John Calipari doesn’t do boring schedules.
He made that clear early in the offseason when he locked in a Thanksgiving neutral-site game against Michigan State, a road trip to Chapel Hill for the SEC/ACC Challenge and a Sweet 16 rematch with Arizona in Phoenix.
Those are the kinds of games that move the needle in August when there’s nothing else going on, and Calipari knew exactly what he was doing when he put them on the calendar.
But a schedule still needs its working parts.
You can’t play three games and call it a non-conference schedule, and apparently that’s where Central Michigan comes in.
The Razorbacks will host the Chippewas at Bud Walton Arena on Dec. 22, according to a report from Rocco Miller of Bracketeer.org.
It’s not a glamour game, and it’s not meant to be.
It’s the kind of home date that keeps the schedule moving and gives Arkansas a tuneup three days after a neutral-site battle with a Pac-12 powerhouse before the SEC grind begins.
It’s also a rare one from a historical standpoint. This’ll be just the second time these two programs have shared the court.
The only previous meeting came on Dec. 5, 2006, when Central Michigan traveled to Fayetteville and went home with a 75-59 loss.
Charles Thomas led the way that afternoon with 14 points and Sonny Weems added 13.
That was nearly 20 years ago, which tells you everything you need to know about how infrequently these two programs cross paths.
Central Michigan arrives in Fayetteville under second-year head coach Andy Bronkema, who came to the program after 12 years at Division II Ferris State.
His first season with the Chippewas wasn’t what anyone had in mind, going 10-21 overall and finished 6-12 in MAC play, good for 10th in the conference.
There’s room to grow, but this shouldn’t be a team that’s going to give Arkansas fits in late December.
That’s fine. Not every game has to be a statement.
After consecutive neutral-site games against Michigan State and Arizona sandwiching a road trip to one of college basketball’s most storied venues, a home date against a rebuilding MAC program is exactly what the doctor ordered.
The SEC schedule is another matter entirely.
The conference controls that calendar, and it’ll be released whenever the league office gets around to it.
For now, though, the Razorbacks are doing what programs do during the slow stretch of summer by adding pieces, keeping fans engaged and reminding everyone that basketball season is coming whether the full schedule is posted yet or not.
Photos of Calipari and this basketball camp and that one all over the country doesn’t do much that add to the count in a slow news time that spikes with other sports from time to time.
For now, here’s where the Arkansas non-conference slate stands heading into 2026-27:
- Nov. 26 – vs. Michigan State (neutral site, Thanksgiving)
- Dec. 1 – at North Carolina (SEC/ACC Challenge)
- Dec. 19 – vs. Arizona (neutral site, Phoenix)
- Dec. 22 – vs. Central Michigan (Bud Walton Arena)
