The Tennessee Volunteers (also known as the Vols) basketball team had their first brief taste of success in the 1960s, reaching the top of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and qualifying for their first NCAA postseason March Madness tournament in 1967, in which they managed to push through all the way to the Sweet 16. The Vols would make a few more appearances in the tournament here and there throughout the 1980s and 90s, but it was not really until the year 2000 that they emerged as consistent contenders. Since 2000, the Volunteers have not only qualified for March Madness on 14 occasions, but have made 7 appearances in the Sweet 16. The team’s best performance thus far was in 2010, when Vols progressed to the Elite 8 for the first time in their history. They nearly went one step further, but lost a heartbreaker to the Michigan State Spartans by a score of 70-69. Along with their successes as a team, the Vols have sent several of their alumni on to star in the NBA, including Bernard King, Allan Houston, Dale Ellis, and Tobias Harris. Recent years have seen no letup in the Volunteers’ determination to succeed on the national stage, with the team making 5 straight March Madness appearances in the last 5 years. With another exit in the Sweet 16 round in 2023, 62-55 at the hands of the upstart Florida Atlantic Owls, however, fans are starting to grow impatient. Will 2024 finally be the Vols’ time to break through?

How can I get cheap tickets to Tennessee Volunteers games?

Thompson-Boling Arena was the largest basketball-specific arena in the United States when it was originally built, once drawing a then-record 25,000 spectators for a game against the Kentucky Wildcats in 1989. Renovations have now somewhat reduced its capacity, but Thompson-Boling Arena nonetheless remains one of the larger NCAA basketball venues in the country and the largest single arena in all of Tennessee. While it is located in Knoxville, Tennessee, about three hours by car from Nashville and six from Memphis, fans have been known to drive in from all over the state and beyond to come to games. In spite of the size of the venue, Tennessee Volunteers basketball games have been known to sell out on frequent occasions, particularly for postseason tournament games, key conference deciders, or rivalry matchups (see below). Tickets can be hard to come by! To get your hands on the cheapest tickets to Tennessee Volunteers games, check through the TicketX listings on this page and use our helpful TicketX seating chart to compare prices and locations. You can purchase tickets from TicketX with just a single click for the lowest commission fees! 

Tennessee Volunteers Rivalries

The Tennessee Volunteers basketball team has a huge state rivalry with the Memphis Tigers, with away fans frequently making the six-hour drive in either direction to try to inspire their team on to victory. Volunteers fans are particularly fond of recanting stories of a 2008 game against the No. 1 ranked Tigers that the Vols won 66-62 after being down 62-61 with 30 seconds to play. The Vols would go on to pip the Tigers to the regular season SEC title that year and steal their No. 1 spot. The Volunteers also have regional and conference rivalries with the Kentucky Wildcats, Arkansas Razorbacks, and Ole Miss Rebels.

Are Tennessee Volunteers basketball games exciting?

Basketball games at Thompson-Boling Arena are famed for pulling in large crowds, who match their size with the noise they generate. The Vols’ student section, known as the Rocky Top Rowdies, always come draped in orange, all prepared to rev up the home team and rattle any opposition bold enough to think they can come play ball in Big Orange Country. Games against the Memphis Tigers are especially intense as there are always visiting fans who make the trip to Knoxville.