Can Memphis basketball 'finally' get Arkansas back on the schedule? Penny Hardaway thinks so

Memphis basketball coach Penny Hardaway has long pushed to get Arkansas back on the schedule.

And even though former Kentucky coach John Calipari is now in charge of the Razorbacks, Hardaway still believes the two schools will reach an agreement to renew the rivalry.

Hardaway recently made his first public comments since the Tigers’ season ended March 14. Appearing on the final installment of this season’s “The Coach Penny Hardaway Show,” which aired Sunday night on WMC Action News 5, co-host Dave Woloshin asked Hardaway about future scheduling possibilities.

“I think we can finally get Cal to play us over at Arkansas, because the Arkansas fans want the game,” Hardaway said.

The Tigers' 2024-25 nonconference schedule has largely been finalized. Ten of the 13 non-AAC games have been confirmed: home games against Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Missouri, road games versus UNLV, Clemson and Virginia, as well as a neutral-site date with San Francisco (at the Chase Center in San Francisco) and three games at the Maui Invitational (Nov. 25-27).

The three nonconference games that have yet to be revealed are expected to be "buy" games at FedExForum — which means, barring a late swerve, Memphis will not get Arkansas on the schedule for the upcoming season.

Since being hired in 2018, Hardaway has openly addressed his desire to schedule a game (or games) against Kentucky. But a deal was never made.

There was a time not all that long ago that the Tigers and Razorbacks played regularly. After playing seven times between 1966 and 1979, they met every season from 1991 to 2003 — squaring off a total of 14 times during the latter stretch.

But the schools that are separated by only 323 miles have met just once on the basketball court since 2003. Memphis defeated Arkansas 84-79 on Nov. 23, 2023, at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas.

Now that Calipari is at the helm for the Razorbacks, Hardaway believes the Arkansas fan base can help revive the series.

“We couldn’t do it at Kentucky. But I think because the Razorbacks want the rivalry back, they might kind of force his hand,” Hardaway said.

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Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Penny Hardaway vs. John Calipari? Memphis basketball coach wants it