Arkansas
Proposed crypto mining regulations will be considered by Arkansas House • Arkansas Advocate
An Arkansas House committee approved two bills Tuesday that would regulate cryptocurrency mining operations in the state.
The full House will consider sending the bills to the governor’s desk Wednesday, a little over a year after Act 851 of 2023 became law and brought crypto mining to statewide attention.
Act 851 limited local governments’ ability to regulate data centers — including crypto mines, large groups of computers that harvest digital currency and are often located in rural areas because of the space they take up. Officials have expressed frustration about how quickly Act 851 moved through the Legislature and have raised concerns over the mines’ potential foreign ownership and national security risks.
Sen. Joshua Bryant, R-Rogers, is a co-sponsor of both bills that passed the House City, County and Local Affairs Committee on Tuesday.
Senate Bill 78 would place noise limits on crypto mines, prohibit them from being owned by certain foreign entities and allow local governments to pass ordinances regulating the mines. Senate Bill 79 would require crypto mines to be licensed by the state Oil and Gas Commission.
Both bills would give “a prohibited foreign-party-controlled business” exactly a year after the enactment of the policies to divest from ownership of an Arkansas crypto mine. Bryant said the language addressed “a common concern” among lawmakers and was in both bills in case one did not become law.
Rep. Andrew Collins, D-Little Rock, was the only committee member to vote against the bills. He said he saw some positive aspects of the legislation but felt that the foreign ownership language was “casting a net that is both too wide and too narrow” that infringed on the freedom to do business.
The bills would prohibit ownership of crypto mines by the list of foreign countries from which the federal International Traffic in Arms Regulations bans imports, exports, sales or a combination of the three. Collins argued that the bills would place unfair and possibly unconstitutional restrictions on citizens of those countries who live in the United States or Americans who live in those countries.
“We’re chilling foreign investment [and] probably chilling immigration because who knows who we’re going to go at next, based on what national origin?” Collins said.
Questions and concerns
The bills’ sponsors, all Republicans — Bryant, Sen. Missy Irvin of Mountain View, Rep. Rick McClure of Malvern and Rep. Jeremiah Moore of Clarendon — fielded several of the same questions lawmakers have been raising in the three weeks since the fiscal session began.
John Bethel, director of public affairs at Entergy, repeated his statement from earlier this month to the equivalent Senate committee that the utility can handle crypto miners’ usage of large amounts of electricity.
Six of eight crypto mining resolutions fall short in Arkansas House
Bethel said Entergy has taken a neutral stance on the bills because the state Public Service Commission has regulatory authority if crypto operations strain local electric grids.
Public Service Commission Chief of Staff Danni Hoefer said utility companies have the primary responsibility of monitoring the stability of the electric grid.
Rep. Johnny Rye, R-Trumann, said he had concerns about crypto mines’ impact on both electrical grids and groundwater availability.
Bryant said SB 79’s oversight framework should “make sure that we are not depleting those natural resources,” especially by ensuring that several crypto mines are not reliant on the same sources of water and electricity.
“A goal of the complementary pieces of these two bills is… ideally that we’re managing that early in this endeavor in our state and not coming back in five years when we think it’s going to be a problem,” Bryant said.
There are crypto mines near DeWitt, in Moore’s district, and in the Bono community near Greenbrier, in Irvin’s district. An out-of-state entity has attempted to start a crypto mine near Harrison, which is represented by Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forest.
King has been one of the Legislature’s most vocal proponents of cryptocurrency regulations. He voted for SB79 and against SB78 when the bills passed the Senate last week.
Irvin, Bryant and other lawmakers have said there will likely be more crypto mining legislation proposed in the 2025 legislative session.
Rep. David Whitaker, D-Fayetteville, said Tuesday that lawmakers should pass SB78 and SB79, even if they have qualms about them, in order to set a precedent for further discussions next year.
“I think we’ll have disagreements along the way — I know we will — but hearing from some constituents in the last 24 to 36 hours, I can tell you that the people who are calling me said, ‘At least get started,’” Whitaker said.
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SAN JOSE, Calif. — A humbling loss to Arizona means Darius Acuff Jr.’s career with Arkansas basketball is likely over.
Acuff is projected to be a top-10 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He scored a game-high 28 points as the No. 4 Razorbacks (28-9) fell to the No. 1 Wildcats (35-2) 109-88 in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, March 26.
After the loss, John Calipari reflected on Acuff’s historic season. The Hall of Fame coach will remember the Detroit native’s fierce spirit while hunting victories.
“(Acuff) was the ultimate competitor. He had a will to win and would make baskets because he wasn’t afraid to miss late in games,” Calipari said. “He and Meleek (Thomas) and the other guys, they set the stage for growth. You’re going to have an opportunity to get better, but it’s hard. The league is hard. You’ve got to be a gym rat if you really want to do this. Those guys proved it. I had a ball coaching them.”
Acuff became just the third person to win the SEC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year awards handed out by both the coaches and media, joining Anthony Davis (2012) and Brandon Miller (2023). He became the league’s first player since Pete Maravich to lead the SEC in both scoring and assists.
His final season-long stats were 23.5 points and 6.4 assists per game. He shot 48.4% from the field and 44% on 3-pointers.
Acuff was short on words in his final press conference with the Hogs, but he didn’t bring up his individual accolades when asked what he will remember the most from a dynamic collegiate season.
“Brotherhood, for sure,” Acuff said. “With the team, great support from the fans. I don’t know, a lot of good stuff. It was a great year, for sure.”
Arkansas fans won’t soon forget his dominance.
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@usatodayco.com or follow him @jacksonfuller16 on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Arkansas
What channel is Arkansas basketball vs Arizona on today? March Madness game time, TV, streaming
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Announcer Ian Eagle has been providing analysis for March Madness for decades. He joins us to talk about his partnership with Great Clips.
Darius Acuff Jr. and the fourth-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks will face Brayden Burries and the top-seeded Arizona Wildcats as the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament continues with the Sweet 16 Thursday in San Jose, California.
The Razorbacks (28-8) reached the West Region semifinals by beating Hawaii and High Point. Meanwhile, the Wildcats (34-2) beat Long Island and Utah State.
Here’s how to watch the Razorbacks-Wildcats game, including time, TV schedule and streaming information:
Watch March Madness live with Sling TV
What time is Arkansas vs Arizona today? When is NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game today?
- Date: Thursday, March 26
- Start time: 8:45 p.m. CT
- Where: SAP Center in San Jose, California
What channel is Arkansas vs Arizona on today? How to watch, stream NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
- TV: TBS/truTV
- How to watch online: Sling (free trial)
Arkansas vs Arizona betting odds for March Madness Sweet 16 game
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Thursday, March 26:
- Moneyline: ARI -375 | ARK +290
- Spread: Arizona (-8.5)
- Over/under: 165.5
All times CT
All times CT
Print your own March Madness bracket for 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament
The Arkansas Razorbacks parlayed an SEC Tournament Championship into two straight wins to start their NCAA Tournament run, getting past Hawaii and High Point in impressive fashion. Now, they’ll face their toughest challenge yet, a Sweet 16 showdown with the 1-seed Arizona Wildcats.
Arizona cruised past both Long Island University and Utah State in the first two rounds, and still has just two losses on its record all season. As you’d expect, they’re favored in this SEC vs. Big 12 showdown. Let’s take a look.
Arkansas vs. Arizona Odds, Spread, and Total
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
Spread
- Arkansas +7.5 (-110)
- Arizona -7.5 (-110)
Moneyline
- Arkansas +278
- Arizona -355
Total
- OVER 166.5 (-110)
- UNDER 166.5 (-110)
Arkansas vs. Arizona How to Watch
- Date: Thursday, March 6
- Game Time: 9:45 pm ET
- Venue: SAP Center at San Jose
- How to Watch (TV): CBS
- Arkansas Record: 28-8
- Arizona Record: 34-2
Arkansas vs. Arizona Betting Trends
- The OVER is 9-2 in Arkansas’ last 11 games
- The OVER is 5-1 in Arkansas’ last six games vs. Big 12 opponents
- Arkansas is 12-5 ATS in its last 17 games as an underdog
- Arizona is 4-1 ATS in its last five games
- The OVER is 4-2 in Arizona’s last six games
- Arizona is 5-1 ATS in its last six games vs. SEC opponents
Arkansas vs. Arizona Best Prop Bet
- Brayden Burries OVER 17.5 Points (-106) via FanDuel
Brayden Burries has a chance to have a phenomenal performance on Thursday night. Arkansas may be a strong offensive team, but its defense leaves a lot to be desired. They rank 200th in the country in defensive efficiency and are allowing 80.3 points per game this season, which ranks 325th. If Burries brings his best stuff, the Razorbacks are going to be in trouble.
Arkansas vs. Arizona Prediction and Pick
Let’s try our best not to overreact to Arkansas being in the Sweet 16. They had a relatively easy path to win the SEC Championship, squeaking by both Oklahoma and Ole Miss by just three points before beating Vanderbilt in the final, completely avoiding the Florida Gators. Then, in the NCAA Tournament, they had the easiest path to the Sweet 16, getting to face a 13-seed and a 12-seed in the first two rounds.
The Arizona Wildcats are no joke and will be by far the Razorbacks’ biggest challenge. There’s a case to be made that Arizona is the best team in the country, and they have the interior defense to completely shut down the Arkansas offense. The Razorbacks rank 50th in the country in two-point shot rate. Now, they have to face an Arizona defense that ranks second in the country in opponent two-point field goal percentage, keeping teams to shooting just 43.7% from two-point range.
Arizona also mainly shoots two-point shots, ranking third in two-point shot rate, and now they get to face an Arkansas team that ranks 278th in opponent two-point field goal percentage, allowing teams to shoot 54% from two-point range.
This is a nightmare matchup for Arkansas.
Pick: Arizona -7.5 (-110)
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