Arkansas basketball will not play Baylor during the 2025-26 season.

In a surprising development for college basketball fans, Arkansas will not face Baylor in the upcoming 2025-26 season as initially planned. Kentucky head coach John Calipari, speaking at the Rotary Club of Little Rock, confirmed the cancellation of the highly anticipated non-conference game that was set to take place at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.

Calipari explained, “I don’t think it will happen this year. When we filled out the schedule, we kind of moved on from that,” signaling that the game has been postponed rather than permanently scrapped.

Sources close to the program suggest the matchup will likely be rescheduled for the 2026-27 season, extending the wait for fans eager to see the Razorbacks face off against the Baylor Bears on Arkansas’s home court.

The decision comes amid a broader shift in Arkansas’s non-conference scheduling philosophy. With the SEC’s expansion bringing in Texas and Oklahoma, Arkansas is strategically diversifying its opponents and cutting back on repetitive regional contests. This move aims to keep the schedule fresh and competitive while preparing the team for the challenges of conference play.

Though Baylor will be absent from the 2025-26 lineup, Arkansas’s non-conference schedule remains robust, featuring several marquee games designed to test and prepare the Razorbacks before the SEC season begins.

Fans can look forward to a compelling schedule but will need patience for the awaited Arkansas-Baylor showdown.