Kirt Announces 2022 Slate

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – In head coach Joe Kirt's first year at the helm, Tennessee will look to build off the success it found in 2021 when the squad posted UT's first 20-win season en route to its second straight SEC East Division title and the program's first SEC Tournament Championship since 2008.

The 2022 campaign is set to begin on Aug. 9 at 6 p.m. ET with an exhibition match against Notre Dame to be played at Lynn Family Sports Vision and Training Center in Louisville. Including the preseason matchup against Notre Dame, UT's opponent lineup will feature contests against six teams that finished in the Top-25 in the final 2021 rankings.

Tennessee will have a second exhibition at home against Dayton (Aug. 13) before opening the season on the road with a Thursday night matchup at North Carolina (Aug. 18). UT will then enjoy a six-game homestand, hosting SMU (Aug. 21), Duke (Aug. 25), Bowling Green (Aug. 31), Tennessee Tech (Sept. 4), Kennesaw State (Sept. 8) and Queens University (Sept. 11).

In conference play, UT will welcome five teams to Regal Stadium, facing Alabama (Sept. 22), Missouri (Oct. 6), LSU (Oct. 14), South Carolina (Oct. 23), and Vanderbilt (Oct. 27).

The SEC Tournament will be in Pensacola, Fla., for the first time this season, having previously been held in Orange Beach, Ala., for 18 of the last 19 seasons. The conference tournament will begin on Oct. 30 and run through Nov. 6. The first four rounds of NCAA Tournament action will be hosted at campus sites, with the NCAA Women's College Cup set for Dec. 2-4 in Cary, N.C.

Tennessee, which advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 and finished the 2021 season ranked No. 11, returns 10 of 11 starters from that historic campaign, including All-American Jaida Thomas and SEC Freshman of the Year Taylor Huff. Additionally, UT adds 10 signees that were collectively ranked the No. 6 recruiting class in the country.

"We are excited to get back on the field this fall," said Kirt. "The majority of last year's SEC Championship squad is returning, and we are bringing in a very talented group of players in our 2022 class. Our team is excited for our non-conference slate, knowing it is great preparation for the league games that follow."

The entire 2022 schedule may be viewed online. For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee soccer, follow @Vol_Soccer on Twitter.

University of Tennessee Athletics

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Taylor Huff

Jaida Thomas

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