Arkansas women’s hoops releases 15-game non-conference slate

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas women’s basketball head coach Mike Neighbors has announced the 2024 non-conference schedule, as revealed on Thursday. The Hogs will play 15 non-conference contests, including nine home games, two away matchups and two tournaments in Florida and North Carolina.
“Schedule release announcements get us fired up because we know that’s an indicator the season is fast approaching,” head coach Mike Neighbors said. “Welcoming Oklahoma and Texas to our league makes challenging ourselves in the non-conference more important than ever.”
Arkansas will open the season with two straight home games, starting with the season opener against Fairfield on Monday, Nov. 4. On that Friday, Nov. 8, the Hogs will host Texas A&M Commerce for Elementary Day. Field trip sign-ups for schools will be available soon. 
The Hogs will hit the road for the first time on Monday, Nov. 11 and take on Little Rock. The Razorbacks will also face Arkansas State (Nov. 24) and Central Arkansas (Dec. 29) to mark the fifth straight season with in-state opponents.
Arkansas will make the return trip to UCLA on Sunday, Nov. 17 for its first trip to Los Angeles and Pauley Pavillion in program history. The Bruins are coming off back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in 2022 and 2023.
On Nov. 29, the Hogs will play in their first of two neutral site events, the Daytona State Classic in Daytona, Fla., against Oklahoma State (Nov. 29) and Bowling Green (Nov. 30).
“Once again we have scheduled the NCAA maximum of games to ensure we have faced various styles of play in diverse environments on short turnarounds and difficult travel scenarios,” Neighbors said.
The Razorbacks will return home on Dec. 5 for the program’s first SEC/ACC Challenge at Bud Walton Arena and face Boston College for the first time since 2001. Other non-conference matchups include SEMO (Dec. 8) and Texas Tech (Dec. 15).
“Facing one opponent from each of the other Power 4 leagues and seven postseason teams from a year ago will give us net impact which will help our chances of a seventh consecutive postseason bid,” Neighbors added. That’s never happened in the history of our program and this group wants to make that happen!.”
The final multi-team event will take place Dec. 18-19 at the Cherokee Invite in Cherokee, N.C. Arkansas will take on Liberty on Wednesday and Memphis OR Troy on Thursday. After a 10-day break for the holidays, the Hogs will close out the non-conference slate on Dec. 29 against Central Arkansas in Bud Walton Arena.
Game times and television information will be released at a later date.
“Our group is eager to tackle November and December one game at a time,” Neighbors said. “They fully understand the demanding scenario we built is necessary to be prepared for January and February when SEC opponents roll around.”
OPPONENT BREAKDOWN
Fairfield (Nov. 4)
• 2023-24 record: 31-2 (20-0 MAAC)
• Conference finish: 1st/13 (MAAC)
• Postseason: NCAA Tournament First Round – L, 89-56 to Indiana (Bloomington, Ind.)
• Head-to-head record: First Meeting
• Last time played: First Meeting
Texas A&M Commerce (Nov. 8 – Elementary Day)
• 2023-24 record: 15-16 (8-10 SLC)
• Conference finish: T-5th/10 (SLC)
• Postseason: N/A
• Head-to-head record: First Meeting
• Last time played: First Meeting
At Little Rock (Nov. 11)
• 2022-23 record: 12-18 (11-7 OVC)
• Conference finish: T-2nd/11 (OVC)
• Postseason: N/A
• Head-to-head record: 6-0 (Arkansas leads)
• Last time played: W, 77-36 (Nov. 14, 2024 – Fayetteville)
UT-Arlington (Nov. 14)
• 2022-23 record: 17-16 (11-9 WAC)
• Conference finish: 5th/11 (WAC)
• Postseason: N/A
• Head-to-head record: 8-0 (Arkansas leads)
• Last time played: W, 66-65 (Nov. 14, 2018 – Arlington, Texas)
At UCLA (Nov. 17)
• 2023-24 record: 27-7 (13-5 Pac-12)
• Conference finish: T-2nd/12 (Pac-12)
• Postseason: NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 – L, 78-69 to LSU (Albany, N.Y.)
• Head-to-head record: 1-1
• Last time played: L, 81-66 (Dec. 3, 2023 – Fayetteville)
Oral Roberts (Nov. 21)
• 2023-24 record: 21-11 (11-5 Summit)
• Conference finish: 3rd/9 (Summit)
• Postseason: Postseason WNIT First Round – L, 93-91 to Grambling State 
• Head-to-head record: 25-10 (Arkansas leads)
• Last time played: W, 92-58 (Dec. 4, 2022 – Fayetteville)
Arkansas State (Nov. 24)
• 2023-24 record: 13-17 (6-12 Sun Belt)
• Conference finish: 10th/14 (Sun Belt)
• Postseason: N/A
• Head-to-head record: 8-4 (Arkansas leads)
• Last time played: W, 82-67 (Nov/ 17, 2023 – Jonesboro, Ark.)
Oklahoma State (Nov. 29 – Daytona State Classic – Daytona, Fla.)
• 2022-23 record: 14-16 (7-11 Big 12)
• Conference finish: 8th/14 (Big 12)
• Postseason: N/A
• Head-to-head record: 11-10 (Arkansas leads)
• Last time played: W, 61-60 (March 23, 2009 – Stillwater, Okla.)
Bowling Green (Nov. 30 – Daytona State Classic – Daytona, Fla.)
• 2022-23 record: 16-15 (10-8 MAC) 
• Conference finish: 5th/12 (MAC)
• Postseason: Postseason WNIT First Round – L, 75-63 to Butler (Indianapolis, Ind.)
• Head-to-head record: First Meeting
• Last time played: First Meeting
Boston College (Dec. 5 – SEC/ACC Challenege)
• 2023-24 record: 14-19 (5-13 ACC)
• Conference finish: T-12th/15 (ACC)
• Postseason: N/A
• Head-to-head record: 3-0 (Arkansas leads)
• Last time played: W, 76-60 (Nov. 29, 2001 – Boston, Mass.)
SEMO (Dec. 8)
• 2023-24 record: 9-20 (6-12 OVC)
• Conference finish: 9th/11 (OVC)
• Postseason: 
• Head-to-head record: 1-0 (Arkansas leads)
• Last time played: W, 88-37 (Nov. 29, 2023 – Fayetteville)
Texas Tech (Dec. 15)
• 2022-23 record: 17-16 (5-13 Big 12)
• Conference finish: T-11th/14
• Postseason: N/A
• Head-to-head record: 20-10 (Arkansas leads)
• Last time played: W, 71-66 (March 24, 2023 – WNIT Third Round – Fayetteville)
Liberty (Dec. 18 – Cherokee Invite – Cherokee, N.C.)
• 2023-24 record: 18-16 (11-5 CUSA)
• Conference finish: T-2nd/9
• Postseason: N/A
• Head-to-head record: First Meeting
• Last time played: First Meeting
Memphis/Troy (Dec. 19 – Cherokee Invite – Cherokee, N.C.)
Memphis
• 2023-24 record: 13-17 (9-9 AAC)
• Conference finish: T-6th/14 (AAC)
• Postseason: N/A
• Head-to-head record:14-8 (Arkansas leads)
• Last time played: W, 91-61 (Nov. 26, 2016 – Reno, Nev.)
Troy 
• 2023-24 record: 22-12 (15-3 Sun Belt)
• Conference finish: 2nd/13 (Sun Belt)
• Postseason: WNIT Quarterfinals – L, 74-69 to Minnesota (April 3, 2023 – Troy, Ala.)
• Head-to-head record: 1-0 (Arkansas leads)
• Last time played: W, 87-70 (Dec. 1, 2022 – Fayetteville)
UCA
• 2023-24 record: 21-12 (11-5 ASUN)
• Conference finish: 3rd/12 (ASUN)
• Postseason: WNIT First Round – L, 66-61 to Saint Louis (St. Louis, Mo.)
• Head-to-head record: 5-0
• Last time played: W, 81-67 (Nov. 20, 2023 – Fayetteville)