Arkansas
US Supreme Court Punts Case Challenging Arkansas Congressional Map
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A case challenging Arkansas’ congressional districts will go back to the district court where the court will have to apply the new standards adopted in South Carolina’s recently decided racial gerrymandering case. After last month’s Supreme Court decision in the South Carolina case, this is the first racial gerrymandering case to be impacted by the Supreme Court’s decision.
In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s decision in the South Carolina case, the plaintiffs in the case challenging Arkansas’ map will now have to reach a higher bar in order to bring a successful challenge to the state’s congressional map.
Throughout the 2020 redistricting cycle, Republicans used their map drawing power to strip Black voters of political influence, and Arkansas was no exception. Black voters challenged the state’s congressional map in court, but were not successful in getting the map blocked.
In June 2023, Black voters — in a previously dismissed lawsuit challenging Arkansas’ congressional map — appealed their case to the Supreme Court after a three-judge panel found that the plaintiffs did not show that “race was the ‘predominant factor’ behind the adoption of Arkansas’s new congressional map.” Their lawsuit, which they filed back in March 2022, argued that the state’s congressional map violates the U.S. and Arkansas Constitutions as well as Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Currently, voters cannot bring Section 2 claims in Arkansas or any state within the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals — the only federal appeals court to explicitly remove private litigants’ ability to sue under Section 2.
The plaintiffs specifically allege that Black voters in Pulaski County, home to the state capital of Little Rock, were divided across three congressional districts rather than kept together in one district, the 2nd Congressional District. According to the plaintiffs, this was done “to discourage the incentive of the Black voters of the area to vote, and to reduce the significance of their votes.”
Unlike the majority of cases appealed to the Supreme Court, the Court was required to issue a decision in this case since the plaintiffs challenged the constitutionality of the map under the 14th and 15th Amendments.
Read the order here.
Learn more about the case here.
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – No. 5 National Seed Arkansas Razorbacks’ historic season came to an end on Friday night with an 11-0 (5 inn.) loss to UCLA at the Women’s College World Series inside Devon Park.
With the loss, Arkansas finished its season with a 47-13 record that culminated in the program’s first Women’s College World Series berth. The Hogs’ 47 wins were the second-most in program history, trailing only the 2022 team’s 48-11 overall record.
Tianna Bell, Atalyia Rijo, and Kailey Wyckoff all recorded base hits for Arkansas in the loss. Wyckoff and Karlie Davison both drew walks. Payton Burnham (14-4) took the loss for Arkansas after allowing four runs on three hits in 1.1 innings of work.
Taylor Tinsley (33-7) took the win for UCLA, pitching five shutout innings while striking out two and allowing three hits and two walks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Payton Burnham made her 19th start of the season for Arkansas, while UCLA went with senior Taylor Tinsley.
In the top of the first inning, Atalyia Rijo had a hand in all three outs of a 1-2-3 frame that featured a pair of groundouts and a popout. Tinsley responded with a 1-2-3 inning herself, courtesy of a strikeout, flyout, and lineout in the home half of the first inning.
Aleena Garcia gave UCLA a 1-0 lead with a lead-off solo home run to dead center field in the top of the second inning. Kaniya Bragg got hit by a pitch, and Alexis Ramirez singled before Soo-Jin Berry made it a 4-0 game with a three-run home run to left field. Following Ramirez’s homer, Saylor Timmerman entered in relief for Arkansas. Megan Grant later extended the Bruins’ lead to 7-0 by way of a three-run home run to center field, her 42nd of the season. Senior LHP Robyn Herron entered with two runners on and two outs in the inning. UCLA extended its lead to 9-0 courtesy of a two-RBI double off the top of the wall in right field by Bragg.
In the bottom of the second inning, Karlie Davison became the first baserunner of the game for Arkansas after reaching on a two-out walk. She later advanced to second base on a single from Atalyia Rijo. Kailey Wyckoff later walked to load the bases, but UCLA would escape with a flyout to get out of the inning.
In the top of the third inning, Herron registered a pair of strikeouts while UCLA made it 10-0 by scoring a run by way of a wild pitch. Tinsley retired the Hogs in order in the bottom of the third inning.
Herron retired UCLA in order in the top of the fourth inning while picking up a pair of strikeouts. Tianna Bell singled down the third-base line to lead off the bottom of the fourth.
In the top of the fifth inning, the Bruins’ Jolyna Lamar increased the UCLA lead to 11-0 with a solo home run to right field.
Kailey Wyckoff singled down the third-base line to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning before UCLA retired three consecutive batters to end the game.
NOTABLES
- Arkansas finished the season with a 47-13 overall record. The Razorbacks’ 47 wins were the second-most in program history, trailing only the 2022 team’s 48-11 overall record.
Up Next
The Razorbacks will be back in action in the spring of 2027.
For schedule updates and other news, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Arkansas
Arkansas men’s track and field sends 21 entries to NCAA Outdoor Championships | Whole Hog Sports
Alabama softball ace Jocelyn Briski is prepared for opportunity vs UCLA in WCWS
Alabama softball ace Jocelyn Briski is prepared for the Crimson Tide’s opportunity vs. UCLA at the Women’s College World Series.
It’s win or go home for half of the Women’s College World Series field on Friday, May 29.
In the nightcap of the WCWS elimination games is No. 8 UCLA vs. No. 5 Arkansas, two teams that suffered come-from-behind wins on May 28 by Alabama and Nebraska, respectively. The Bruins couldn’t take advantage of back-to-back home runs against Jocelyn Briski in the third, eventually falling 6-3 to the top-seeded Crimson Tide.
Watch UCLA vs Arkansas softball live with Fubo (free trial)
The Razorbacks’ loss was arguably more painful (or, at least, took longer). Arkansas twice led against Nebraska and USA Softball Player of the Year Jordy Frahm, but was unable to maintain either lead before Ava Kuszak walked the Razorbacks off in the bottom of the 10th inning in the 5-3 defeat.
Now the Bruins and Razorbacks both must gear up for a second game in as many days, with their WCWS hopes on the line. Here’s how to watch as UCLA takes on Arkansas in a pivotal win-or-go-home game:
What TV channel is UCLA vs Arkansas softball on today?
ESPN will broadcast Friday’s elimination game between UCLA and Arkansas. Streaming options for the game include the ESPN app (with a TV login) and Fubo, which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Stream WCWS games live with Fubo (free trial)
UCLA vs Arkansas softball time today
- Date: Friday, May 29
- Time: 9:30 p.m. ET | 8:30 p.m. CT
- Location: Devon Park (Oklahoma City)
First pitch for UCLA vs. Arkansas is set for 9:30 p.m. ET on May 29 from Devon Park in Oklahoma City.
WCWS bracket, schedule 2026
All times Eastern
Thursday, May 28
- Game 1: No. 11 Texas Tech 8, Mississippi State 0 (5 innings) (RECAP)
- Game 2: No. 7 Tennessee 6, No. 2 Texas 3 (RECAP)
- Game 3: No. 1 Alabama 6, No. 8 UCLA 3 (RECAP)
- Game 4: No. 4 Nebraska 5, No. 5 Arkansas 3 (10 innings) vs. (RECAP)
Friday, May 29
- Game 5: Mississippi State vs. No. 2 Texas | 7 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
-
Game 6: No. 8 UCLA vs. No. 5 Arkansas | 9:30 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
Saturday, May 30
- Game 7: No. 11 Texas Tech vs. No. 7 Tennessee | 3 p.m. | ABC (Fubo)
- Game 8: No. 4 Nebraska vs. No. 1 Alabama 7 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
Sunday, May 31
- Game 9: 3 p.m. | ABC (Fubo)
- Game 10: 7 p.m. | ESPN2 (Fubo)
Monday, June 1
- Game 11: Noon | ESPN (Fubo)
- Game 12 (if necessary): 2:30 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
- Game 13: 7 p.m. | ESPN2 (Fubo)
- Game 14 (if necessary): 9:30 p.m. | ESPN2 (Fubo)
Wednesday, June 3
- WCWS finals Game 1: 8 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
Thursday, June 4
- WCWS finals Game 2: 8 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
Friday, June 5
- WCWS finals Game 3 (if necessary): 8 p.m. | ESPN (Fubo)
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