Big changes are coming to the Arkansas Razorbacks’ football schedule, as the Southeastern Conference (SEC) has officially unveiled its opponents and sites for the 2026 through 2029 seasons. Announced on September 23, 2025, this move marks a pivotal moment for the conference and for Arkansas, with a new nine-game conference format designed for fairness, competitive balance, and the preservation of historic rivalries.
Starting in 2026, the SEC’s revamped format means every team will play every other SEC school at least once every two years, and both home and away over a four-year span. That’s a scheduling shake-up Razorback fans have been waiting for! The aim? To create the most balanced and equitable schedule in SEC history, and to make sure no rivalry gets left behind.
For Arkansas, this new era comes with three annual opponents: LSU, Missouri, and Texas. These matchups are set to anchor the Razorbacks’ schedule every year through 2029, and they’re not just for tradition’s sake—these games are the backbone of Arkansas’ SEC identity. According to the SEC, “annual opponents were determined with consideration given to traditional rivalries, competitive fairness, geography and alignment with existing non-conference home/away commitments.” The conference will reevaluate these annual opponents after the four-year cycle to keep things balanced.
Let’s break down what the Hogs are facing. In 2026, Arkansas will host a blockbuster slate at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, welcoming Georgia, LSU, Missouri, South Carolina, and Tennessee. That’s five home games that promise plenty of fireworks. On the road, the Razorbacks will travel to Auburn, Texas, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt. The SEC’s new rotation means that while some old foes are sticking around, the Hogs will get a taste of fresh rivalries and avoid the grind of the former SEC West—at least a little. As one local analyst put it, “The 2026 schedule is a breath of fresh air.”
One notable change: Arkansas will not play Oklahoma in 2026, despite the Sooners being their closest SEC neighbor at just 247 miles away. That anticipated matchup will have to wait until 2027, when the Hogs travel to Norman for their first SEC game against Oklahoma, and then host the Sooners in Fayetteville in 2029. The last time Arkansas and Oklahoma met on the gridiron was in the 2001 Cotton Bowl, with Oklahoma taking the win 10-3. The Hogs’ last victory over the Sooners dates all the way back to the 1977 Orange Bowl.
Fans eager for the Arkansas-Texas rivalry won’t have to wait. The Razorbacks will travel to Austin in 2026 and 2027 for consecutive showdowns against the Longhorns, a rare back-to-back occurrence. The most recent meeting in Austin was in 2008, when Texas dominated 52-10. But with the rivalry reignited and Texas now a perennial SEC fixture, expect those games to be circled on every calendar in Fayetteville and beyond.
The SEC’s new schedule also means some long-standing traditions will come to an end. For the first time in 45 years, Arkansas and Ole Miss will not face off in 2026, ending a streak that dates back to 1981. The Razorbacks will also end annual matchups with Mississippi State in 2026 and Auburn in 2027, reflecting the conference’s commitment to rotation and balance. According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, “Arkansas will not play Ole Miss next year, ending a streak of 45 consecutive seasons those teams have played.”
Looking ahead to 2027, the Razorbacks’ home schedule features Alabama, Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Texas, with road trips to Florida, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, and Oklahoma. That’s a challenging slate, but one that offers plenty of variety and some intriguing firsts. For instance, Arkansas will host Kentucky for the first time since 2012 and play at Vanderbilt for the first time since 2011. The 2027 season also sees the Hogs playing every Division I team in Oklahoma—Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Tulsa—a rare trifecta.
The SEC’s new single-standings, non-divisional structure removes the old East vs. West format, ensuring each team plays every other school regularly. The conference will continue to require each program to schedule at least one nonconference opponent from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, or Notre Dame each season, maintaining a high standard for strength of schedule. The College Football Playoff (CFP) has also adjusted its metrics, placing greater weight on games against strong opponents and rewarding teams for taking on high-quality competition. As the SEC explained, “An additional SEC game, combined with the A4 non-conference scheduling requirement, improves these strength of schedule metrics for every SEC school to enhance consideration in the CFP selection process.”
For Arkansas, nonconference action in 2026 includes hosting North Alabama on September 5 and Tulsa on September 26, as well as a road game at Utah on September 12. These matchups help fulfill the SEC’s Power 4 scheduling mandate and provide the Razorbacks with opportunities to bolster their CFP résumé.
Home and away games will alternate to ensure each school gets seven home games per season, except for those participating in neutral-site rivalry games like Florida-Georgia and Oklahoma-Texas. The SEC acknowledged that, “to meet the scheduling priorities established by the conference and its members, the 2026 conference schedule includes cases where schools play at the same venue in back-to-back years.” That’s a small price to pay for the increased balance and variety the new format brings.
SEC fans love their rivalries, and the new rotation is designed to keep those traditions alive. Arkansas’ annual games against LSU, Missouri, and Texas will be the bedrock of each season. The Razorbacks host LSU and Missouri in 2026 and 2028, and Texas in 2027 and 2029. Conversely, they’ll visit LSU and Missouri in odd-numbered years and Texas in even-numbered years. The rotating six games each year ensure every team gets a shot at every opponent both home and away over four years.
As the conference looks to the future, the 2026-2029 schedules are a bold experiment in competitive fairness and fan engagement. The SEC’s commitment to rotating opponents, protecting rivalries, and enhancing playoff consideration sets a new standard for college football scheduling. For Arkansas, the next four years promise excitement, challenges, and plenty of opportunities to make history.
With the schedule set and rivalries renewed, all eyes now turn to the Razorbacks’ immediate future. Arkansas returns home to Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium to close out the non-conference portion of its 2025 schedule against Notre Dame this weekend. Kickoff for the first-ever meeting between the Razorbacks and Fighting Irish is set for 11 a.m. Saturday, September 27, on ABC. As fans gear up for that historic clash, they can also look forward to a new era of SEC football—one that promises no shortage of drama, tradition, and unforgettable moments.
