The Opposition Reaction Is What You’d Expect
You may (or may not) have heard that former Kentucky men’s basketball coach John Calipari has been hired by a university located in northwestern Arkansas. There was no shortage of people within the state to welcome the 68-year-old coach, among them Arkansas State head basketball coach Bryan Hodgson.
As of late, the two universities have met regularly on various fields of play – soccer, women’s basketball, baseball, and (in 2025) football. But the two in-state D1 men’s basketball entities have yet to meet in modern times. Naturally, the reaction from NEA fans was both positive and enlightening.
This isn’t the first time Coach Hodgson has challenged NEA to a duel. Just weeks into his tenure, Hodgson attended the Arkansas State football Spring Game and called out former head coach Eric Musselman. It is also noteworthy to mention that in 2021, upon the cancelation of a game with Texas A&M, the northwest university tried to plug the gap with an impromptu game against Arkansas State, of which then head coach Mike Balado said “nah.”
Photo Credit is mine
Howlraiser 