Arkansas Headed to the Big Dance to Take on USC

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas’ late-season run landed the Razorbacks in the NCAA Basketball Tournament for the second-consecutive season as the Hogs earned the No. 12 seed in the East Region. The Razorbacks will play No. 5 Southern California in Spokane, Wash. on Friday in the second game of the evening session. Arkansas’ first-round game will follow the Texas-New Mexico State game which is slated to begin at 6:25 p.m. CT. The Arkansas-USC game will follow 30 minutes after the completion of the first game of the session at approximately 8:45 p.m. CT.

Arkansas (21-13) was one of five Southeastern Conference teams to make the bracket. Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee and Vanderbilt also earned a spot in the field of 65. Like Arkansas, USC (23-11) made it to the conference tournament final before coming up just short of an automatic bid. The Trojans lost to Oregon in the Pac 10 Tournament last weekend.

“Everyone is really, really excited,” Arkansas head coach Stan Heath said. “I’m so happy for our team, our program and the Razorback family. Obviously, we didn’t have a bang-bang year, but the way we finished it was a bang-bang finish. Fortunately for us the committee looked at what we had accomplished during the season saw us worthy to get in. We want to make the best of it.”

This year’s appearance marks the 29th time Arkansas has advanced the NCAA Tournament. The Hogs won the national championship in 1994, were national runner-up in 1995 and advanced to the Final Four in 1941, 1945, 1978 and 1990.

The UA ticket office will be contacting priority season ticket holders on Monday to confirm their NCAA Tournament orders. If any tickets remain in Arkansas’ allotment following that allocation, fans may place orders beginning on Tuesday for the remaining tickets. Tickets available through the University of Arkansas are single-session tickets for the session in which the Razorbacks will play. Single-session tickets are $56. All-session regional ticket packages were sold out in advance of the bracket announcement. The UA ticket office is open from 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Razorback Road. The ticket office may also be reached by calling 1-800-982-HOGS (4649).

More information on the Razorbacks’ trip to Spokane and the “Big Dance” will be posted on Hogwired.com as it becomes available.