ESPN College GameDay going to Fayetteville for Arkansas vs. Kentucky

The college basketball season is fully underway, with conference play ramping up everywhere and big matchups popping up on the schedule left and right. ESPN’s College GameDay has found one it likes for its first live show of the season.

The premier pre-game program announced Saturday that it will head to Fayetteville, Ark., next week for a game between Arkansas and Kentucky.

That matchup has produced some thrillers in recent years, including a pair of Arkansas wins by one possession in 2021 and 2022. It promises to be another good showdown, one that will now feature College GameDay in the house.

It’s the program’s first live show of the season after hosting the last two weeks from in studio.

Kentucky will likely enter as a significant favorite, though, based on how this year has gone so far.

The Wildcats are 13-3 on the season and have won seven of their last eight contests on the year. The Razorbacks, meanwhile, are just 10-7, having lost three of their last four.

Arkansas did secure a thrilling win over Texas A&M in the middle of the week, and the Razorbacks seem to be getting their swagger back a little bit.

“When you lose like we have of late? Your confidence can get shaken. I mean, all over the locker room, there’s probably 40 signs in there that say ‘Bring Your Swagger Back’” coach Eric Musselman said. “When we played Duke? We had swagger. We thought we were going to win the game. I know it’s an exhibition game, I know nobody wants to hear it. I’m going to say it even though nobody wants to hear it – we had swagger when we played Purdue.

“We need that back and the only way to truly, truly get it back is to play well.”

What better opportunity than with College GameDay in the house?

Meanwhile, Kentucky just looks to keep things rolling with the season off to an excellent start and some young stars starting to get more and more comfortable.

Coach John Calipari just won his 400th game, and he discussed afterward how he’s grateful to have the opportunity to coach guys up.

“All I would say to you is you stay long enough and you have enough really good players? A lot of those things happen,” Calipari said of his 400th win. “I’m not doing this for numbers. Don’t even know what my record is, could care less.”

“You can see I’m locked in to how can I help these players. Some of it is you know how you help them? You put ’em on the bench. Just sit ’em. That’s how you help them. Other times? You’ve got to hug ’em. You’re giving them books about positive thinking and different things to get them to think different. You’re trying to teach them habits because their dominant habits are not real good when you’re 19 and 20. They’re just not good. You’re trying to create new ones. Then every day is a battle of push and pull.”

The push and pull battle will continue against Arkansas in a game that is set to tip off at 6 p.m. ET next Saturday on ESPN. First, though, fans will be able to enjoy College GameDay on campus.