FAYETTEVILLE — For the first time in nine years, Arkansas basketball fans will be able to watch the Razorbacks play a game in North Little Rock without being at Simmons Bank Arena.
Arkansas’ game against Lipscomb on Dec. 16 will be streamed by SEC Network+, according to the SEC TV schedule that was released Thursday. It will be the first time a Razorback game has been streamed from the arena.
The high cost of independently producing an off-campus broadcast has previously been cited by Arkansas’ leadership as the reason games in North Little Rock were played without a video stream. The games are designated as home games for the Razorbacks, which cause them to fall under the SEC’s TV parameters. As such, Arkansas is responsible for producing a broadcast if the games are not picked up by one of the SEC’s TV partners.
A source said Thursday that the Razorbacks have recently received a video encoder that will allow for transmission to SEC Network at a significantly reduced cost.
The last time a Razorback game was televised from North Little Rock was in December 2014 when Arkansas defeated Southeast Missouri State 84-67 on SEC Network.
The Razorbacks have since played seven games at the arena, including some thrillers. Arkansas’ first non-televised game at the arena was a 69-66 victory over Mercer in overtime in December 2015.
In December 2019, Arkansas coach Eric Musselman’s first team overcame a late 8-point deficit to beat Valparaiso 72-68. The Razorbacks’ second Elite Eight team under Musselman was stunned in North Little Rock in December 2021 in an 89-81 loss to Hofstra.
Arkansas will have seven non-conference games and all 18 SEC games shown on linear networks in the upcoming season. All other games will be streamed on SEC Network+.
Every Arkansas game but one will be shown on an ESPN affiliated network or stream. The March 2 game at Kentucky will be televised by CBS, marking the third consecutive season a game between the Razorbacks and the Wildcats will be shown on the same network that airs NCAA Tournament games.
The Razorbacks and Wildcats have played on CBS 17 times since 1994-95.
A Jan. 27 game between Arkansas and Kentucky in Fayetteville will be televised by ESPN.
Arkansas' Oct. 28 exhibition game against Purdue at Bud Walton Arena will be streamed by SEC Network+ beginning at 3 p.m. No stream is planned for the Razorbacks' first exhibition against Texas-Tyler on Oct. 20.
There will also be no stream for the Red-White Showcase on Oct. 4 at Barnhill Arena.
2023-24 Arkansas Men’s Basketball Schedule
Date — Opponent, Network, Central Time
Nov. 6 — Alcorn State, SECN+, 7 p.m.
Nov. 10 — Gardner-Webb, SECN+, 7 p.m.
Nov. 13 — Old Dominion, SECN+, 7 p.m.
Nov. 17 — UNC Greensboro, SECN+, 7 p.m.
Nov. 22 — *Stanford, ESPNU, 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 23 — *Michigan or Memphis, ESPN or ESPNU, 1:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 24 — *TBD
Nov. 29 — Duke, ESPN, 8:15 p.m.
Dec. 4 — Furman, SECN+, 7 p.m.
Dec. 9 — #Oklahoma, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU, TBA
Dec. 16 — ^Lipscomb, SECN+, 5 p.m.
Dec. 21 — Abilene Christian, SEC Network, 6 p.m.
Dec. 30 — UNC Wilmington, SEC Network, 6 p.m.
Jan. 6 — Auburn, ESPN2, TBA
Jan. 10 — at Georgia, ESPN2 or ESPNU, 8 p.m.
Jan. 13 — at Florida, ESPN, 4 p.m.
Jan. 16 — Texas A&M, SEC Network, 8 p.m.
Jan. 20 — South Carolina, SEC Network, Noon
Jan. 24 — at Ole Miss, ESPN2 or ESPNU, 8 p.m.
Jan. 27 — Kentucky, ESPN, 5 p.m.
Jan. 31 — at Missouri, SEC Network, 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 3 — at LSU, ESPN or ESPN2, 11 a.m.
Feb. 10 — Georgia, SEC Network, 5 p.m.
Feb. 14 — Tennessee, ESPN2, 8 p.m.
Feb. 17 — at Mississippi State, ESPN or ESPN2, 1 p.m.
Feb. 20 — at Texas A&M, ESPN, 6 p.m.
Feb. 24 — Missouri, ESPN or ESPN2, 11 a.m.
Feb. 27 — Vanderbilt, SEC Network, 8 p.m.
March 2 — at Kentucky, CBS, 12:30 p.m.
March 6 — LSU, SEC Network, 6 p.m.
March 9 — at Alabama, ESPN, 11 a.m.
* — Game at Paradise Island, The Bahamas as part of Battle 4 Atlantis
# — Game at BOK Center in Tulsa
^ — Game at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock