KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Southeastern Conference announced Monday morning the league schedule for the upcoming 2026-27 men’s basketball season.
Coming off a third straight trip to the Elite Eight and a fifth consecutive AP top-20 finish, the Volunteers will play 18 conference contests between Jan. 2 and March 7. Tennessee’s SEC slate features 10 Saturday affairs and eight midweek outings.
Fans looking for season tickets are encouraged to complete 2026-27 Tennessee Basketball Season Ticket Interest Form HERE. This will allow individuals to get their names on a list and stay informed about future opportunities to secure seats for each game.
For the first time since 1991-92, Tennessee will begin its conference schedule with an in-state showdown against Vanderbilt, with action set for Jan. 2 at Food City Center.
The Volunteers’ SEC road opener comes Jan. 5/6 against Auburn at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala. They then travel to Baton Rouge, La., where they take on LSU at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in a Jan. 9 contest.
Up next for Tennessee is a pair of home games, the first a Jan. 12/13 game versus Missouri and the second a Jan. 16 outing against Arkansas. The Volunteers then have their midweek bye, which comes after their fifth SEC contest for the second year in a row.
When head coach Rick Barnes‘ team returns to the court, it will be at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., for a Jan. 23 matchup with Kentucky. That is followed by a Jan. 26/27 outing in College Station, Texas, at Reed Arena versus Texas A&M.
Tennessee caps the first month of league play with a Jan. 30 home game against Florida. It then takes the floor again at Food City Center for a Feb. 2/3 meeting with Georgia.
The Volunteers next head to Columbia, Mo., to play their second contest against Missouri, with action slated for Feb. 6 at Mizzou Arena. They then visit Norman, Okla., to complete their third back-to-back road pairing within the SEC slate’s first 11 games, as they meet Oklahoma in a Feb. 9/10 affair at the Lloyd Noble Center.
Tennessee’s second meeting with Kentucky comes Feb. 13 at Food City Center. That precedes a trip to play Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss., where Barnes’ team takes the hardwood Feb. 16/17 at Sandy and John Black Pavilion.
Up next for the Volunteers is their final back-to-back home set of the season, which begins with a Feb. 20 outing against Alabama, which visits Knoxville for the fifth year in a row. The team then has a Feb. 23 meeting—that is the only midweek date already scheduled—with South Carolina at Food City Center.
Tennessee caps the month in Austin, Texas, where it takes on Texas in a Feb. 27 contest at the Moody Center. It then returns home to host Mississippi State in a March 2/3 game that will conclude the Food City Center schedule for 2026-27.
To wrap up the regular season, Tennessee heads to Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tenn., where it bookends the conference slate with a March 6 matchup against Vanderbilt. It will be the second year in a row the sides face off in the conference finale after not doing so before that since 2011-12, as well as the first time since 2022-23 the Volunteers conclude SEC action on the road.
Midweek date selection, game times and television network designations for the SEC slate will be announced later in the offseason.
Tennessee previously announced its 2026-27 non-conference schedule, which goes from Nov. 3 to Dec. 29.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
FULL 2026-27 SEC SCHEDULE
JAN. 2 – VANDERBILT
Jan. 5/6 – at Auburn
Jan. 9 – at LSU
JAN. 12/13 – MISSOURI
JAN. 16 – ARKANSAS
Jan. 23 – at Kentucky
Jan. 26/27 – at Texas A&M
JAN. 30 – FLORIDA
FEB. 2/3 – GEORGIA
Feb. 6 – at Missouri
Feb. 9/10 – at Oklahoma
FEB. 13 – KENTUCKY
Feb. 16/17 – at Ole Miss
FEB. 20 – ALABAMA
FEB. 23 – SOUTH CAROLINA
Feb. 27 – at Texas
MARCH 2/3 – MISSISSIPPI STATE
March 6 – at Vanderbilt
