Tennessee now knows the shape of its 2026-27 men’s basketball schedule, and the picture is packed with prime-time starts, heavy TV exposure and a grind of SEC dates that will ask plenty of Rick Barnes’ team.
The Southeastern Conference released game times, network assignments and final date selections Wednesday afternoon, filling in the framework for the Volunteers’ upcoming season. In league play, Tennessee’s 18-game slate includes nine tip times at 7 p.m. or later, with seven of those set exactly for 7 p.m.
Four SEC games are listed for 2 p.m., and only two fall earlier than that. The Vols also drew 10 Saturday games, five Wednesdays and three Tuesdays.
Television-wise, Tennessee could wind up with as many as 14 conference games on ESPN or ESPN2, including up to eight on ESPN. Four are locked to SEC Network. The remaining designations are spread across the ESPN family, with one game listed as ESPN, one as ESPN2, six as ESPN/2, one as ESPN/2/U, one as ESPN/U and four as ESPN2/U.
The non-conference slate looks similar. Tennessee has 12 confirmed tip times there, with nine at 7 p.m. or later and six of those at 7 p.m. exactly.
None come before 3 p.m. The Vols have five Tuesday non-conference games, four Fridays, two Sundays and one each on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Of the 14 non-conference games, 13 are on the ESPN family of networks and one is on FOX. Tennessee’s breakdown includes two games on ESPN, two on ESPN2, one on ESPN/2, one on ESPN/2/U, three on SEC Network and four on SEC Network+.
The season begins with an Oct. 15 exhibition against Xavier at 7 p.m. on SECN+, followed by an Oct. 20 exhibition at Duke at 7 p.m. on ACCN.
The games that count start Nov. 3 against Wofford at 6 p.m. on SECN+. Tennessee then hosts Radford on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. on SECN and Tennessee State on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. on SECN+. The homestand continues with Michigan State on Nov. 17 at 9 p.m. on ESPN2 and Coastal Carolina on Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. on SECN+.
From there, the Vols head to Las Vegas for the Players Era Men’s Championship. They open Nov. 24 against Maryland at 3 p.m. on ESPN, then face either Iowa State or San Diego State on Nov. 26 at either 1:30 or 9 p.m. on ESPN/2.
Tennessee’s Nov. 27 opponent will come from Louisville, Oregon, St. John’s or Texas Tech, with the game time listed as 3, 5:30, 8:30 or 11 p.m. and the network to be determined on ESPN/2/U.
Back in Knoxville, Tennessee plays Florida State on Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 in the SEC/ACC Challenge. The Vols then meet NC State on Dec. 6 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville at 7 p.m. on ESPN in The Bad Boy Mowers Series - Nashville, before heading to Purdue on Dec. 11 for an 8 p.m. game on FOX.
Non-conference play wraps with three straight home games: Morehead State on Dec. 16 at 8 p.m. on SECN, Marist on Dec. 20 at 4 p.m. on SECN and Norfolk State on Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. on SECN+.
SEC play opens Jan. 2 with Vanderbilt in Knoxville at 2 p.m. on ESPN/2. Tennessee then hits the road for Auburn on Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. on ESPN2/U and LSU on Jan. 9 at 8:30 p.m. on SECN. The next two are at home, Missouri on Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. on ESPN2/U and Arkansas on Jan. 16 at noon on ESPN/2.
After a midweek bye, Tennessee goes to Kentucky on Jan. 23 at 2 p.m. on ESPN/2/U and to Texas A&M on Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. on ESPN2/U. Florida visits Knoxville on Jan. 30 at 8 or 8:30 p.m. on ESPN/2.
February starts with Georgia at home on Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. on ESPN2/U. The Vols then go to Missouri on Feb. 6 at 1 p.m. on SECN and to Oklahoma on Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. on ESPN2/U. Kentucky comes to Knoxville on Feb. 13 at 4 p.m. on ESPN, then Tennessee visits Ole Miss on Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. on ESPN2/U.
A home stretch follows with Alabama on Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. on ESPN/2 and South Carolina on Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. on SECN. Tennessee then travels to Texas on Feb. 27 for a 6 or 6:30 p.m. game on ESPN/2, hosts Mississippi State on March 2 at 6 p.m. on SECN and closes the regular season at Vanderbilt on March 6 at 2 p.m. on ESPN/U.
Twelfth-year head coach Rick Barnes’ team enters a schedule loaded with familiar network windows and a steady stream of late starts, giving Tennessee plenty of national airtime from opening night through the final day of the regular season.
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