It took over a year, but John Calipari finally picked up his first win as the Arkansas Razorbacks head coach against a top-10 opponent. And there was no better team for it to come against than the Louisville Cardinals, a program he just loves beating. This marked his 20th win over the Cards, pushing his record to 14–3 in his last 17 matchups with them. But not everything about the game was pleasant.

Ahead of the game at Bud Walton Arena, Coach Cal had asked for more energy from the home crowd. But what he didn’t expect was the entire arena erupting into “overrated” chants aimed at the Cardinals players after the win. It bothered him enough that he addressed it in a postgame public announcement, telling fans to cut it out.

The chants eventually died down, but not before Arkansas fans reminded everyone why they’re often labeled as one of the rowdiest fanbases in the country. Instead of simply celebrating a massive win over the sixth-ranked team in the country, parts of the crowd chose to taunt the opponent.

It was disappointing, especially on a night when the Razorbacks delivered a complete team performance with five players scoring in double figures. Yet, by the end of it, all anyone seemed to be talking about was the behavior of the crowd rather than the quality of the win.

Social media quickly lit up with frustration over the fanbase’s behavior. Here are some of the reactions.

Fans React to John Calipari Silencing Razorbacks Fans

“Arkansas fan. Good for coach Cal. I think we might have legit the worst fan base in college sport…,” said one Arkansas fan themselves. Just a few months ago, a Barstool article ranked Arkansas among the top 10 most toxic fan bases in the country, and they certainly lived up to that reputation tonight.

Arkansas has always had a fiercely passionate fanbase, and at its extremes, that passion can turn toxic. When Bobby Petrino returned to Fayetteville in 2022, fans wore neck braces to mock him over the motorcycle scandal that led to his firing a decade earlier.

And in another infamous incident, some fans even set Brandon Allen’s car on fire after a loss to Mississippi State. Moments like these show just how wild — and at times out of control — this fanbase can get. “I’m an Arkansas fan but this is silly. Louisville is a good team. It was a great game tonight jr,” another Arkansas fan said, echoing the frustration over the unnecessary chants.

Louisville are certainly a good team. This was their first loss of the season, and they had already beaten programs like Kentucky, Coach Cal’s former team. The Cardinals nearly erased a 20-point deficit and were on the verge of flipping the game, if not for Trevon Brazile’s heroics that ultimately swung the momentum back in Arkansas’ favor.

“Calling your biggest win of the season so far overrated is dumb af. You are literally trying to undo the work the players done on the court. Lmao slow a-s fanbase,” another fan said,  and it made absolute sense. Arkansas scheduled these tough games for a reason: to test itself before conference play and strengthen its postseason resume. Everyone remembers the brutal 0–5 SEC start the Razorbacks had last season. The less “overrated” Louisville is viewed, the better Arkansas’ NCAA Tournament seeding will likely be.

Of course Calipari had to step in and silence the home crowd, and naturally, he earned plenty of praise for it. “I tend to agree with coach. I’ve always hated this chant,” one fan said, and they weren’t the only one. Many recognized that Coach Cal did the right thing. If those chants were aimed at the Cardinals as a whole, it made no sense to downplay the massive performances from Acuff and Thomas, who added 17 points each for Arkansas, along with Brazile and the rest of the Hogs.

Lastly, a few fans even mocked John Calipari for imitating what Gregg Popovich did a couple of years ago. “You not Greg Popovich 😭,” one fan said. For those unaware, they were referring to the moment when Coach Pop grabbed the PA microphone to stop Spurs fans from booing Kawhi Leonard.

“Excuse me for a second,” Popovich told the crowd during a November 2023 game between the Spurs and the Cippers. “Can we stop all the booing and let these guys play? Have a little class. That’s not who we are. Knock off the booing.”

With this win, the Razorbacks move to 6–2 to start the season, but the road ahead is still tough with important games against Texas Tech and Houston coming up. Those matchups will give John Calipari another chance to spread his wings and build on the Final Four hopes Arkansas fans have been dreaming about ever since they brought in the Hall of Famer.

Do you think Coach Cal can bring those dreams to life this season? Let us know in the comments below!