Watch-Listen to Razorbacks Facing No. 1 Arizona in Sweet 16 Tonight

The No. 4-seeded Razorbacks tip off against top-seeded Arizona Thursday night in San Jose with an Elite Eight berth on the line.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach John Calipari during NCAA game against the High Point Panthers. | Munir El-Khatib-allHOGS Images

There's a lot on the line Thursday night when Arkansas takes the floor in San Jose, Calif.

The No. 4-seeded Hogs will go up against No. 1-seed Arizona in the Sweet 16 of the 2026 NCAA Tournament at the SAP Center, with tip-off set for 8:45 p.m. The game will be televised nationally on CBS.

It's a matchup that means a trip to the Elite Eight for whoever comes out on top.
The Hogs have a 28-8 record overall and a 13-5 record in SEC play, while Arizona brings one of the strongest résumés in the country this season at 34-2 with a 16-2 record in Big 12 play.

Who's Favored Plus Radio Info for Thursday's Game

Arkansas is an underdog coming into the game, which is something John Calipari has seen before.

The matchup isn't a new one for these two programs.

Thursday's game will be the ninth all-time meeting between Arkansas and Arizona, with the Razorbacks holding a 6-2 edge in the series including a 3-1 record in neutral-site games.

This will also be just the second time they've met in the NCAA Tournament — when they faced off in the 1994 Final Four, Arkansas won 91-82, then went on to beat Duke for the program's first national championship.

The history between these programs adds some extra meaning to the game. It's just a reminder of just how far the Razorbacks have come before and what's possible for this group if things break right.

Arizona Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd talks during a practice session ahead of the west regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

A Look at the Arizona Wildcats

Arizona's been one of the most consistent programs in the country over the last several years.

The Wildcats are in their fifth season under head coach Tommy Lloyd, who's built a 146-35 record in Tucson including a 77-21 mark in conference play.

That's a remarkable run for a program that Lloyd took over and quickly turned into a national contender.

To get to the Sweet 16, Arizona knocked off Long Island in the Round of 64 and Utah State in the Round of 32. Neither win came close to the kind of challenge the Wildcats will see Thursday night.

Arizona's got five players averaging double-digit scoring this season, but freshman guard Brayden Burries leads the team at 16 points per game.

Burries is the kind of player who can take over a game, and he's done it consistently throughout this season.

The Wildcats don't lean on just one option, though — that depth in scoring is what makes Arizona a tough matchup for anybody left in the field.

Arkansas Razorbacks Meleek Thomas against Hawaii in NCAA Tournament. | Munir El-Khatib-allHOGS Images

What Razorbacks Have Going for Them

The Hogs are in their second season under head coach John Calipari, who's 50-22 at Arkansas with a 21-14 record in SEC play.

It's been a building process in Fayetteville but this tournament run is proof that the program's moving in the right direction.

Arkansas got to the Sweet 16 by defeating Hawaii in the Round of 64 and High Point in the Round of 32.

Both wins showed different things about what the Razorbacks can do, and Calipari's team has looked more comfortable with each game.

The Hogs have four players averaging double-digit scoring this season, and freshman point guard Darius Acuff Jr. leads the way at 23.3 points per game. He also paces the team in assists at 6.5 per game.

Acuff's combination of scoring and playmaking makes him the kind of player who can be a difference-maker in a game this big.

If he's on Thursday night, Arkansas can hang with anybody. He's one of the more exciting freshman guards in the country this season and this Sweet 16 stage is the biggest test he's faced so far.

Arkansas Razorbacks Darius Acuff against Hawaii in NCAA Tournament. | Munir El-Khatib-allHOGS Images

Game Info at a Glance

• Who: No. 4 Arkansas Razorbacks (28-8) vs. No. 1 Arizona Wildcats (34-2)
• When: Thursday, March 26, 8:45 p.m. CDT
• TV/Stream: CBS
• Radio: Sirius Ch. 99 / XM Ch. 190 / TuneIn and Sirius Channel 99 and XM Channel 190, along with a long list of Arkansas radio affiliates on ESPN Arkansas 99.5 in Fayetteville, 95.3 in the River Valley, 96.3 in Hot Springs and 104.3 in Harrison-Mountain Home and across the state and surrounding region.

What's at Stake for Both Teams

For Arizona, a loss here would be a tough blow for a program with national championship expectations.

The Wildcats came into this tournament as a No. 1 seed and anything short of a deep run would be considered a disappointment given how the season went.

For Arkansas, it's a different kind of moment. The Razorbacks are the lower seed and they're playing with the kind of nothing-to-lose energy that can be a real advantage in March.

Getting to the Elite Eight in Calipari's second season would be a major step forward for a program still finding its footing under a new staff.

It's the kind of game that's hard to predict on paper because the numbers favor Arizona in a lot of ways. But the bracket has a way of producing results that don't match the numbers, and that's exactly what makes the NCAA Tournament what it is.

The Hogs have the talent to make this a game and Acuff gives them a star capable of shifting the outcome on his own.

Calipari's teams have always found a way to keep things interesting in March and Thursday night is another chance for Arkansas to write something worth remembering.