Lady Vols Reveal 2023-24 Non-Conference Slate

KNOXVILLE – Tennessee Women's Basketball Head Coach Kellie Harper revealed her program's non-conference schedule on Friday, and combined with already-known SEC opponents the Lady Vols are guaranteed to play eight games this season vs. teams ranked in ESPN's Way-Too-Early Top 25.

After tackling the most difficult slate in the nation in 2022-23, according to the NCAA's Toughest Schedule Report, Harper has assembled another rigorous itinerary for her 2023-24 squad. Her team is ranked No. 12 in the ESPN poll, returning nine players and welcoming a trio that comprises 247Sports' No. 6-ranked transfer class.

UT will host four games vs. top-10 teams in the ESPN poll. In addition to previously announced league foes No. 1 LSU and No. 8 South Carolina coming to Thompson-Boling Arena, the Lady Vols will welcome No. 10 Notre Dame as part of the ACC-SEC Women's Basketball Challenge on Nov. 29 and No. 6 Ohio State on Dec. 3. Tickets are available now at AllVols.com

The Big Orange will travel to No. 15 Florida State on Nov. 9 and face No. 7 Indiana in a nationally televised game (FOX) on Nov. 23 in the Elevance Health Women's Fort Myers Tip-Off. In league play, UT is scheduled to visit No. 8 South Carolina (TBD) and No. 11 Ole Miss (TBD).

"With a veteran group, it's important to build a schedule that will provide a competitive challenge and help the team become the very best it can be," Harper said. "Obviously, our objective is to win every game, but the long-term goal is to continue improving as the season goes along and prepare ourselves for SEC and postseason play. We have some great non-conference measuring stick games, and I look forward to seeing how we respond in those situations."

The Lady Vols hit the court for the first time on Oct. 30, as Carson-Newman comes to town for an exhibition game. Before heading to Tallahassee for the Nov. 9 tussle with the Seminoles, Harper's squad will open the regular season at home with a Nov. 7 battle with Florida A&M. The Rattlers are led by another LVFL, as Bridgette Gordon has taken the reins of the program.

After the back-to-back affairs with schools from the Sunshine State, Tennessee welcomes Memphis on Nov. 13 and Troy on Nov. 19. Memphis, which UT will face for the first time since 2001, is led by LVFL Alex (Fuller) Simmons. Following their first game in Fort Myers vs. IU on Thanksgiving Day, the Lady Vols will return to the court there on Nov. 25 to take on Oklahoma before facing the Irish and Buckeyes in back-to-back top-10 showdowns on The Summitt.

Four more games remain in December, with Tennessee opening a four-year series on Dec. 6 with Middle Tennessee in Huntsville, Ala., the site of the Blue Raiders' Conference USA Tournament this year. After welcoming Eastern Kentucky and Wofford for home contests on Dec. 10 and 19, respectively, the Lady Vols will wrap up the non-conference slate and the 2023 calendar year with a road game at Liberty on Dec. 31 in the first regular season meeting between the programs.

All told, the Lady Vols will play 20 of their 28 scheduled games vs. 19 teams that saw postseason tournament action a year ago. Thirteen of those contests are against squads in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, while the other seven are vs. WNIT participants from last season.

Carson-Newman (Oct. 30)

18th meeting in an exhibition game
UT is 17-0 in exhibitions vs. Carson-Newman
Last met on 11/30/22 (UT, 108-63)

Florida A&M (Nov. 7)

Third meeting
UT is 2-0 vs. FAMU
Last met on 11/18/2018 (UT, 96-31)
Programs were supposed to meet 11/27/20 in season opener, but FAMU team opted out of the 2020-21 season "due to concerns with COVID-19"
That game and this one were scheduled when LVFL Shalon Pillow was head coach at FAMU, but another LVFL, Bridgette Gordon, was named head coach late in summer 2023 after Pillow stepped down

at Florida State (Nov. 9)

Third meeting
UT is 2-0 vs. FSU
Last met on 1/26/86 in Knoxville (UT, 89-43)
Joy McCorvey was an assistant at FSU for three years before coming to Tennessee
NCAA First Round participant in 2023

Memphis (Nov. 13)

28th meeting between these programs
UT is 26-1 vs. UM
Last met on 12/29/01 in Memphis (UT, 92-66)
Alex (Fuller) Simmons is in her first season as head coach at UM
UT senior Destinee Wells hails from the Memphis suburb of Lakeland
WNIT participant in 2023

Troy (Nov. 19)

Fourth meeting
UT is 3-0 vs. Troy
Last met on 12/6/17 in Knoxville (UT, 131-69)

vs. Indiana (Nov. 23)

Fourth meeting
UT is 2-1 vs. Indiana
Last met on 11/14/22 in Knoxville (IU, 79-67)
Playing third time in last four years
Meeting in Elevance Health Women's Fort Myers Tip-Off
NCAA Second Round participant in 2023

vs. Oklahoma (Nov. 25)

Seventh meeting
UT is 5-1 vs. Oklahoma
Last met on 3/31/13 in NCAA Sweet 16 in Oklahoma City (UT, 74-59)
Meeting in Elevance Health Women's Fort Myers Tip-Off
NCAA Second Round participant in 2023

Notre Dame (Nov. 29)

31st meeting
UT is 22-8 vs. Notre Dame
Last met on 11/11/19 at Notre Dame in Kellie Harper's first season at UT (UT, 74-63)
Harper defeated HOF coach Muffet McGraw in that game during McGraw's final season
Game is part of the ACC-SEC Women's Basketball Challenge
NCAA Sweet 16 participant in 2023

Ohio State (Dec. 3)

Thirteenth meeting
UT is 10-2 vs. Ohio State
Last met on 11/8/22 at Columbus in 2022-23 season opener (OSU, 87-75)
NCAA Elite Eight participant in 2023

vs. Middle Tennessee (Dec. 6)

23rd meeting
UT is 22-0 vs. Middle Tennessee
Last met on 3/21/21 in Austin, Texas, in NCAA First Round (UT, 87-62)
That meeting occurred during Harper's second season at Tennessee
Harper and MT's Rick Insell are 3-3 against one another, including match-ups when Harper was at Western Carolina and Missouri State
NCAA First Round participant in 2023

Eastern Kentucky (Dec. 10)

11th meeting
UT is 9-1 vs. Eastern Kentucky
Last met on 11/27/22 in Knoxville (UT, 105-71)
Tennessee assistant coach Samantha Williams was head coach at EKU from 2019-21 before joining Kellie Harper's staff

Wofford (Dec. 19)

Second meeting
UT is 1-0 vs. Wofford
Last met on 12/27/22 in Knoxville (UT, 92-53)
WNIT participant in 2023

at Liberty (Dec. 31)

Third meeting
UT is 2-0 vs. Liberty
Last met on 3/16/18 in Knoxville during NCAA First Round (UT, 100-60)
First regular season meeting and first time playing in Lynchburg
WNIT participant in 2023

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