Calipari Called Everyone For Marquee Game at Bud Walton, But 'No One Would Play Us'

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas already has several huge non-conference matchups this season that it will play away from home, but the Hogs and head coach John Calipari have had no luck getting big-name teams to save a spot on the calendar to come to Bud Walton Arena.

Arkansas will play Indiana in Madison Square Garden on Nov. 17, Michigan State in Detroit on Thanksgiving, North Carolina in Chapel Hill on Dec. 1 and Arizona in Phoenix on Dec. 19.

Aside from an exhibition against Gonzaga, have yet to nail down any marquee matchups in Fayetteville.

"We got another one that's going to be announced," Calipari told reporters Monday when asked about Arkansas' non-conference slate. "Here's the thing about scheduling: you're trying to get games at home, games on the road, and the home games matched with the road games. Then you're trying to get some neutral games. Our Thanksgiving game has been the highest-rated game the last two years, and this year will be the same playing Michigan State in Detroit.

"Here's the crazy thing, and people got to bear with me: we did everything we could to get another home game, legitimate — no one would play us. Listen to me: we called 300 people at those top 50 schools. We were calling the president, 'Can you play us here?'

“What happens is next year, we have Arizona at home. We have Michigan State at home, and we have an ACC game at home, and you know who I hope that is. So that would be the best home schedule. This year, maybe the best neutral schedule."

Calipari also said that an exhibition against Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse and another exhibition against Memphis in Fayetteville are in the works, adding that the aforementioned additional non-conference game would be played in early November "in a nice arena, nice city."

Arkansas also has non-conference games scheduled against Central Michigan and Texas Rio-Grande Valley in Bud Walton Arena on Dec. 22 and Dec. 29, respectively.

Calipari didn't seem too worried about Arkansas' SEC schedule, which was officially announced Monday. Arkansas will open conference play against Missouri in Bud Walton Arena on Jan. 2.

"I didn't really look," Calipari said. "I mean, we're all playing each other. The league's good again. For us to be picked fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, whatever, that means the league is good."

Calipari and the Razorbacks now turn their attention to their foreign tour in The Bahamas, which begins with a July 31 matchup against the Bahamas National Team. All of Arkansas' Baha Mar summer league games will be streamed on FloSports.

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