MBB Season Opener Preview: Arkansas vs Southern; Cal Radio Show Starts Tuesday

October 31, 2025

Who: #14/15 Arkansas Razorbacks (0-0, 0-0 SEC) vs Southern Jaguars (0-0, 0-0 SWAC)
What: 2025-26 Season Opener
When: Monday – Nov. 3 – 6:00 pm (CT)
Where: Fayetteville, Ark. • Bud Walton Arena – Nolan Richardson Court (19,200)
How (to follow):
– TV/Stream: SEC Network/Watch ESPN (Roy Philpott and Richard Hendrix)
– Radio: Learfield Razorback Sports Network (Chuck Barrett and Matt Zimmerman)
– Sirius/XM: Sirius: 97 || XM: 202 || SXM App/Online Channel 964

– Purchase Single Game Tickets

– Arkansas Live Stats
– Razorback Gameday App

– Arkansas Game Notes
– Southern MBB Website
– SEC Men’s Basketball Release/Stats

FAYETTEVILLE – The #14/15 Arkansas men’s basketball program officially starts the 2025-26 season on Monday (Nov. 3) at Bud Walton Arena. Tipoff is set for 6 pm (CT). The game will be televised on SEC Network and broadcast on the Learfield Razorback Sports Network.

Fans can get an in-depth review of the Southern game as well as a preview of the top-25 match-up at Michigan State at the Live with Coach Cal radio show on Tuesday (Nov. 4) from Sassy’s Barbeque and Grille (Steamboat Drive off Wedington). The show will be broadcast live from 7-8 pm across the Learfield Razorback Sports Network.

Due to limited space, fans wishing to attend in person should call in advance to reserve a table for the season or for each show. The number for Sassy’s Barbeque and Grille is (479) 435-6996.

NOTES:

This is the start of year 103 for Razorback basketball.
Arkansas is 83-19 all-time in season openers, including a 66-8 mark when the season opener is at home. Arkansas has won 51 of its last 54 season openers. The only losses over the span were in 1973-74 with a loss at #1 UCLA, 1994-95 with a neutral-site loss to #3 UMass (coached by John Calipari) and the 2018-19 season opener in El Paso versus Texas.
Arkansas is 92-10 all-time in home openers. The Razorbacks have won 51 straight home openers, including a perfect 32-0 in openers in Bud Walton Arena.
Coach Calipari, entering his 34th year as a collegiate head coach, is 26-7 all-time in season openers, including a 20-2 mark when his season opener was played at home. Coach Cal is 30-3 all-time in home openers, riding a streak of 22 consecutive home-opening wins.
Arkansas is 3-0 all-time versus Southern. The Hogs are 2-0 versus the Jaguars in Bud Walton Arena and 1-0 against the Jags in Pine Bluff.
This is the second time Arkansas has hosted Southern for the Razorbacks’ season opener. The Hogs defeated the Jaguars, 86-68, in the 2015-16 season opener (Nov. 13).
Ironically, the 2015-16 meeting was year two of the Mike Anderson era and the 2020-21 meeting was year two of the Eric Musselman era. Additionally, this marks the second year of the John Calipari era.
Coach Calipari is 1-0 all-time versus Southern. He defeated the Jaguars, 76-64, in December of 2021 as head coach at Kentucky.
After the season opener, Arkansas will travel to East Lansing to face the #22/21 Michigan State Spartans on Saturday (Nov. 8). Tipoff is set for 6 pm (CT) and will be televised on FOX.

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