Men’s Basketball Takes on Arkansas at Never Forget Tribute Classic

HOUSTON – The University of Men's Basketball program will meet Arkansas during the Never Forget Tribute Classic inside Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.., on Saturday, Dec. 20, Head Coach Kelvin Sampson announced Monday.

The Never Forget Tribute Classic has supported various 9/11-related charities throughout its history and will do so once again for the 2025 event. The recipient of support from this year's edition will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

The game features two of the winningest coaches in NCAA Division I history. Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson, who was named the National Coach of the Year in 2024-25 by The Sporting News and CBS Sports, stands 17^th among coaches with 10+ years at the NCAA Division I level and needs only one win in 2025-26 to reach No. 800 in his award-winning career.

Arkansas Coach John Calipari stands 10^th in NCAA history with 835 victories entering the 2025-26 season.

The game will air on The CBS Television Network and stream live on Paramount+. Game time will be announced at a later date.

TICKETS INFORMATION
Tickets go sale Oct. 8 with a 24-hour presale set for Oct. 7.

Fans interested in purchasing tickets can register to receive direct email alerts regarding ticket news and other details at http://prucenter.com/nftc. Fans should stay tuned to Houston Men's Basketball's social media sites (@UHCougarMBK) for the latest updates.

SERIES HISTORY
Arkansas holds a 22-18 lead in the series, which began during the 1975-76 season. The two schools met as Southwest Conference rivals at least twice a year every season from 1975-76 through the 1990-91 campaign.

The Cougars have won two of the last three meetings against the Razorbacks, including a 91-65 win inside H&PE Arena on the Texas Southern campus on Dec. 2, 2017, in the most recent encounter.

Arkansas owns a 3-2 lead in games played at neutral sites. However, the Cougars can boast of the most recent success in the most recent neutral-site showdown after enjoying an 87-78 win inside Verizon Arena in Little Rock, Ark., on Nov. 18, 2011.

ABOUT the COUGARS
Houston returns three starters and seven lettermen in 2025-26, including All-Big 12 Conference honoree and Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team member Milos Uzan, Phillips 66 Big12 Championship Most Outstanding Player and NCAA Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player guard Emanuel Sharp and Naismith Awards National Defensive Player of the Year presented by MOLECULE finalist Joseph Tugler.

The Cougars will be boosted with the addition one of the nation's top recruiting classes with freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr., freshman guard Isiah Harwell, freshman point guard Kingston Flemings, freshman guard Bryce Jackson and senior forward Kalifa Sakho.

In 2024-25, the Cougars set a school single-season record with 35 wins and advanced to the NCAA Tournament National Championship Game before falling to Florida inside Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

Houston, which finished #2 in both national polls, won 31 of its final 33 games to end the season and advanced to the NCAA Final Four for the seventh time in program history – and the second time under Sampson – with a resounding 69-50 win over #6/6 (2) Tennessee during the NCAA Elite Eight in Indianapolis on March 30.

The Cougars swept the Big 12 regular-season and tournament championships in their second year in the league and set school and league records with a 19-1 mark in conference games. Houston became the first school to join a major conference and win the regular-season title in each of its first two years in the league in more than 100 years.

Houston posted a perfect 10-0 record in road games in Big 12 play, becoming the first program in NCAA Division I history to accomplish that feat in a season, and enters the 2025-26 season with the nation's longest active road winning streak at 14 straight games.

BUY SEASON TICKETS
Non-season ticket holders interested in purchasing season tickets are invited to place their names on the Season Ticket Wait List by clicking here.

SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Men's Basketball by providing NIL opportunities and by joining the 50-50 Club, which provides financial support directly to Houston Men's Basketball for needs beyond its operating budget.

Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, invitations to exclusive events, regular updates about the program and much more.

STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on X and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.

– UHCougars.com –

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