Loaded Schedule For Razorbacks In 2019

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Coming off its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last six years and its third-straight SEC Tournament final appearance, the Razorback soccer team is already in prep mode for the 2019 season and now knows its opponents for the campaign.

Head coach Colby Hale enters his eighth season at the helm of the program and is the only coach in program history to take the team to an NCAA Tournament. Last year’s team finished in a tie for third in the SEC with a 6-3-1 conference record. It was its highest conference finish since 2016 and the second most conference wins in the last six years.

“As our program continues to grow, we want to really find ways to continually challenge ourselves every year,” Hale said. “The SEC is, as always, the top soccer conference in the country and that provides the ultimate challenge. We want to try and set ourselves up RPI-wise to be in position to make the NCAA Tournament every year, as well as secure the best homefield advantage in the country for as long as possible.”

After reaching the SEC Tournament final for the third year in a row, the Razorbacks went on to the NCAA Tournament where it hosted and defeated Little Rock, 5-1, to reach the second round for the fourth time in program history. Arkansas finished the year with 14 victories, marking just the third time in program history it has won 14 or more games. The team also went unbeaten at Razorback Field for the first time ever, going 10-0-1 with win with ranked wins over No. 2 Texas A&M and No. 21 Auburn.

Following two exhibitions with Kansas State and Nebraska, the Razorbacks will open the 2019 regular-season campaign on the road at UNC-Greensboro on August 22. The team will return to Razorback Field to complete the weekend on Sunday against Big 12-foe Oklahoma on Aug. 25 for its home opener.

This will be the first matchup with the Sooners since the two teams met in the first round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament, a match the Razorbacks won, 3-2 in overtime. It’ll be Oklahoma’s first trip to Fayetteville since 2004.

Arkansas has had a top-five single-game attendance at Razorback Field in each of the last six seasons and will be expected to do that again this year with home matches against Oklahoma and North Carolina. Last year, 2,529 fans witnessed the Razorbacks defeat Baylor, 3-2, in the highest attended game of the year.

“We open with Oklahoma at home and we have some really exciting things for our fans on that one,” Hale said. “Overall we are really excited about the schedule and all of the challenges it brings.”

The Razorbacks will hit the road again when it travels to Oxford, Mississippi to face Minnesota (Aug. 29) and Southeast Missouri State (Sept. 1) for a neutral-site set of matches. Three of Arkansas’ next four matches will be back at home as the team finishes up its non-conference play with Lamar (Sept. 5) and McNeese State (Sept. 8) at Razorback Field, followed by Baylor (Sept. 12) in Waco, Texas.

Fans will want to circle Sept. 15 on their calendars as Arkansas will look to pack Razorback Field when the North Carolina Tar Heels come to town. North Carolina reached the NCAA Tournament final last year, falling to Florida State, 1-0. This will mark just the fourth-ever match between the two programs and the first at Razorback Field. Arkansas last faced North Carolina on a neutral-site in the 2014 regular season.

“We’re excited to play the most successful NCAA program in UNC at home this year,” Hale said. “ They’ve won 21 national championships, so that will be a fantastic opportunity for our fans to see us play a legendary coach and program.

This year’s conference slate will feature Alabama (Sept. 22), Vanderbilt (Sept. 26), Ole Miss (Oct. 3), Mississippi State (Oct. 13) and Georgia (Oct. 27) all as home games at Razorback Field. Of the 10-match SEC schedule, eight will be against teams that made last year’s NCAA Tournament including, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Ole Miss, LSU, Mississippi State, Texas A&M, Auburn and Tennessee.

Once again, the SEC Soccer Tournament will be played in Orange Beach, Alabama at the Orange Beach Sportsplex. The top 10 teams in the conference will make the field and the top six will have a bye to the quarterfinals. The tournament is slated to start on Nov. 3 and run through Nov. 10.

Season tickets are now on sale for $25. Each season ticket order will come with one 2019 Razorback Soccer scarf.  Single-game tickets can be purchased later this summer.

2019 Razorback Soccer Schedule

For more information on Razorback Soccer, follow @RazorbackSoccer on Twitter.