wildcats scored at least 14 points in a game where Arizona shot 63.7% from the field.

The programs also played each other five different times during the 1990s but have only met a total of nine times, with Arkansas holding the head-to-head advantage, 6-3.

Who else do the Arizona Wildcats play in their nonconference schedule?

Coming off Big 12 regular season and tournament titles and their first trip to the Final Four in 25 years, the Wildcats will open their season against UCLA on Nov. 2 at the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas.

Arizona will then reportedly host Northern Arizona University on Nov. 10 in a buy game, according to Tucson.com’s Bruce Pascoe. Pascoe also reported Arizona still has five “buy” games to arrange to fill out the rest of its nonconference slate.

Arizona also has a home game against UConn on Nov. 18, a rematch after the Wildcats topped the Huskies in Storrs last season, 71-67.

The Wildcats will then go to Hawaii from Nov. 23-25 to participate in the 2026 Maui Invitational, along with BYU, Clemson, Ole Miss, Washington, VCU, Providence and Colorado State.

Arizona later has a trip to Madison Square Garden on the docket when it will play St. John’s in a home-and-home series that was announced in April. The Wildcats will face the Red Storm on Dec. 5 in New York, and a return game is set to be played in Phoenix during the 2027-28 season.

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