Arkansas schedules Western Kentucky for future football, basketball seasons

FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas and Conference USA member Western Kentucky have scheduled a future football game and a home-and-home men’s basketball series, the institutions announced this week.

The Razorback football team will play a home game against the Hilltoppers on Nov. 9, 2019, while the men’s basketball team will host Western Kentucky during the

2018-19 season at a date to be announced later, followed by a trip to Bowling Green, Ky., during the 2019-20 campaign.

In football, Arkansas and Western Kentucky will meet for the first time in program history.

The Hilltoppers were 8-4 in 2013 under former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino in his first job since being fired by Arkansas in 2012. Petrino agreed to return to coach Louisville before the bowl game in his first season with Western Kentucky and was succeeded by Jeff Brohm, who led the team to records of 8-5, 12-2 and 11-3.

Brohm left after three seasons to coach at Purdue. The Hilltoppers were 6-7 in 2017 under current head coach Mike Sanford, Jr.

The addition of the Western Kentucky game completes the 2019 non-conference football schedule for the Razorbacks. Arkansas already has non-conference games scheduled for the 2019 season with Portland State on Aug. 31, Colorado State on Sept. 14 and San Jose State on Sept. 21.

The men’s basketball programs have a history that dates back to the 1930s. On the hardwood, the Razorbacks have a 4-2 lead in the all-time series, including four straight wins in central Arkansas from 1936-1945.

Western Kentucky (22-9, 14-4) earned a bye this week as the No. 3 seed in the 2018 C-USA Men’s Basketball Championship in Frisco, Texas. The Hilltoppers will begin their postseason today at 9 p.m. against the winner of last night’s late game between UAB (19-12,

10-8) and Florida Atlantic (12-18, 6-12).