Arkansas releases 2021-22 non-conference hoops slate

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas released its non-conference schedule for the 2021-22 men’s basketball season Monday morning.

The 13-game slate features nine games at Bud Walton Arena, three neutral-site matchups and the annual game in central Arkansas.

The Razorbacks will open the season against Mercer on Nov. 9 and also host Gardner-Webb (Nov. 13) and Northern Iowa (Nov. 17) before hitting the road for the first time.

They’ll head to Kansas City for the 2021 Hall of Fame Classic the week of Thanksgiving. A matchup with Kansas State awaits on Nov. 22 and then Arkansas will face Cincinnati or Illinois the following day.

Four non-conference games against mid- or low-major opponents in Fayetteville follows that, with in-state foes Central Arkansas (Dec. 1) and Little Rock (Dec. 4) highlighting that stretch.

Arkansas begins its non-conference series with Oklahoma - a future SEC foe - on Dec. 11. It is a neutral-site showdown at the BOK Center in Tulsa, which is located about halfway between Fayetteville and Norman. The series was supposed to start last year, but it was eliminated because of the pandemic.

One week after that, the Razorbacks will head to North Little Rock to face Hofstra at Simmons Bank Arena. Three days later, they’ll wrap up the main portion of the non-conference schedule against Elon at Bud Walton Arena on Dec. 21.

The Razorbacks’ final non-conference game will come in the middle of conference play, as they’ll host West Virginia in the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Jan. 29.

2021 Arkansas Non-Conference Basketball Schedule

Nov. 9 - vs. Mercer

Nov. 13 - vs. Gardner-Webb

Nov. 17 - vs. Northern Iowa

Nov. 22 - vs. Kansas State (2021 Hall of Fame Classic, in Kansas City)

Nov. 23 - vs. Cincinnati/Illinois (2021 Hall of Fame Classic, in Kansas City)

Nov. 28 - vs. Penn

Dec. 1 - vs. Central Arkansas

Dec. 4 - vs. Little Rock

Dec. 7 - vs. Charlotte

Dec. 11 - vs. Oklahoma (at BOK Center, in Tulsa)

Dec. 18 - vs. Hofstra (at Simmons Bank Arena, in North Little Rock)

Dec. 21 - vs. Elon

Jan. 29 - vs. West Virginia (Big 12/SEC Challenge)