FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas men’s basketball team will travel to Chapel Hill this winter for a high-profile matchup against North Carolina in the SEC-ACC Challenge, ESPN announced Friday.
The game is scheduled for Dec. 1 at the Dean Smith Center, the home arena of the Tar Heels. It will mark the first time the two programs have met on campus, adding another chapter to a rivalry that dates back decades despite the teams rarely facing each other.
North Carolina leads the all-time series 8-3, though Arkansas claimed one of the most memorable victories in the history of the matchup. On Feb. 12, 1984, the Razorbacks upset then-No. 1 North Carolina and a freshman named Michael Jordan 65-64 in Pine Bluff. The game remains a notable upset in college basketball history.
The most recent meeting between the schools came in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament on Nov. 24, 2023. North Carolina defeated Arkansas 87-72 in the third-place game.
Arkansas coach John Calipari brings a strong personal record against the Tar Heels into the matchup. Calipari holds a 9-4 career record against North Carolina, with his most recent result against the program coming as head coach at Kentucky — an 87-83 victory.
The game will also serve as the debut of a new era for North Carolina basketball. Former Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone was hired as the Tar Heels’ head coach this offseason, replacing Hubert Davis. Malone brings NBA experience to a program that has won six national championships.
The SEC-ACC Challenge features matchups between schools from both conferences each season. This year’s schedule pairs traditional basketball powers across the two leagues, creating several high-profile non-conference games.
For Arkansas, the game represents a significant opportunity to schedule a quality opponent in a true road environment early in the season. The Razorbacks will face a North Carolina program rebuilding under new leadership, but the Tar Heels’ historical strength and the atmosphere of the Dean Smith Center make it a challenging opener to the non-conference schedule.
The Dec. 1 date falls after the early portion of the season but before conference play intensifies, allowing both programs to use the game as a late non-conference test.
Tickets for the game will go on sale through North Carolina’s athletic department at a later date. Arkansas fans traveling to Chapel Hill will find the Dean Smith Center, named after legendary coach Dean Smith, seats approximately 21,000 fans and is considered one of the iconic venues in college basketball.
Source: NWA Democrat Gazette
