Women’s basketball announces non-conference schedule of games

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas women’s basketball coach Mike Neighbors released the 15-game 2019 non-conference schedule today.

Neighbors’ third season on the bench for the Razorbacks officially tips off on November 8th, as the annual Elementary Day game will feature the Hogs facing off against New Orleans.

“Seeing Bud Walton Arena come alive last March for the WNIT run made it a high priority to ensure our amazing fans have an opportunity to keep the momentum building with a quality home schedule this season,” Neighbors said. “Knowing the challenges the SEC presents at the turn of the year, it’s always vital to have your team prepared for a variety of styles of play.

“It’s important to travel enough to challenge, but not disrupt, an important academic time for our student athletes. And lastly, you have to consider what is good for the entire league to maximize potential for NCAA at-large bids come Selection Monday.”

“There are so many moving targets to hit. It’s like putting together a 1,000-piece puzzle that is one solid color. We study the past trends diligently and try our best to predict future ones.

With associate coach Todd Schaefer’s daily work on it, we feel like we have done just that, and that this year’s schedule has checked all of those boxes. The five NCAA Tournament teams we will face this early will put us in position to again be considered for play beyond the SEC Tournament.”

Eleven of Arkansas’ 15 non-conference games, including both exhibitions, will take place within the confines of Bud Walton Arena, where the Hogs went 11-7 a season ago.

Meanwhile, the Hogs will only play one true road game all of non-conference play.

Of the five games that feature NCAA Tournament teams from last season in the non-conference portion of the slate, two will come at home, one will come on the road and two will be played at neutral sites.

Before the official home opener, the Razorbacks will play two exhibition games, as they will host Pittsburg State (Oct. 24) and Oklahoma City University (Oct. 30) at Bud Walton Arena.

Following the home opener, the Hogs will play four more games at home, as they will face McNeese State (Nov. 11), Oral Roberts (Nov. 14), Stony Brook (Nov. 17) and Belmont (Nov. 20), who was a 13 seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament, over a nine-day span.

Neighbors’ squad will then play its first and only true road game during non-conference play, heading to the Golden State to face Cal Bears on November 24th.

Arkansas has played the Bears three times before and holds a 2-1 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams last met all the way back in March of 1987.

Cal earned an eighth seed in the NCAA Tournament last season, but was bounced out of the tournament in round two by the eventual National Champion Baylor Bears.

The Hogs will be spending Thanksgiving in paradise, as Neighbors’ team will next head to the Bahamas to take part in the Bahamas Hoopfest.

While there, they will play Fordham (Nov. 29), the No. 14 seed in the Starkville Region in last season’s NCAA Tournament, and Wisconsin (Nov. 30), the only other Power 5 school in the event, in back-to-back days.

The trip will mark the team’s first scheduled games outside the continental U.S. since 2015-16, when the Hogs played back-to-back games in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Arkansas then rounds out the remainder of its non-conference schedule in the Natural State. Arkansas’ first game back home will feature the Hogs and Kansas State (Dec. 7), as Bud Walton will be one of 10 host venues for the 2019 Big 12/SEC Challenge.

The Hogs are 2-3 all-time in the Challenge. Kansas State is the final tournament team Neighbors’ crew will play at home during the non-conference part of the schedule, as the Wildcats were a ninth seed in last season’s NCAA Tournament.

Tulsa (Dec. 11) and Northwestern State (Dec. 15) will both visit the Hill in early December, right before the Hogs travel to Little Rock, where Arkansas will meet the Trojans (Dec. 21) in Verizon Arena.

Neighbors and Co. close the non-conference slate at home, hosting Tennessee-Martin on December 29th.

2019 Non-Conference Schedule:

Thursday, Oct. 24 – vs. Pittsburg State (Exhibition)
Wednesday, Oct. 30 – vs. Oklahoma City University (Exhibition)
Friday, Nov. 8 – vs. New Orleans (Elementary Day)
Monday, Nov. 11 – vs. McNeese State
Thursday, Nov. 14 – vs. Oral Roberts
Sunday, Nov. 17 – vs. Stony Brook
Wednesday, Nov. 20 – vs. Belmont
Sunday, Nov. 24 – at California
Friday, Nov. 29 – vs. Fordham (Bahamas Hoopfest)
Saturday, Nov. 30 – vs. Wisconsin (Bahamas Hoopfest)
Saturday, Dec. 7 – vs. Kansas State (Big 12/SEC Challenge)
Wednesday, Dec. 11 – vs. Tulsa
Sunday, Dec. 15 – vs. Northwestern State
Saturday, Dec. 21 – vs. Little Rock (@Verizon Arena)
Sunday, Dec. 29 – vs. UT-Martin

Tip times and TV designations will be announced at a later date, as will the full SEC slate.