Your fall guide to sporting events in Northwest Arkansas
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
School's back in session — that means football. And a few other things.
The big picture: Whether you want to avoid the crowds or join the fun, here's your one-minute guide to big events in NWA (and one in Little Rock) this fall.
Aug. 19 — The Northwest Arkansas Naturals play the Tulsa Drillers in a six-game series in Springdale through Aug. 24. Games start at 7pm on weekdays, 6pm on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday.
Aug. 30 — Alabama A&M at Fayetteville, 3:15pm on the SEC Network
Sept. 2 — The Northwest Arkansas Naturals play the Springfield Cardinals in a six-game series in Springdale through Sept. 7. Games start at 7pm on weekdays, 6pm on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday.
Sept. 6 — Arkansas State at Little Rock's War Memorial Stadium, 4pm on ESPN+ and SEC Network+
Sept. 27 — Notre Dame in Fayetteville, 11am on ABC
Oct. 1 — The 25th annual Bike, Blues & BBQ in Rogers and all around NWA runs through Oct. 4 (You can argue if this is a sporting event or not.)
Oct. 18 — Texas A&M at Fayetteville, time and network TBD, but late
Oct. 25 — Auburn at Fayetteville, time and network TBD, but early
Nov. 1 — Mississippi State at Fayetteville, time and network TBD, but afternoon
Nov. 29 – Missouri at Fayetteville, time and network TBD, but night
Dec. 10 — USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships at Fayetteville's Centennial Park runs through Dec. 14
Jan. 3, 2026 — Basketball's season opener with Tennessee at Fayetteville, time TBD
What to know: Buy tickets to Arkansas games and check game day traffic and parking information.
- Nonconference basketball games with Duke University (Nov. 27), Texas Tech (Dec. 13) and the University of Houston (Dec. 20) will be at neutral game sites.
What's next: Plenty of concerts, arts events and fairs fill up other weekends this fall.
- Keep an eye out for more planners.
