The Rematch: Kentucky vs. Arkansas Set for One Regular-Season Clash in Fayetteville in 2025-26
Circle the date. Circle the arena. Circle the tension.
When Mark Pope’s Kentucky Wildcats travel to Fayetteville this upcoming season for their lone regular-season battle against John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks, it will be more than just a top-15 SEC showdown it will be round two in one of college basketball’s most intriguing and emotionally charged new rivalries.
After all, the first chapter of Pope vs. Cal was written in ink redder than Razorback uniforms.
In his emotional return to Rupp Arena last season, John Calipari walked off the court to a mix of jeers and applause but most importantly, he walked off victorious. His Arkansas team stunned Kentucky 89-79 in a nationally televised slugfest that reminded everyone: Calipari may have left Lexington, but his story with Big Blue Nation is far from over.
Now, in 2025-26, the rematch shifts to Bud Walton Arena. Hostile territory for Pope. A house Calipari now calls home.
Tale of the Tape: Wildcats vs. Razorbacks
The Wildcats, ranked No. 5 in On3’s way-too-early preseason rankings, come into the year with firepower despite key losses. Gone are Jaxson Robinson, Amari Williams, and Andrew Carr, but Pope has reloaded with an impressive blend of elite freshmen and portal talent.
Projected Kentucky Lineup:
- G: Jaland Lowe
- G: Otega Oweh
- F: Kam Williams
- F: Mo Dioubate
- C: Jayden Quaintance
The return of Oweh is massive not only for leadership but for revenge. He was part of the loss at Rupp last year and finished with 10 points. Joining him will be five-star freshmen Jayden Quaintance and Jasper Johnson, a revitalized Denzel Aberdeen from the portal, and rising big man Brandon Garrison, who continues to anchor the frontcourt.
Meanwhile in Fayetteville…
Arkansas, coming in at No. 11 in the rankings, is no less formidable. The Razorbacks are building a roster with the ideal mix of youth, talent, and revenge-minded returnees. DJ Wagner and Karter Knox former Kentucky players turned Calipari protégés are back in red and white after torching their former team for a combined 27 points in last year’s matchup.
Projected Arkansas Lineup:
- G: Darius Acuff
- G: DJ Wagner
- F: Karter Knox
- F: Trevon Brazile
- C: Malique Ewin
Gone are Adou Thiero, Johnell Davis, and Zvonimir Ivisic players who helped deliver that Round One victory but Arkansas has reloaded. Acuff, a five-star freshman guard, could be the next big SEC sensation. Malique Ewin and Nick Pringle, two rugged additions in the paint, are expected to bring the kind of frontcourt toughness Calipari always coveted at Kentucky.
A Battle Beyond the Rankings
Forget the numbers. Forget the scouting reports. This one’s personal.
John Calipari spent 15 seasons as the face of Kentucky basketball. Now, he’s leading a growing contender in Arkansas, staring down the very program that he once called his own. Mark Pope, his former player, now holds the reins in Lexington and carries both the pressure of expectation and the burden of legacy.
Their first meeting was historic. Their second? Potentially explosive.
Bud Walton Arena will be rocking, no doubt. It’s where Arkansas fans hope to once again remind Kentucky that the Calipari era didn’t end quietly it ended with a bang. But for the Wildcats, this trip represents unfinished business. A chance for Pope to reclaim the narrative, even if just for one night.
Will Revenge Be Sweet or Bittersweet?
The SEC schedule makers have given us just one Kentucky-Arkansas game in the regular season and it may be the most anticipated single-game clash of the year.
Mark Pope wants to prove that Kentucky has turned the page. Calipari wants to show he still writes the ending.
And somewhere in the middle, the SEC title race could hang in the balance.
Only one game. One arena. One victor.
But the echoes of this one? They’ll last all season.
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