Turkey, the Macy’s parade, the Detroit Lions at noon followed by the Dallas Cowboys in the late afternoon window on national TV. These are all Thanksgiving traditions.
The Arkansas men’s basketball team? By at least 2024, the Razorbacks will be part of the holiday festivities when they play Illinois in a nationally televised game on CBS on Thanksgiving. The game will be played in Kansas City.
Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman made the announcement at a media briefing with reporters on Thursday. The Razorbacks’ game against the Illini will begin following the conclusion of the Chicago Bears-Detroit Lions game, which will also be broadcast on CBS this year.
Illinois AD Josh Whitman told reporters that Illinois will face Arkansas on Thanksgiving in Kansas City.
-Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) June 20, 2024
Tipoff hasn’t been officially announced, but with Chicago vs. Detroit scheduled for an 11:30 a.m. CDT kickoff, it would likely put Arkansas vs. Illinois around 3 p.m.
Illinois is the fourth reported non-conference game on the Razorback’s 2024-25 schedule. Arkansas will also play Miami in Coral Gables as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge on December 3.
It has been widely reported that the Razorbacks will also face Michigan in the annual Jimmy V Classic at New York’s Madison Square Garden on December 10.
The Hogs will host Oakland on December 30 at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas’ matchup with Miami is the only non-conference game officially announced by both schools.
Arkansas last met Illinois in March 2023, a Razorbacks win 73-63 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa. The Illini lead the all-time series against Arkansas 5-1.
Illinois advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament last season before falling to eventual national champion UConn.
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