Arkansas to Play Exhibition Games at Baha Mar Resort in the Bahamas This Summer

NASSAU, Bahamas (June 18, 2026) – Arkansas men’s basketball fans can get an up-close preview of John Calipari’s 2026-27 Razorbacks when they play four exhibition games against international competition as part of the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Summer League – Friday, July 31, through Tuesday, Aug. 4 – at the stunning Baha Mar resort. Veteran event promoter bdG Sports made the announcement Thursday.

The seven-day trip runs July 29 through Aug. 4, featuring four exhibition games at the Baha Mar Convention, Arts and Entertainment Center on-site at the resort. The Razorbacks will play games on July 31 (7 p.m. ET), Aug. 1 (6 p.m.), Aug. 3 (6 p.m.) and Aug. 4 (noon). Opponents, including international teams and Canadian universities, will be announced later.

Calipari’s third squad in Fayetteville features the return of wing Billy Richmond III, who averaged 11.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists last season. He will be joined by the nation’s top-rated freshman class that includes consensus National High School Player of the Year Jordan Smith Jr., wing JJ Andrews, wing Abdou Toure and forward Miikka Muurinen, along with Georgia transfer guard Jeremiah Wilkinson.

“We will have one of, if not the, youngest teams in the nation this coming season,” Calipari said. “With Billy (Richmond) being the only player back from our program with significant experience, we felt like we needed a trip like this to build chemistry on and off the court. Not only that, this will also be a great chance for our fans to experience a great destination like Baha Mar, while getting a first chance to see this year’s team in live action on the court.”

The Razorbacks finished 28-9 overall and 13-5 in the Southeastern Conference in 2025-26, winning the SEC Tournament and advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. Arkansas’ 28 victories tied for the third most since joining the SEC prior to the 1991-92 campaign.

New NCAA rules allow college teams to take a foreign tour annually after the previous rule allowed such a trip only once every four academic years.

South Carolina and Valparaiso were announced as other participants in the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Summer League on Wednesday. Additional U.S. college teams scheduled to take part in the event will be announced soon.

The fifth-annual event is managed by bdG Sports, a Kentucky-based sports and entertainment management firm which annually operates two dozen collegiate men’s and women’s basketball games at Baha Mar each November.

“Summer tours have become vitally important to teams in today’s college basketball environment,” President and CEO of bdG Sports Brooks Downing said. “We are seeing incredible interest from throughout the sport given the number of benefits, such as the 10 extra practices, the multiple games, and the opportunity for team bonding in one of the world’s most incredible destinations. The $4 billion resort at beautiful Cable Beach boasts entertainment options for everyone, including incredible dining options, a casino, a $250 million water park, and a new jazz club. Baha Mar is excited to welcome the Razorbacks to The Bahamas!”

VIP PACKAGES, TICKETS & ROOMS

The trip serves as the first opportunity to catch the Razorbacks in action while also enjoying the amazing Baha Mar Resort. Arkansas fans interested in attending can visit www.bahamarhoops.com/summer for upcoming information on tickets, rooms and VIP packages.

WONDER AWAITS AT THE BEAUTIFUL BAHA MAR RESORT

The remarkable Baha Mar resort serves as the backdrop to this basketball showcase. Anchored by Grand Hyatt and featuring SLS Baha Mar and Rosewood Baha Mar, the resort is situated on 1,000 acres overlooking Nassau’s famous turquoise ocean waters. The destination resort boasts more than 2,300 rooms, the largest casino in the Caribbean, a $200 million luxury water park, an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, the Caribbean’s first and only flagship ESPA Spa, a new jazz club, and a collection of more than 45 restaurants and lounges.

ABOUT BAHA MAR HOOPS

Each November around the Thanksgiving holiday, Baha Mar plays host to Baha Mar Hoops, one of the largest regular-season events in the sport of college basketball. Twenty NCAA Division I men’s and women’s teams visit the stunning resort each year to compete in one of three basketball tournaments. In total, 20 games will be played over an 11-day span.

Each August, the resort also holds the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League, offering NCAA teams exhibition games against international competition as part of a foreign tour. The resort has welcomed men’s basketball teams from Kentucky, Louisville, Nevada, Penn State, Rhode Island and Xavier for summer exhibition tours in recent years.

BAHA MAR HOOPS SOCIAL TAGS

Keep up to date with the latest information regarding Bah Mar Hoops via social media at @BahaMarHoops on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

ABOUT BDG SPORTS

bdG Sports is a sports and entertainment leader with a dynamic and ever-growing event management portfolio with a cornerstone in basketball and professional golf and an expansive focus toward baseball. The firm boasts an event schedule that has delivered significant economic impact to multiple communities throughout North America and the Caribbean while featuring broadcasts to viewers across the globe.

In basketball, bdG has a lengthy history of producing premium college basketball content. From summer exhibition tours to multiple high-profile in-season tournaments and neutral-site events, bdG will contract more than 100 regular-season men’s and women’s Division I basketball games annually. It boasts the record for the largest hoops crowd in Nevada state history (Duke-Gonzaga 2021 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas), the second-most watched game since 2008 (Arkansas-Illinois on Thanksgiving Day 2024 with 5.1 million viewers) and one of the largest events in the sport, 20 men’s and women’s teams competing annually at Baha Mar Hoops. bdG is the only third-party operator which manages a conference tournament, assisting The Big West Men’s & Women’s Championships each March in Henderson, Nevada.

In professional golf, bdG owns and operates two season-opening Korn Ferry Tour tournaments, The Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island and The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club, both televised by the Golf Channel and featuring $1 million purses.

For NCAA baseball, bdG owns and operates the Atlantis Collegiate Baseball Series.