The Tennessee Lady Vols have earned their 44th consecutive NCAA Tournament bid, extending the longest active streak in women’s college basketball. Tennessee (16-13, 8-8 SEC) received a No. 10 seed in the Fort Worth Regional and will face No. 7 seed NC State (20-10) on Friday, March 20, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
When and Where Do the Lady Vols Play?
Tennessee travels to Ann Arbor, where No. 2 seed Michigan (25-6) is the host site. The Lady Vols tip off against NC State at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. The other first-round game features Michigan against Holy Cross (23-9) at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN2. Second-round games are set for Sunday, March 22.
Why Is This Matchup a Rematch?
The first-round meeting is a rematch of the season opener on Nov. 4, when the Wolfpack won 80-77 in Greensboro, N.C. Tennessee holds a 12-5 advantage in the all-time series. The two programs also met in the 2024 NCAA Tournament in Raleigh, where NC State took a 74-69 decision.
How Did Tennessee Earn Its NCAA Tournament Bid?
The Lady Vols tied for sixth in the SEC and played the nation’s second-toughest schedule. Tennessee finished 23rd in the NCAA’s NET rankings and No. 33 in the WAB Ranking. Head coach Kim Caldwell has now qualified all 10 teams she has coached for the NCAA Tournament, including Division II Glenville State seven times, Marshall once and Tennessee twice.
What Makes Tennessee’s NCAA Tournament History So Remarkable?
Tennessee is the only program to appear in all 44 NCAA Tournaments, winning eight national championships. The Lady Vols hold a 133-35 all-time tournament record with the most games played (168) and second most victories in tournament history. Tennessee is also 35-2 in first-round games, with its only losses coming against Ball State in 2009 and UCLA in 2019.
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