Tipoff time, TV info released for Arkansas-Louisville in SEC/ACC challenge

The television info and tipoff time has been released for the SEC/ACC Challenge, which includes Arkansas’ home game against Louisville.

The Southeastern Conference said the game between the Hogs and Cardinals will tip off at 6 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Dec. 3 from Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. The game will air on ESPN.

The Razorbacks are 2-0 in the SEC/ACC Challenge, with a win over Miami on the road last year and a home win against Duke the year before that.

Louisville, on the other hand, is 0-1. The Cardinals lost to the Ole Miss Rebels last season. They did not participate in the SEC/ACC Challenge in the 2023-24 season. Against SEC foes in that timeframe, the Cardinals are 0-5 with losses to Texas, Ole Miss, Kentucky and Oklahoma.

Arkansas has a slew of strong non-conference games next season. Along with the SEC/ACC Challenge, the Hogs will play Duke, Houston and Texas Tech at neutral sites, as well as a road trip to East Lansing to play Michigan State.

The Razorbacks and Cardinals haven’t played often in recent years, but there’s some interesting storylines intertwined between the two programs.

Arkansas and Louisville most recently matched up in the 2022-23 season at the Maui Invitational. The Hogs won in convincing fashion, 80-54, though that was nothing new for the Cardinals, as Louisville finished 4-28 that season.

After that season ended, Arkansas snagged the Cardinals point guard, El Ellis, who played for the Hogs during Eric Musselman’s tumultuous final season as the Head Hog. He averaged 11 points and 2.6 assists per game as the Hogs went 16-17.

Louisville followed that dismal season up with an 8-24 mark in 2023-24 which led to the firing of Kenny Payne has head coach. In that same coaching cycle, Arkansas head coach John Calipari was hired away from Kentucky, and he brought Payne on staff.

The Razorbacks are in the midst of official practice and get the regular season started on Nov. 3 against Southern at Bud Walton Arena.

Arkansas basketball schedule

• Nov. 3 – vs. Southern 
• Nov. 8 – at Michigan State
• Nov. 11 – vs. Central Arkansas
• Nov. 14 – vs. Samford
• Nov. 18 – vs. Winthrop
• Nov. 21 – vs. Jackson State
• Nov. 27 – vs. Duke (United Center)
• Dec. 3 – vs. Louisville (SEC/ACC Challenge)
• Dec. 6 – vs. Fresno State (Simmons Bank Arena)
• Dec. 13 – vs. Texas Tech (American Airlines Center)
• Dec. 16. – vs. Queens
• Dec. 20 – vs. Houston (Prudential Center)
• Dec. 29 – vs. James Madison
• Jan. 3 – vs. Tennessee
• Jan 6 or 7 – at Ole Miss
• Jan. 10 – at Auburn
• Jan 13 or 14 – vs. South Carolina
• Jan. 17 – at Georgia
• Jan. 20 or 21 – vs. Vanderbilt
• Jan. 24 – vs. LSU
• Jan. 27 or 28 – at Oklahoma
• Jan. 31 – vs. Kentucky
• Feb. 7 – at Mississippi State
• Feb. 10 or 11 – at LSU
• Feb. 14 – vs. Auburn
• Feb. 17 or 18 – at Alabama
• Feb. 21 – vs. Missouri 
• Feb. 24 or 25 – vs. Texas A&M
• Feb. 28 – at Florida
• March 3 or 4 – vs. Texas
• March 7 – at Missouri
• March 11-15 – SEC Tournament

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