Razorbacks didn't help themselves early in tough schedule this year

Hogs coach Sam Pittman addressed the schedule at a press conference following the release.

“We’ve been asking for a fair shake on scheduling for a while,” Pittman said. “The SEC’s a tough league, but starting on the road two weeks in a row is just a different animal.”

Arkansas’ home schedule in 2026 will feature the Aggies and several other conference and nonconference opponents. Athletics director Hunter Yurachek called the return of the Aggies to Fayetteville a significant moment for the program.

“There’s something special about playing Texas A&M at home,” Yurachek said. “It’s a game that deserves to be on our campus, in front of our students and our community.”

You can excuse Hunter a little because they've played a bigger rival from Texas twice the A&M came in with Johnny Manziel and kicked them sideways. The Longhorns are a far bigger rival.

The Aggies have always been a nuisance more than anything else to the fans.

The Razorbacks have often been criticized for a pattern of disadvantageous scheduling, in part because of their own decisions.

For years, Arkansas played one game a season in Little Rock and served as the home team in the neutral-site game against Texas A&M in Arlington.

That arrangement often left Arkansas opening the SEC season with two games away from Fayetteville, a pattern that will repeat in 2026 despite the end of the Arlington series.

In 2025, Arkansas opened at Auburn and then played Texas A&M in Arlington as the away team, technically making both games road contests.

In 2026, the SEC will again send Arkansas on the road for its first two league games, before the team finally returns home to face Texas A&M.

The SEC has not finalized its scheduling model for 2026. The league’s spring meetings ended without a decision on whether to move to a nine-game conference schedule or retain the current eight-game format.

“Our membership continues to discuss the best path forward,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said at the conclusion of those meetings. “We want to create competitive balance and maintain the traditions that make this league unique.”

Yurachek said the uncertainty has complicated planning for teams across the league.

“We don’t know if we’re planning for eight or nine conference games,” Yurachek said. “It affects everything from our non-conference scheduling to recruiting visits and fan engagement.”

The SEC’s recent expansion to 16 teams with the addition of Texas and Oklahoma has forced the conference to reconsider its approach.

The annual Arkansas-Texas A&M game has become known for some dramatic finishes, but the Hogs have struggled in the series since the Aggies joined the SEC in 2012.

Let's make it a little clearer. The Razorbacks can't find ways to beat the two teams very often.

The Hogs have only beaten the Aggies once and the Tigers twice.

Sankey said the SEC’s scheduling process is designed to balance tradition, competition and television demands.

“Every team thinks they have it toughest,” he said. “But there’s no perfect solution.”

Certainly not this season, but Arkansas didn't help themselves with a non-conference game against Memphis followed by a home game with Notre Dame for the first time in history. The league didn't have anything to do with that.

The SEC is expected to finalize its future schedule format in the coming months.