The Vols and Lady Vols will tip off SEC play this week in another big week for Tennessee athletics. Diving will be the only other sport to compete as the new calendar year begins.
Here’s a look at this week.
Jan. 2: Women’s basketball at Texas A&M
The No. 15 Lady Vols will begin the week with their first SEC game under first-year head coach Kim Caldwell. This season, Tennessee has dominated lesser opponents, scoring over 100 points in six of their 12 games after only surpassing that mark once last season.
As Tennessee begins conference play, it will face a weaker Aggies team that has started the season 7-5. Although Texas A&M has a winning record, it has struggled to compete against ranked teams, falling by 20-plus to Kansas State and West Virginia. The Lady Vols have faced a single ranked team this year, taking down No. 17 Iowa last month.
The Lady Vols hold an 11-8 series lead over the Aggies, with the most recent matchup resulting in a Tennessee win last February. Despite the overall advantage, Tennessee has only managed to secure four wins in the last 10 meetings with Texas A&M.
Jan. 3: Diving at Georgia Diving Invitational
Diving will be back in action after a successful outing at the Auburn Invitational in late December. Senior Maddie Reese and freshman Ava Boyer finished top-10 on the platform and recorded NCAA Zone qualifying scores. Additionally, juniors Nick Stone and Owen Redfearn finished third and fourth on the platform as well.
Jan. 4: Men’s basketball vs. Arkansas
The No. 1 Vols will also begin their SEC slate, hosting the No. 23 Razorbacks to start 2025. This week will also mark Tennessee’s fourth straight week at the top spot in the AP Poll, sitting just 23 points over Auburn.
Tennessee will encounter resistance as it defends its spot at the top of the rankings. Arkansas has had a solid season, notably taking down No. 14 Michigan in early December. However, both Razorbacks losses have come to Baylor and Illinois, which the Vols have already played and beat this season.
Tennessee’s recent three-game winning streak has expanded its lead in the series to 26-22. Last year, the Vols dominated the entire game, securing a 92-63 victory in Fayetteville.
Jan. 5: Women’s basketball vs. Oklahoma
The Tennessee Lady Vols are back in action, taking on the No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners at home for the hardest challenge of the season thus far. Oklahoma has had an impressive start to the season, losing its only game to No. 13 Duke in November.
This will be both teams’ second conference game of the year, with the Lady Vols traveling to Texas A&M and Oklahoma facing off against No. 5 Texas.
In the previous seven matchups, Tennessee has been dominant, winning six. The only Tennessee loss came in 2009, but since the Lady Vols have been perfect, and look to extend their win streak to four after this matchup.
Jan. 7: Men’s basketball at Florida
The Vols will head down to Gainesville to finish the week for Tennessee athletics. This will be a marquee matchup between two undefeated top-10 teams. The No. 6 Gators have exceeded expectations this year, starting 13-0 after finishing 24-12 last year.
Although the Gators look to make a statement with a win in this game, the Vols have the most to prove. They’ve only played one game with a ranked opponent, and a win here would help prove that Tennessee can win games against tough opponents, especially on the road.
Tennessee has a massive series advantage, boasting 81 wins to the Gators’ 59. Despite Tennessee winning eight of the last 10, its historically been unsuccessful on the road, winning just 26 of its 63 trips south.
