Tennessee women's basketball opens its 2026-27 regular season at home against Duquesne on Monday, Nov. 2, at 6:30 p.m. Eastern, in the first-ever meeting between the programs, according to the Lady Vols' game preview.
How to watch and listen
The game airs on SECN+ with Cruz Martin on play-by-play and Genesis Bryant as analyst. It can also be heard on Lady Vol Network stations, with Brian Rice calling the action and Jay Lifford as studio host.
A new-look Lady Vols team
Coach Kim Caldwell begins her third season with an all-new roster of 13 transfer-portal additions and two freshmen. USA TODAY Sports ranked the portal class ninth nationally and On3 ranked it 13th. Fifth-year guard Kaylene Smikle came from Maryland; others include Naomi White, Fatmata Janneh, Kennedy Fauntleroy and Jada Eads. Nine of the transfers scored in double figures at their previous schools. Last year's 16-14 record was, the school says, an anomaly for Caldwell, whose career record is 257-55.
In an exhibition on Oct. 27, Tennessee beat Florida A&M 132-63 in front of 9,926 fans at Food City Center, with eight players in double figures. Smikle led with 19 points and Janneh grabbed 13 rebounds.
Milestones
The Lady Vols are opening their 40th season at Food City Center, where they are 541-68. The team is also marking 50 years as the Lady Vols and 40 years since the first of eight national titles in March 1987. Tennessee is 26-0 all-time against current Atlantic 10 schools.
Duquesne
The Dukes, from Pittsburgh, went 12-19 last season and return six players, including guard Gabby Grantham-Medley and forward Raevin Washington. Transfer De'Naya Rippey, a former teammate of Janneh at Saint Peter's, averaged 13.4 points and 8.0 rebounds last year. Dan Burt is in his 14th season as head coach with a 242-164 record.
Tennessee's next game is Thursday at Coppin State in Baltimore at 7 p.m. Eastern.
Sources: UTSports.com