Arkansas men’s basketball head coach John Calipari is set to return to the FedEx Forum on October 27 when the Razorbacks face the Memphis Tigers in the Hoops for St. Jude Tip Off Classic, presented by Bad Boy Mowers. The event will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The exhibition will be a doubleheader, with the Memphis women’s team playing Vanderbilt at 5:30 pm Central Time, followed by the men’s game at 8 pm. Both games are scheduled to air on ESPNU.
“The Tip Off Classic is more than a game. It’s a powerful expression of what can happen when a community unites to hoop for hope,” said Ike Anand, President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “It’s deeply meaningful to witness these incredible college programs take the court not just to compete, but to champion the mission of St. Jude. The energy in FedExForum, the pride of Memphis, Arkansas, and Vanderbilt, and the generosity of fans fuel the work St. Jude does for children with catastrophic diseases both here and around the world.”
Tickets for the event will go on sale September 9 at noon Central Time via ticketmaster.com and at the FedExForum box office.
Calipari is entering his second season as Arkansas head coach after previously leading Memphis from 2000 to 2009. During his tenure with the Tigers, he posted a record of 252-69 over nine seasons, winning seven league titles and making six NCAA Tournament appearances—including a national runner-up finish—and two NIT berths.
While coaching Memphis, Calipari had a 153-19 record in games played in Memphis facilities. The Tigers played their first four years under him at The Pyramid before moving to FedEx Forum in 2004-05; Calipari’s teams went 93-10 there over five seasons. As Kentucky’s head coach, Calipari also played twice at FedEx Forum in NCAA Tournament action.
Notable players coached by Calipari during his time at Memphis include Derrick Rose—the #1 overall NBA draft pick—alongside first-round selections Dajuan Wagner, Rodney Carney, Shawnee Williams, and Tyreke Evans.
In total, Calipari produced seven All-Americans while at Memphis as well as three conference players of the year (Antonio Burks, Rodney Carney and Chris Douglas-Roberts), six conference freshmen of the year (Wagner, Sean Bankes, Darius Washington, Williams, Rose and Evans) and a total of 22 all-conference selections.
The upcoming exhibition will not affect Arkansas or Memphis’ all-time series record; each program has won 11 games out of their previous 22 meetings. Their last matchup was an 84-79 win for Memphis during the Battle for Atlantis semifinals on November 23, 2023.
Arkansas last played in Memphis during the 2002-03 season—a game they won—while Calipari was in his first year coaching there.
For further information about Arkansas Men’s Basketball, updates are available through @RazorbackMBB on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
