John Calipari Questions Arkansas' Tough Schedule, Jokes About Being 'On Crack'

Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari has acknowledged the formidable nature of his team's upcoming non-conference basketball schedule, even joking that he must have been "on crack" when finalizing the slate of games. Calipari voiced these sentiments at the SEC Basketball Tipoff event in Birmingham, Alabama.

"Our schedule is ridiculous," Calipari stated. "Why I opened the season with Virginia, I must have been on crack. Then you go Michigan State, what? Then you're going to go play in Phoenix, play Arizona. Indiana, way better than I thought, we're playing 'em in New York."

The Razorbacks' schedule includes challenging matchups early in the season. While the team's first official game is against Arkansas Pine-Bluff on November 3, their subsequent opponent is Virginia in Washington, D.C. Further complicating the non-conference slate are games against Michigan State and Arizona, both to be played on neutral courts. Additionally, Arkansas is scheduled to face Indiana in New York and travel to Chapel Hill for a true road game against North Carolina on December 1. This game against the Tar Heels marks the team's only true road contest before the start of conference play in January.

Calipari, entering his third season as head coach of the Razorbacks, has led the team to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament in each of his previous two seasons. Last season, the team was led by Darius Acuff Jr., who has since been selected seventh overall in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings.

In the preseason media poll, Arkansas was projected to finish third in a competitive SEC conference, with Florida and Texas picked ahead of them. Calipari's former employer, Kentucky, was ranked seventh in the conference predictions.