DALLAS – The new college basketball season will begin with a bang when Baylor battles Arkansas in Dallas on the first Saturday of the new season, Nov. 9, 2024. The game will be the sole focus for both fanbases with both Arkansas and Baylor football programs being on a bye that weekend while also honoring the nation’s military a few days prior to Veteran’s Day. The action tips at 6:30 p.m. CT at American Airlines Center and will be broadcast on ESPNU.
Baylor is expected to be a Top-10 team once again after reloading during the offseason. The Bears backcourt will be among the nation’s best with Duke transfer Jeremy Roach and explosive freshman V.J. Edgecombe leading the charge. Returners Jayden Nunn, Langston Love and Josh Ojianwuna headline a core group of veterans. Scott Drew’s Bears are the only team to be a top-3 seed in the last four NCAA Tournaments and also are the only team in the Big 12 with at least 11 conference wins in each of the last five seasons.
“We have tremendous respect for Coach Calipari and the Arkansas program, dating back to our battles in the Southwest Conference, so we look forward to the challenge in Dallas this year,” said Drew. “Playing a quality team in an NBA arena, where the Baylor Family can come out and support us, is an awesome opportunity for everyone involved.”
Arkansas enters the new season with high expectations as Hall of Famer John Calipari takes over in Fayetteville. Calipari, men’s college basketball’s winningest active head coach with 855 victories, has brought his magical touch to the Razorbacks by signing three Top-50 players in the incoming freshmen class and one of the nation’s top transfer classes led by Johnell Davis (led Florida Atlantic to the Final Four in 2023) and three former Kentucky standouts in D.J. Wagner, Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivišić.
“For fans of college basketball, it will be great to see two teams that will likely start the season among the top 25 playing each other so early in the season,” Calipari said. “As a program, are excited to be playing in Dallas. The Metroplex is home to a large number of alumni and current students from the University of Arkansas. We like the fact that we will be able to connect with them and believe we will have a tremendous turn out.”
Tickets for the game go on public sale on Thursday, Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. CT at Ticketmaster.com and on the Ticketmaster app. Complete event information can be found at www.baylorarkansas.com and on social media at @bdGlobalSports.com.