Would it surprise you to learn that the Arkansas football program has never played more than one-third of the current FBS programs in its long history of football?
The Razorbacks football program has been around for more than a century, with much of that history coming in the Southwest Conference until joining the SEC back in 1992. They’ve been a power conference type of program for their entire history and have played a laundry list of impactful football games.
While certainly not one of the best programs in the current SEC, Arkansas has a long history. However, football schedules only consist of twelve games, with many of those games against in-conference opponents.
As a result, there’s a long list of current FBS teams that Arkansas just has never faced in their history. In total, there are 52 programs that haven’t played the Razorbacks in football and we’re going to go through them all.
Arkansas football vs Independents
As for the current independents, there are four of them that Arkansas has never played, but that’ll change very soon. They’ve never played recent independents UConn or UMass nor Army, a team that’s been an independent program for decades.
The final team on the list is Notre Dame, which has generally been a power in football, but it’s also a name that won’t stay there for long. The Razorbacks will host Notre Dame in 2025 and take their name off this list; it should be a pretty exciting matchup in Fayetteville.
Arkansas football vs Big 12 & SEC
Arkansas used to be in the SWC with a swath of current Big 12 programs and has been a member of the SEC for more than three decades. As a result, there’s only one current member of those two conferences that they’ve never played.
West Virginia has yet to find their way onto Arkansas’s schedule, though perhaps they’ll get their chance in a bowl game or other type of matchup one day. The other conferences have much more expansive lists.
Arkansas football vs ACC
You might think that ACC and SEC schools seem to be natural rivals, but Arkansas has played less than half of the teams in that league and some of these names might surprise you. What’s also shocking is that the Razorbacks are just 1-8 all-time against the current ACC programs, with the lone win coming over Georgia Tech in 1960.
Recent superpower Clemson has never faced the Razorbacks nor has Florida State, a program with a long line of impressive football history. There’s actually a collection of southern schools that you’d think would be regional rivals but have never seen Arkansas football.
The Razorbacks have never played NC State or Wake Forest, two decent programs from North Carolina, nor have they faced Virginia. They’re a bit of a geographic mismatch, but Boston College is another team never on the schedule.
Arkansas had few matchups with the teams in the old Big East, including the most recent additions to the ACC. Arkansas has never played Louisville, Pittsburgh, or Syracuse, and frankly has struggled with the few ACC teams they have played. No upcoming games are scheduled against the ACC as it doesn’t seem to be a priority for the Razorbacks.
Arkansas football vs Big Ten
The Big Ten has existed and been a power in college football for over one hundred years. However, the Razorbacks are just 3-8 against the current teams in the league and have never played five of them.
We won’t waste too much time: the teams are Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan State, and Purdue. It’s a bit strange that they’ve never played all of these teams, either on the schedule back in the day or in a bowl game, but programs like Illinois, Indiana, and Purdue haven’t exactly had historically successful programs.
With the expanded college football playoffs, and Arkansas seemingly on the rise in the SEC, there’s a good chance we see the Razorbacks play one or more of these teams in the near future.
Arkansas football vs Pac-12
The Pac-12 is another power conference that Arkansas has barely played in their history. The Razorbacks are just 4-6-1 in their history against this league and have never faced seven of its current members.
One surprising name on the list is Colorado, who never had a matchup with the Razorbacks despite sharing some rivals from their times in the SWC or Big 12. On a similar note, Arkansas hasn’t faced off against Utah, who only joined the league a decade ago after a long stretch in the Mountain West, though that’ll change when they play in Salt Lake City in 2026.
Many of the west coast schools haven’t found their way onto Arkansas’s schedule. They’ve had a few bowl games against UCLA and some matchups with Arizona State and USC over the years, but Arkansas has not played Arizona, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, or Washington State at any point in their history.
Arkansas football vs Mountain West
Continuing our west coast theme, the Razorbacks are actually 15-3 against the current members of the Mountain West but have yet to play four of those schools. They’ve won multiple games against Boise State, New Mexico, and a few other programs, but these teams are still on the list.
Nevada and Wyoming have avoided the Razorbacks, while California schools Fresno State and San Diego State also have. There’s not much to say here, though the chances to play San Diego State might increase if they join the Pac-12 in the coming years.
Arkansas football vs AAC
The AAC is a relatively young league, though most of the teams that have passed through the league have been FBS football teams for at least some time. With the recent batch of realignment, there are now four teams that Arkansas has never faced.
The Razorbacks have played more than seventy games against both SMU and Tulsa, but have never found a way to get Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Temple, or UTSA onto their schedule. This isn’t shocking, as none of these teams were playing at the FBS just a few decades ago, but perhaps they’ll get their shot one day.
Arkansas football vs Conference USA
Arkansas used to be conference rivals with Rice and has played a handful of games with North Texas, but those two schools are now in the AAC, with the CUSA undergoing massive realignment in recent years.
Surprisingly, just Jacksonville State and Sam Houston State have never been opponents for Arkansas. Both programs joined the FBS level within the last few seasons and it’s not hard to understand why they’ve yet to face the Razorbacks.
Arkansas football vs MAC
Across those hundred-plus years of football, Arkansas is just 3-1 against the current MAC programs, with nine of them never finding their way onto the schedule. That numbers will change in just a few months, as Arkansas will face Kent State for the first time in program history this upcoming season.
They beat Eastern Michigan back in 2009 but haven’t faced directional rivals Central Michigan or Western Michigan. There haven’t been any matchups with Ball State in Indiana or Buffalo, the most recent addition to the MAC.
There are five teams from the state of Ohio in the MAC and Arkansas has never beaten any of them, losing to Toledo back in 2015. They’ve never faced off against Akron, Bowling Green, Miami (OH), or Ohio, and don’t have any of them on the schedule anytime soon.
Arkansas football vs Sun Belt
The Sun Belt is a conglomeration of teams these days, but it’s a conference that Arkansas has been very successful against, sitting at a 22-1 mark against the current members. However, seven of them have never faced the Razorbacks, though that number will be six very soon.
They’ve somehow never played in-state rival Arkansas State, though that will change in 2025. Programs like Appalachian State, James Madison, and Old Dominion have also been absent from their opposition, but these three teams have not been FBS programs for very long. Georgia State is another school in this same window.
Additionally, the Razorbacks have never faced off against Marshall, a team that’s swapped conferences a few times over the years, nor South Alabama, just a few states away on the southern coast. Perhaps one day they’ll get a chance to play some of these Group of 5 schools, but it’s not exactly high on the priority list.
All series matchup stats and information via Mcubed.net
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