MBB Preview: Arkansas vs Tennessee

January 2, 2026

Purchase Tickets Stripeout Bud Walton Arena Map

Who: #18/18 Arkansas Razorbacks (10-3, 0-0 SEC) vs #19/20 Tennessee Volunteers (10-3, 0-0 SEC)
What: SEC opener for both squads. Stripeout Bud Walton Arena.
When: Saturday – Jan. 3 – 2:00 pm (CT)
Where: Fayetteville, Ark. • Bud Walton Arena – Nolan Richardson Court (19,200)
How (to follow):
– TV/Stream: ESPN2/Watch ESPN (Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes)
– Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
– Sirius/XM: Sirius: 84 || XM: 84 || SXM App/Online Channel 84

– Purchase Single Game Tickets
– Razorback Gameday App
– Bud Walton Arena Stripeout Map

– Arkansas Live Stats
– Arkansas Game Notes
– Tennessee Game Notes
– SEC Men’s Basketball Release/Stats

FAYETTEVILLE – #18/18 Arkansas begins SEC play on Saturday (Jan. 3) by hosting #19/20 Tennessee in Bud Walton Arena. Tipoff is set for 2 pm (CT) and the game will be televised on ESPN2.

Fans are encouraged to participate in a Stripeout of Bud Walton Arena for the game.

This is the second year in a row that Arkansas and Tennessee have faced off in their SEC opener. Last year, the Volunteers handed the Hogs a 76-52 loss in Knoxville as part of an 0-and-5 start in league play for Arkansas.

Arkansas was 1-of-9 teams to play five top-25 opponents in the conference season. Tennessee played four, but did face currently-ranked Kansas, which was unranked when the teams met.

Tennessee will be the fifth team on Arkansas’ schedule that reached the Elite 8 last season. While the Razorbacks have played a tough non-conference slate, their remaining schedule – 18 SEC games – is rated the ninth-toughest in the nation by ESPN. As a matter of fact, all 16 SEC teams rank among ESPN’s top 16 in toughest remaining schedule.

After Tennessee, Arkansas hits the road for a pair of games. The Razorbacks will play at Ole Miss next Wednesday (Jan. 7) then play at Auburn on Saturday (Jan. 10).

NOTES:

This will be the 50th meeting between Arkansas and Tennessee. All but four have come since Arkansas joined the SEC for the 1991-92 season.
Tennessee is 1-of-3 SEC teams to lead the all-time series with Arkansas (with Florida and Kentucky). Thanks to four-straight wins in the series, the Vols own a 27-22 advantage in the overall series.
Since joining the SEC, Tennessee leads the series, 26-19.
DID YOU KNOW: NOT INCLUDING THIS GAME … 8 of the last 13 meetings … and 6 of the last 9 … between the programs were played in Knoxville. The teams have met in Fayetteville four times over the span, with the Hogs going 3-1 in Bud Walton Arena. (NOTE: The teams met once in St. Louis in the 2018 SEC Tournament.)
The Razorbacks are 18-16 all-time in SEC openers and 12-5 when the SEC opener is played at home.
DID YOU KNOW: Only 4 of the last 13 SEC openers — and 1 of the last 5 — for the Hogs have been at home.
Arkansas is 2-1 versus Tennessee in SEC openers. The first two meetings were in Fayetteville (1/8/11 and 12/30/17) and last year’s meeting was in Knoxville (1/4/25).
Arkansas ranks 15th in the NCAA (1st in the SEC) in 3-point percentage at 39.7% (125-of-315). Over the last five games, Arkansas is 46.4% from deep (58-of-125).
Arkansas is averaging 22.15 points on fastbreaks, which ranks 2nd-best in the NCAA (UGA leads the NCAA at 27.54). On the defensive end, Arkansas is only allowing 8.85 fastbreak points per game.
The Razorbacks rank 8th in the NCAA (1st in the SEC) in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.90.

For more information on Arkansas Men’s Basketball, follow @RazorbackMBB on X, Instagram and Facebook.