University of Tennessee Athletics
Volunteers to Face Syracuse at Home for 2024 SEC/ACC Challenge
June 12, 2024 | Men's Basketball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee men's basketball team will host Syracuse in the second annual SEC/ACC Challenge, as announced Wednesday evening by ESPN.
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Beginning last season, the SEC/ACC Challenge replaced the now defunct SEC/Big 12 Challenge, which was contested from 2014-23. The Volunteers and Orange will play Dec. 3 at Food City Center, with the tip time and specific ESPN network to be announced at a later point.
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Tennessee holds a 4-3 record in its all-time series with Syracuse, including notching wins in each of the last three meetings.
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The two sides most recently met last season on Nov. 20, 2023, in Honolulu as part of the Allstate Maui Invitational, with Tennessee recording a 73-56 victory. Dalton Knecht, despite missing nearly eight second-half minutes with cramps, paced Tennessee with a game-high 17 points. Fellow fifth-year guard Josiah-Jordan James tallied his sixth-career double-double with 15 points and a game-best 12 rebounds, helping the Volunteers rallied back from an early eight-point deficit to hand the Orange their first-ever loss in the prestigious tournament.
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Tennessee is 2-1 versus Syracuse in Knoxville. Prior to last year's Maui Invitational, the most recent meeting between the two schools was a 66-62 Tennessee upset win over the eighth-ranked Orange in Knoxville on Jan. 19, 2002. Jenis Grindstaff led UT that day with 18 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including a 3-for-6 mark from long range. He added five rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals.
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Tennessee is 122-101 all-time against current members of the ACC, including incoming schools Cal, SMU and Stanford. UT head coach Rick Barnes owns an 81-77 head coaching record against those 18 schools, including a 5-10 ledger versus the Orange.
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One current Vol—senior guard Zakai Zeigler—hails from the state of New York, having grown up in Long Island.
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Season ticket holders can renew their season tickets for the 2024-25 season by logging onto their AllVols Account HERE. The renewal deadline is Tuesday, June 12.
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Those fans interested in season tickets for the 2024-25 season can click HERE to learn more.
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Beginning last season, the SEC/ACC Challenge replaced the now defunct SEC/Big 12 Challenge, which was contested from 2014-23. The Volunteers and Orange will play Dec. 3 at Food City Center, with the tip time and specific ESPN network to be announced at a later point.
Â
Tennessee holds a 4-3 record in its all-time series with Syracuse, including notching wins in each of the last three meetings.
Â
The two sides most recently met last season on Nov. 20, 2023, in Honolulu as part of the Allstate Maui Invitational, with Tennessee recording a 73-56 victory. Dalton Knecht, despite missing nearly eight second-half minutes with cramps, paced Tennessee with a game-high 17 points. Fellow fifth-year guard Josiah-Jordan James tallied his sixth-career double-double with 15 points and a game-best 12 rebounds, helping the Volunteers rallied back from an early eight-point deficit to hand the Orange their first-ever loss in the prestigious tournament.
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Tennessee is 2-1 versus Syracuse in Knoxville. Prior to last year's Maui Invitational, the most recent meeting between the two schools was a 66-62 Tennessee upset win over the eighth-ranked Orange in Knoxville on Jan. 19, 2002. Jenis Grindstaff led UT that day with 18 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including a 3-for-6 mark from long range. He added five rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals.
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Tennessee is 122-101 all-time against current members of the ACC, including incoming schools Cal, SMU and Stanford. UT head coach Rick Barnes owns an 81-77 head coaching record against those 18 schools, including a 5-10 ledger versus the Orange.
Â
One current Vol—senior guard Zakai Zeigler—hails from the state of New York, having grown up in Long Island.
Â
Season ticket holders can renew their season tickets for the 2024-25 season by logging onto their AllVols Account HERE. The renewal deadline is Tuesday, June 12.
Â
Those fans interested in season tickets for the 2024-25 season can click HERE to learn more.
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Players Mentioned
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