The No. 18/17 Tennessee men’s basketball team is set to debut at Food City Center for the 2025-26 season with a highly anticipated exhibition game against the No. 6/5 Duke Blue Devils on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. Basketball fans can catch the action on ESPN2 or stream it via Watch ESPN.com and the ESPN app, featuring Tom Hart as the play-by-play announcer and Jimmy Dykes providing color commentary. Local listeners can also enjoy the game on Vol Network radio, where John Anderson will narrate the play-by-play.
Tennessee is coming off a remarkable 2024-25 season that saw the Volunteers achieve 30 wins, finishing fifth in the AP Poll and claiming a program-record 10 victories against AP top-25 teams. The team advanced to the Elite Eight, establishing itself as a formidable force in college basketball. Throughout the previous season, Tennessee maintained its presence in the AP top-12 rankings, including five weeks at the coveted No. 1 spot.
Historically, the matchup between Tennessee and Duke has been closely contested, with the series tied at eight wins apiece since it began in the 1910-11 season. After a rocky stretch, Tennessee has secured three victories in their last five encounters, including a dominant 65-52 win in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 on March 18, 2023.
Duke enters the contest with a stellar record of 35-4 (19-1) from the previous season, having swept the ACC titles and made it to the Final Four. This year, the Blue Devils are favored to win the ACC, building on their successful campaign.
Tennessee has a strong pedigree in exhibition games, boasting an impressive record of 87-19. Their recent trend includes challenging ranked opponents; this will be the fourth consecutive year they face a Division I team in an exhibition, all ranked in the top 20. The Volunteers’ previous season was marked by record-breaking triumphs, including 10 wins over AP top-25 opponents and four victories against top-10 teams, reinforcing their reputation as one of the elite programs in college basketball.
As the season progresses, the Volunteers will look to build on their achievements while aiming for even greater success in the competitive landscape of college basketball, showing promise and resilience as they prepare for the challenges ahead. The hope is that this year’s performance will continue to elevate the program’s legacy and attract fans to the excitement of Tennessee basketball.