A new date now stands out on the Arkansas basketball schedule.
The Hogs will meet Virginia in Washington D.C. as part of the Capital Showcase, a matchup that revives a series that’s been quiet since the 1990s.
It’s also a trip loaded with personal meaning for at least one player on the roster.
The date is set for Nov. 8, a Sunday, inside Capital One Arena. Arkansas and Virginia will tip off at noon for fans watching back home. ESPN picked up the broadcast, giving both fan bases a national audience.
Public tickets won’t be available right away. Sept. 4 is the date the general sale opens, though fans can register for early access ahead of time through the athletic department’s email list.
Arkansas and Virginia go way back
This isn’t a brand-new rivalry, even if it feels that way.
Arkansas and Virginia met seven times between 1984 and 1998, and neither team has faced the other since.
The Razorbacks own a 3-4 edge in the all-time series.
Virginia actually jumped out ahead early, winning the first three matchups in the 1980s.
Arkansas turned things around later, taking three of the final four meetings, capped by an Elite Eight victory in 1995 that pushed the Hogs toward a deep NCAA Tournament run.
Both programs are coming off strong seasons, which makes the renewed series even more interesting.
Virginia finished 30-6 a year ago, placed second in the ACC at 15-3 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Arkansas matched that success in its own way, going 28-9, claiming the SEC Tournament crown and advancing to the Sweet 16 for a second straight year.
Coach Cal chases his first win over the Cavaliers
John Calipari hasn’t had much luck against Virginia over his coaching career.
His only meeting with the Cavaliers came back in 1993, when his UMass team lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Syracuse.
This Capital Showcase trip gives him a shot at a different outcome.
Washington D.C. isn’t unfamiliar territory for Coach Cal, though it’s been a while since he’s coached there.
His last game in the city came during the 2008-09 season, when Memphis fell in overtime to Georgetown at the arena that’s now called Capital One Arena.
Coach Cal actually spent plenty of time in the D.C. area earlier in his career.
His UMass squads squared off with George Washington every season from 1988-89 through 1995-96 as Atlantic 10 opponents, playing at the Charles E. Smith Center.
Those road trips were rough on the Minutemen, who finished just 1-6 there.
A homecoming for Jordan Smith Jr.
One Razorback won’t need directions once the team lands in Washington.
Freshman guard Jordan Smith Jr. grew up in the D.C. area and starred at nearby Paul VI Catholic High School, where he won a pair of MaxPreps national championships.
Smith arrives at Arkansas as the reigning consensus National High School Player of the Year.
For him, the Capital Showcase means playing in front of family and friends who watched him grow into one of the top recruits in the country.
Between the renewed series, Coach Cal’s personal history in the building and Smith’s homecoming, the Hogs have plenty of storylines heading into a game that’s still nearly three months away.
Arkansas fans will have to wait until fall to see it all play out inside Capital One Arena.
Key takeaways
- Arkansas and Virginia renew a series that’s been dormant since 1998, with the Hogs holding a 3-4 all-time edge heading into the Nov. 8 Capital Showcase
- Coach John Calipari looks for his first career win over Virginia after falling to the Cavaliers as UMass head coach back in 1993
- Freshman Jordan Smith Jr., a D.C. native and the reigning National High School Player of the Year, gets to play in front of his hometown crowd
