It’ll be a big week in Tennessee athletics, highlighted by a rematch between basketball teams. The Lady Vols also get a break in the action after a rough start in conference play.
Here’s a look at the action this week.
Jan. 31: Track and field at Razorback Invitational and Bob Pollock Invitational
Track and field will start the week off, splitting up to travel to Fayetteville and Clemson for a pair of meets. Tennessee had a nice outing last weekend at the Orange and Purple Invite, setting a new program record.
Senior Sarah Schmitt set a record, clearing 4.36m on the pole vault to beat Hannah Jefcoat’s 4.34 record. The jump was the second-best in the SEC this year, and ninth in the NCAA. Cade Gray took home a win in the men’s pole vault, clearing 5.52 to tie his PR.
Jan. 31: Swim and dive at Duke
Swim and dive will travel to Duke after splitting wins against Georgia last time out. Senior Day could have gone better for the Vols, falling 155-144 in a tight loss to the Bulldogs. The Lady Vols, on the other hand, decimated Georgia for their Senior Day. They swam away with a 209-91 domination to move their SEC dual meet win streak to six.
Jan. 31: Men’s Tennis vs Michigan State – 1 “T-Credit” opportunity
The No. 14 Vols (4-2) will be back in action, taking on the No. 17 Michigan State Spartans (4-1) at home. Both teams are coming off losses in the ITA Kickoff Weekend Finals, Tennessee to Michigan and Michigan State to TCU.
This will be another tough match in a brutal stretch the Vols are in, and they need to get back on track here. They’ve now lost three straight doubles points, which is incredibly uncharacteristic of the Vols. They’ve also lost their two ranked matches by a combined score of 8-1 but expect better of this team of newcomers.
Students can earn 1 “T-Credit” for attending this match.
Feb. 1: Men’s basketball vs. Florida
Likely the game of the week for Tennessee athletics, the No. 8 Vols get a shot at redemption against the No. 5 Gators. When the Vols went to Gainesville for the last meeting, they sat at the top spot in the AP Poll. As soon as the game tipped off, Tennessee certainly didn’t look like the best team, falling behind 34-15 in the first half en route to a 73-43 thrashing.
This time, the Vols are at home. After a tough loss to Auburn on the road, Tennessee may be even more motivated to decimate the Gators. The main key in this game is offensive efficiency, as the Vols haven’t been able to churn out points in big games. In the loss to Auburn last week, the Vols only connected on 17 of their 54 shots, including a measly 4-of-22 from beyond the arc.
The Vols are 81-60 against the Gators all-time, including a stellar 51-18 record at home.
Feb. 2: Men’s tennis vs. TCU – 1 “T-Credit” opportunity
The Vols will have another home game, this time hosting the No. 2 ranked TCU Horned Frogs (5-0). TCU has been dominant this season, taking down both of their ranked opponents easily.
Singles will be a big uphill climb, as the Horned Frogs are led by Pedro Vives and Lui Maxted who are both top-12-ranked players. A win over TCU would be perhaps the biggest of the year for Tennessee, showing that they can come together and play well as a team in big moments.
Students who attend this match can earn 1 “T-Credit.”
Feb. 2 Women’s basketball at Missouri
The No. 18 Lady Vols (15-5, 3-5 SEC) only have one game this week, but it’ll be a big one. Tennessee is amidst a rough stretch of ranked opponents, but they will get a much-needed break against the unranked Missouri Tigers (12-10, 1-6).
After a fantastic start to the season, the Lady Vols have fallen just short in conference play, sitting two games below .500 coming into this matchup. Meanwhile, the Tigers have failed to produce in the win column, picking up their first win of 2025 over Mississippi State at the last second.
The Lady Vols boast a 15-3 record over Missouri and have taken the last seven meetings between the two. Tennessee’s last trip to Columbia ended in a nail-biter, with the Lady Vols squeaking out a 68-65 win.
Feb. 5: Men’s Basketball vs. Missouri
The Vols round out the week at Food City Center, hosting the No. 20 Missouri Tigers. The Vols haven’t had much time for rest amidst a brutal schedule, with their next game being the first of the last six games against an unranked opponent.
The Tigers have performed well this season, winning key games such as their manhandling of Florida in Gainesville. They now get a chance for another top-10 win, as the Vols are sitting pretty in the No. 8 spot.
The series between the Vols and Tigers has been sparse, but it has also been back and forth. Tennessee currently leads 12-10, as well as 5-4 at home. The series has been almost perfectly split in the last 10 matchups, as the Vols are 6-4 since 2018.
