Arkansas basketball to face Illinois on Thanksgiving Day, per AD

Turkey, the Macy’s parade, the Detroit Lions at noon followed by the Dallas Cowboys in the late-afternoon window on national TV. All of these are Thanksgiving Day traditions.

The Arkansas men’s basketball team? At least for 2024, the Razorbacks will reportedly be part of the holiday festivities when they play Illinois in a nationally televised game on CBS on Thanksgiving Day. The game will reportedly be played in Kansas City.

Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman made the announcement in a media gathering with reporters Thursday. The Razorbacks’ game against the Illini reportedly will tip off following the conclusion of the Chicago Bears-Detroit Lions game, which will also be televised by CBS this year.

Tipoff has not been officially announced, but with Chicago vs. Detroit scheduled for an 11:30 a.m. CDT kickoff, it would likely put Arkansas vs. Illinois tipping off 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 Madison Square Garden in New York on December 10.

The Hogs will host Oakland on December 30 at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas’ matchup against Miami is the only non-conference game officially announced by both schools.

Arkansas last met Illinois in March 2023, a 73-63 Razorbacks victory 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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Story originally appeared on Razorbacks Wire