FAYETTEVILLE — Coach Colby Hale and the Arkansas soccer team will host UALR at Razorback Field in the first round of the NCAA Tournament later this week.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Friday and the match will be streamed on SEC Network+.
It will be the programs' first meeting. Arkansas (13-4-4), fresh off its third consecutive trip to the SEC Tournament finals, is in the 64-team field for the fifth time in the last six seasons and sixth time in school history.
"I guess it's really cool," Arkansas junior Kayla McKeon said. "We're getting to the point where it's starting to become kind of expected, so we're starting get the reputation we're going to be in the tournament every year and hopefully host every year. It's really exciting and really cool to do it in front of our fans one more time."
UALR is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance after earning an automatic berth by winning the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship in penalty kicks on Sunday.
It marks just the second time the Razorbacks will have hosted an NCAA match. Arkansas also defeated Memphis 2-1 in overtime in 2016.
The Razorbacks, one win shy of tying the school record for home wins in a season, boast one of the nation's best home-field advantages and are 9-0-1 in 10 home matches this season.
"We know how big our fans are," Hale said Monday. "I can't imagine anyone was hoping for the at Arkansas draw, but UALR is a really good team. They won their conference. It's an in-state rival. I'm sure that will have them riled up telling them, 'This is your chance to play the big dogs.'
"But our team does very well at home and we're looking forward to it."