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There is palpable buzz surrounding a new basketball series with Minnesota. CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein reported earlier today the Hogs and Gophers will begin a home-and-home basketball series beginning this upcoming season.
Arkansas will play in The Barn first, with a return trip to Bud Walton Arena coming the following season.
Minnesota and Arkansas don't have a lot of history with one another, most recently facing off in the Maui Invitational in 2013. In fact, two of their four meetings have taken place in Maui. The Razorbacks hold a 3-1 all-time series edge, and have never played the Gophers in Fayetteville. The one game the teams have played in Arkansas occurred in Pine Bluff. Arkansas is 0-1 in Minneapolis.
Non-conference scheduling is becoming more and more important each year in terms of tournament resume and earning quality wins outside of SEC play. Richard Pitino has been the head coach at Minnesota since 2013. He's turned Minnesota into a pretty respectable program, although the Gophers turned in a dismal 8-23 record last season.