"We were the youngest team in the league": John Calipari leans into challenge with tougher Arkansas schedule following Sweet 16 disappointment

Arkansas coach John Calipari is constructing a tough non-conference schedule for the upcoming season to prepare for the rigors of SEC play and a potential deep NCAA Tournament run. His first year in Fayetteville last season wasn't what he had hoped for, as the Razorbacks finished ninth in the SEC and were rolled out from the Sweet 16 by Texas Tech.

To avoid such disappointment again, Calipari is strategically scheduling games against high-caliber opponents who boast the talent and coaching to expose any weaknesses in his team.

This includes neutral-site games against last season’s Final Four participants, Duke and Houston. Arkansas also faces Texas Tech and Illinois, along with an SEC/ACC Challenge matchup against Louisville.

"Our strength of schedule wasn't bad last year, but you schedule to your team," John Calipari said during an offseason press conference (per On3). "You don't schedule because you just want to schedule. 'You’ve got to look and say, 'Ok, where are we? Is this too much for these guys? Are we being fair?' So yeah, this schedule is good.

"Last year, the top seven teams had 90% or more of their team back. That’s why they were the top-seven. We were the youngest team in the league. ... This year, we have the most returning. It’s only 45%, but it’s still the most in our league."

Arkansas was 11-2 in nonconference play last season before going 0-5 to begin SEC competition. They also had an entirely new roster, as most of their players left, and Calipari brought in six freshmen.

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John Calipari and Arkansas Razorbacks face tough SEC road tests in Auburn, Alabama and Florida

As John Calipari enters his second season at Arkansas, he will be tasked with challenging SEC road games next season.

The Razorbacks announced their 2025-26 conference schedule in June, which includes road matchups against national champion Florida, Auburn and Alabama, all of whom finished top 3 in the conference standings last season.

Arkansas will also travel to Missouri and Ole Miss, which finished above the Razorbacks in the standings. The Razorbacks lost to Missouri at Mizzou Arena and to Ole Miss in the second round of the SEC Tournament.

The Razorbacks only won three SEC road games last season, against Kentucky, Texas and Vanderbilt.

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