Tennessee basketball enters the 2026-27 season with the same kind of respect it has earned for nearly a decade now.
The Volunteers were picked to finish fourth in the SEC in the league’s media preseason poll, the conference announced Monday afternoon. That gives Tennessee a seventh straight year landing in the conference’s top four in the media vote, the longest such streak in the SEC. Florida is the next closest program at two years.
Only three teams were slotted ahead of the Vols: Florida at No. 1, Texas at No. 2 and Arkansas at No.
- Alabama checked in fifth, followed by Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Missouri, Texas A&M, Auburn, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, LSU, Mississippi State and South Carolina.
Tennessee is set to open its exhibition schedule this week, beginning with Xavier on Thursday night inside Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network+.
The Vols will then head to Duke next Tuesday for a matchup with the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium. That game is also set for 7 p.m. ET, with coverage on the ACC Network.
The first official game on Tennessee’s schedule comes at home against Wofford on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
That season opener will begin at 6 p.m. ET and air on the SEC Network.
All of Tennessee’s tipoff times and television assignments were released last week.
At media day on Oct. 6, Rick Barnes pointed to how his team has handled the early work of the season.
"They've done the things we've asked them to do," Rick Barnes said about his team during Tennessee's media day on Oct. 6. "They have embraced the things that we've tried to instill, whether it's maybe breaking from some bad habits or creating new habits.
"They've worked hard together. I think they have a lot of respect for each other, because as a group, they've been through some tough days.
They've been able to pick each other up. At the end of practice, when you guys have been there, you know that we run some at the end, it's just the encouragement they've given each other.
Obviously, except for two guys (injured players Tyler Lundblade and Ralph Scott), there's a lot of guys trying to learn and trying to help each other do that."
In Other News...
Vols Grind Out Road Win As One Arkansas Moment Steals Attention
Tennessees trip to Fayetteville ended with a 24-17 win over Arkansas, a result that steadied the Volunteers after a road battle that never really let either side get comfortable. The victory pushed Tennessee to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in SEC play, while Arkansas slipped to 2-4 and 0-3 in conference action, leaving the Razorbacks searching for answers after another tough league loss.
The football itself had plenty to discuss, but one camera shot from the afternoon quickly took on a life of its own and became part of the conversation around the game. For Tennessee, the bigger takeaway is that a hard-fought road win can travel well in October, especially in a league where every possession seems to matter and where the Volunteers are still trying to sort out who they are as the season moves deeper into SEC play. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Defense Could Catch A Huge Break Against Alabama
Alabamas offensive line picture has become a little murkier heading into the Tennessee matchup after center Racin Delgatty went down with a lower-body injury in a recent game. His status for Saturday is still uncertain, and that matters for a Volunteers defense looking to keep pressure on a Crimson Tide front that may have to adjust on the fly.
If Delgatty is sidelined, Alabama would likely turn to backup Mal Waldrep in the middle, a spot Tennessee will be watching closely. Xavier Gilliam has been one of the Vols more reliable defensive players this season, and any instability up front could give him and the rest of the defense a better chance to win key snaps in the trenches. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Alabama Just Got Even Bigger In Knoxville
The buildup around Tennessees showdown with Alabama just picked up another layer, with SEC Nation set to spend Saturday morning in Knoxville before the Vols and Crimson Tide kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC. The pregame show will air from 9 a.m. to noon on SEC Network, giving the campus a full-day spotlight ahead of one of the seasons biggest SEC matchups.
The setting should feel as big as the stakes, with Neyland Stadium already sold out and fans expected to pour in early for a rare chance to make a long Saturday of it. Tennessee is also sweetening the game-day experience with half-price concessions for the first hour after gates open, which figures to help fuel the kind of atmosphere the Vols hope to ride once the broadcast lights move from campus to the stadium. [Read more 🡒]