This will be a very busy week for Tennessee athletics as the spring slate starts for multiple sports. Softball will have the most action as it heads to Florida to compete in the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
Feb. 5: Men’s basketball vs. Missouri
The Vols start the week at home. No. 4 Tennessee (18-4, 5-4 SEC) hosts the No. 15 Missouri Tigers (17-4, 6-2). The Vols had an up-and-down week last week, losing at home to Kentucky but finishing strong with an upset win over Florida. Missouri, on the other hand, has been strong the last month. The Tigers are 6-1 since Jan. 7, posting wins over ranked Florida, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
The Vols are 12-10 against the Tigers, although Missouri is closing the gap. Tennessee is 5-4 at the Food City Center and looks to extend that lead on Wednesday night.
Feb. 6: Women’s basketball vs. UConn
The No. 19 Lady Vols (16-5, 4-5 SEC) host the No. 5 Huskies (21-2, 12-0 Big East) in a late-season non-conference thriller. After a historic start to the season, the Lady Vols have fallen back to earth in conference play. Tennessee, on the tail end of a losing streak, desperately needs a spark to ignite its season entering the home stretch. The Huskies could be the win that Tennessee is searching for, but it will be no easy task.
This will be the 26th meeting between these two teams and the fifth since 2020. UConn leads the all-time series 17-9 after winning the last four games.
Feb. 6: Softball vs. Nebraska
Softball begins its 2025 campaign in Clearwater, Florida against Nebraska. The Lady Vols are ranked No. 5 after a successful season, where they finished 44-12 and made it to the Super Regionals. The Cornhuskers are unranked coming into this season, finishing 30-23 last year and lost in the Big Ten Tournament to end the year.
Tennessee holds a commanding lead over the Cornhuskers in the series, winning five of the six meetings. The two sides haven’t played since 2017, and many things have changed for each program, but expect the Lady Vols to get the season started right.
Feb. 7: Track and field at 62nd East Coast Invitational
Track and Field will head to Virginia Beach to take part in the 62nd East Coast Invitational. Virginia Beach Sports Center will also be the host site for the NCAA Indoor Championships, which will take place in mid-March.
Feb. 7: Women’s tennis vs. Virginia at Northwestern
The No. 13 Lady Vols (4-0) are back in action after not playing since Jan. 25. Unfortunately for them, they’ll face the No. 5 ranked Virginia Cavaliers (6-1). Both teams have gotten out to great starts this season, with Virginia’s lone loss coming to No. 7 Michigan. The Lady Vols will need to knock off the rust before they head into this tough matchup.
The Vols are 6-6 with the Cavaliers but have lost the last five meetings spanning back to 2012.
Feb. 7: Softball vs. Bethune-Cookman and Iowa
The Lady Vols are staying in Clearwater to face Bethune-Cookman and Iowa for a doubleheader. The Wildcats finished last season well under .500, winning just 20 of its 52 contests. After finding some success in conference play, they were bounced in the SWAC Tournament to Texas Southern.
This will be the third meeting between these teams, and so far, they’ve split the series. The Wildcats took a 3-2 win in 2002, but the Lady Vols responded with a 7-1 win in 2018.
Iowa also couldn’t get anything going its way, finishing 18-28 in the Big 10. The Hawkeyes won a mere six of their 17 conference games and didn’t qualify for any tournaments.
Tennessee holds a 3-1 series advantage over Iowa, winning the last three games of the series.
Feb. 8: Men’s tennis vs. Elon and Penn
The No. 16 Vols (5-2) got back in the win column against No. 16 Michigan State last week. This week, their competition will be lighter, playing Elon (0-1) and Penn (5-0) in a dual match on Saturday. This will be Elon’s second match of the year following its loss to VCU last week. Penn has been far more impressive, defeating its opponents by significant margins.
The Vols are 2-0 over Elon, winning both home and away in 2014 and 2015. Tennessee will face Penn for the first time on Saturday.
Feb. 8: Men’s basketball at Oklahoma
The Vols head west to Norman for their first game against Oklahoma (16-6, 3-6 SEC) in nearly 60 years. The Sooners haven’t been able to keep up in SEC play this year, winning a mere three games, all of which came over unranked opponents. Oklahoma’s saving grace is it plays significantly better at home, winning two of its three conference games at Lloyd Nobel Center.
The only matchup between these teams came in December 1968. The Vols gutted out a tough win, taking a 55-49 victory at home.
Feb. 8: Softball vs. Notre Dame and Northwestern
The Lady Vols continue their busy week with another doubleheader. Notre Dame finished a few games over .500 last year, making the ACC tournament with a 27-23 record. The Irish lost to Florida State in the second round, knocking them out and they did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
Tennessee is 3-3 against Notre Dame after winning the last three meetings. Matchups between these two are rare, playing only four times since 2005.
The day doesn’t end there, as Tennessee plays Northwestern for the second game. The Wildcats will be the best team the Lady Vols play, finishing last year with a 35-13 record. They made the NCAA Regionals but got bounced by Texas 7-0.
Tennessee is 8-9 against Northwestern after winning the last four games spanning back to 2016.
Feb. 9: Softball vs. Pittsburgh
The Lady Vols will round out the week against Pittsburgh. The Panthers finished 17-32 last season with a rough 6-18 record in ACC play. Tennessee should win this game, but fatigue from the week could play a factor in leveling the playing field.
Tennessee is 2-0 over the Panthers, winning in both 2001 and 2014.
Feb. 9: Women’s basketball at LSU
The Lady Vols will attempt to close the week strong with a rematch against the No. 6 Tigers (23-1, 8-1 SEC). Tennessee came up just short last time, losing 89-87 in Knoxville last month. This time around will be even more tough, as they must travel down to Baton Rouge for the game. LSU has impressed this year, losing its only game this year to No. 2 South Carolina.
The Lady Vols have historically been great against the Tiger, winning 53 of the 73 games. LSU has started to turn that tide lately, winning four of the last five meetings.
Feb. 10: Men’s golf at Puerto Rico Classic
Men’s golf gets their spring slate started in Puerto Rico. This tournament, running from February 10th to the 12th, will host mainly Big 10 and SEC competitors. Tennessee enters the season with the No. 27 spot in the rankings and will get a chance to prove themselves against steep competition.
There will be four teams from the top 10 competing, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, LSU, and Virginia.
Feb. 11: Men’s basketball at Kentucky
The Vols return to the east, taking on the No. 14 Wildcats (15-7, 4-5 SEC) in Lexington. Kentucky got the better of the Vols in Knoxville last week, winning 78-73. Despite the win, Kentucky has struggled mightily this season, losing to Alabama and Vanderbilt leading up to the game. The Wildcats didn’t spend much time in the win column, losing to Arkansas and Ole Miss by double digits after the game.
After the win last week, the Wildcats extended their lead to 162-78 in the series. The Vols are 20-94 in Lexington all-time but have won the last game there last year.
