The Grand Ole Opry will pause performances that include a live audience through April 4, including performances on March 13.
During this time, the Saturday Night Grand Ole Opry Show will return to its original format as a live radio broadcast without a live audience. Fans around the world can still tune in to the Saturday night broadcasts at opry.com and wsmonline.com, Opry and WSM mobile apps, SiriusXM Satellite, and its flagship home, 650 AM-WSM.
Guests with tickets for cancelled performances can contact Grand Ole Opry Customer Service for help at (800) SEE OPRY or go to opry.com.
As Tennessee Athletics and the UT Office of Emergency Management closely monitor coronavirus (COVID-19) developments, the health of our student-athletes, staff and campus community remains at the forefront of all decision making. These are unique circumstances, and responsible and deliberate decisions are being made in consultation with public health authorities. Given the fluid nature of ongoing developments, we will share new, pertinent information as it becomes available.
The Southeastern Conference on March 13 announced that all athletics activities, including competitions, team and individual practices, meetings and other organized gatherings, will be suspended through at least April 15, due to continuing developments related to COVID-19.
The SEC had previously announced (on March 12) that all competition was suspended until March 30. That suspension of competition has been extended through April 15 and now includes all organized team activities.
SEC athletics programs will cease practices, individual and team workouts effective the end of the day on Friday, March 13. Team meetings (to communicate logistics) shall conclude no later than 5 p.m. local time on Monday, March 16.
Tennessee, along with all SEC member institutions, will continue to provide student-athletes with care and support to meet needs in areas including academics, medical care, mental health and wellness, nutrition and housing as needed.
Tennessee Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer released the following statement on March 13.
“The past several days have been filled with uncertainty and have presented unique and challenging circumstances. A growing public health crisis has led to difficult but necessary decisions. I personally am grateful for the courageous leadership of Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey, UT Chancellor Plowman and the rest of our conference presidents, chancellors and ADs. Dialogue is ongoing. We are all in uncharted territory, and there is no manual to guide our decision making. However, we must continue act with abundant caution while prioritizing health and safety throughout our campuses and communities.
“I am heartbroken for our student-athletes who have poured their heart and soul into their training and now find themselves in a season of uncertainty. There are many lingering questions related to academics, eligibility, training schedules, housing and various other internal operations for which we do not yet have answers. But I am focused on actively engaging in the dialogue that is to come as we work to support our young men and women—highlighting their physical, mental and emotional wellness—to help them move forward.
“To our incredible fans, donors and alumni—I understand the frustration that comes along with canceled events, ticket refunds and many lost opportunities to celebrate Tennessee wins and championships. But I’m confident that these circumstances will stir the passion of the world’s most extraordinary fanbase, and that your love for the Vols and Lady Vols will shine through like never before when the action eventually resumes.
“Please take care of yourselves and each other as we navigate the days to come together, prioritizing the greater good.”
Additional guidance and precautionary measures are available at the university’s COVID-19 page: https://www.utk.edu/coronavirus
Competitions and Tickets
Single-game tickets for baseball and softball purchased directly through AllVols.com or Tennessee Athletics will be refunded in the form of the original payment. Fans will not need to request a refund; those purchases will be automatically refunded in seven to 10 business days. Refunds will be issued to the original purchaser of record.
Tennessee Athletics will follow up with communication to baseball and softball season-ticket holders related to refunds based on the restriction duration.
Refunds for ticket purchases made via cash or check could take up to six weeks to process.
For questions related to refunds or ticket purchases, please contact the Tennessee Athletic Ticket Office at (865) 656-1200.
Tennessee’s Chevrolet Orange & White Game will not be played on April 18. The status of the game will be determined at a later date.
The NCAA Rowing Championships, scheduled to be hosted by the University of Tennessee and take place in Oak Ridge from May 29-31, have been canceled.
Recruiting & Travel
For the health and safety of all involved, the SEC is prohibiting its coaches from conducting off-campus recruiting activities or hosting prospective student-athletes on official or unofficial campus visits at this time.
At the institutional level, effective March 10, nonessential UT-related international and domestic travel outside the state of Tennessee was suspended.
Other Events
All third-party competitions, events and tours scheduled to take place at UT athletic facilities through March 30 are canceled. Events scheduled after that date will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis moving forward.
The Tennessee Football Coaches Clinic, originally scheduled for March 26-28, has been canceled. Coaches who pre-registered for the event will be refunded. In addition, Tennessee’s Pro Day, originally scheduled for March 26, has been postponed until further notice.
Chris Young dropped a piano-driven version of his current Top 40 single, “Drowning.”
Co-penned by Chris, Corey Crowder and Josh Hoge, “Drowning” was partly inspired by the death of Chris’ close friend, Adam Carnes, and features lyrics: “So tonight I’m gonna pull out pictures, ones with you in ’em / Laugh and cry a little while reminiscing / By myself, I can’t help that all I think about is / How you were taken way too soon / It ain’t the same here without you / I gotta say, missing you comes in waves / And tonight I’m drowning”
“I actually wrote this song with two of my really good friends, Corey Crowder and Josh Hoge,” says Chris. “All of us were writing to that hook, which Corey actually brought in that day, and we just all thought that it was an amazing idea and it was something that was gonna touch pretty much anybody that has ever lost anyone. I actually wrote it about a friend of mine, Adam, who passed away many years ago. It’s just a really, really special song to me and I hope it really touches a lot of people.”
“Drowning” follows the release of Chris’ Top 5 hit “Raised on Country.” Listen to the piano-driven version of “Drowning” below.
Reba McEntire rescheduled 13 dates on her 2020 Tour in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The original 13 dates—in March, April and May—have been rescheduled for July and August. The decision continues ongoing actions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, which was labeled a pandemic on March 11 by the World Health Organizations.
Previously purchased tickets will be honored for all dates.
“For the safety of everyone, we have decided to postpone our new arena tour until July,” said Reba in a statement. “All tickets will be honored for the new dates. Most importantly, stay safe and take care of you and your loved ones. We’ll get through this together.”
Reba McEntire 2020 Tour (new dates)
July 9 | Huntsville, AL | Von Braun Center Arena
July 10 | Duluth, GA | Infinite Energy Center
July 11 | Biloxi, MS | Mississippi Coast Coliseum
July 16 | Pittsburgh, PA | PPG Paints Arena
July 17 | Toledo, OH | Huntington Center
July 18 | Bethlehem, PA | Wind Creek Event Center
July 23 | St. Paul, MN | Xcel Energy Center
July 24 | Rosemont, IL | Allstate Arena
July 31 | Green Bay, WI | Resch Center
Aug. 1 | Sioux Falls, SD | Denny Sanford Premier Center
Aug. 6 | Grand Rapids, MI | Van Andel Arena
Aug. 7 | Peoria, IL | Peoria Civic Center
Aug. 8 | Evansville, IN | Ford Center
The Tennessee Football Coaches Clinic, originally scheduled for March 26-28, has been canceled. Coaches who pre-registered for the event will be refunded. In addition, Tennessee’s Pro Day, originally scheduled for March 26, has been postponed until further notice.
Luke Bryan dropped a spirited new song, “One Margarita,” and accompanying video on March 13. The video was filmed during Luke’s sixth Crash My Playa event in Riviera Cancun, Mexico, in November 2019.
The new tune will be featured on Luke’s upcoming seventh studio album, Born Here, Live Here, Die Here, which will be released on April 24. “One Margarita” follows the release of No. 1 lead single, “Knockin’ Boots,” and current Top 5 single, “What She Wants Tonight.”
“We had too much fun filming this out in Mexico,” says Luke via Instagram. “Watch the video for my new song ‘One Margarita’ now on @youtubemusic! Do you see any familiar faces?”
Blake Shelton cancelled the final five dates on his Friends & Heroes 2020 Tour in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The five dates—in March—will be rescheduled in spring 2021. The decision continues ongoing actions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, which was labeled a pandemic on March 11 by the World Health Organizations.
Previously purchased tickets for the five dates will be honored at the to-be-announced rescheduled dates, and refunds will be available at the point of purchase.
“Omaha, I’m here in your city with my friends and heroes and am ready to play a show for you, but for all the right reasons—chiefly everyone’s safety and well-being—we have to reschedule tonight and the rest of the tour,” said Blake. “Please take care of yourself and your loved ones. You can bet we’ll see you back here soon!”
Cancelled dates:
March 12 | Omaha, NE | CHI Health Center
March 13 | Denver, CO | Pepsi Center
March 19 | Rosemont, IL | Allstate Arena
March 20 | Milwaukee, WI, Fiserv Forum
March 21 | Detroit, MI | Little Caesars Arena
Based on the latest developments and the continued spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Southeastern Conference today announced the suspension of regular season competition for teams in all sports on SEC campuses, as well SEC championship events, until March 30.
This does not apply to teams and individuals in NCAA competition, at this time.
The SEC reminds everyone to be attentive to everyday preventive actions identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov).
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The SEC, at the moment, is allowing each school to determine whether to hold spring football practices.
@SportsRadioWNML While some colleges have canceled spring football games and activities, it's at discretion of SEC schools to decide if they will have spring FB practices, said SEC spokesman Herb Vincent. Not sure how many SEC sporting events will be ppd/canceled until March 30.
On Wednesday, March 11, the Southeastern Conference and Commissioner Greg Sankey announced that all SEC Championships, as well as regular-season events held on campuses, will have attendance restrictions through the end of March in order to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Attendance at championship events such as the men’s basketball tournament taking place in Nashville this week, will be limited to “essential staff, limited family and credentialed media” with all campus events featuring similar attendance restrictions. To view the SEC’s full statement and release, click HERE.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 20 Tennessee opens Southeastern Conference play this weekend with a trip to Columbia, S.C., to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks.
The Vols and Gamecocks are both coming off convincing midweek victories over in-state opponents and will be looking to get off to a strong start in conference play.
Broadcast Info
This weekend’s entire series will be streamed on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app. Burch Antley (PxP) and Kip Bouknight (color) will have the call for all three contests.
Fans can also listen to the games on the radio via the Vol Network (FM 99.1 / AM 990) as well as UTSports.com and the UT Gameday app, as John Wilkerson calls the action.
Projected Starting Pitchers Game 1: RHP Chad Dallas (4 GS, 3-0, 2.53 ERA) vs. RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (4 GS, 2-1, 2.84 ERA) Game 2: LHP Garrett Crochet (1 GS, 0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Thomas Farr (3 GS, 3-0, 1.72 ERA) Game 3: TBD vs. RHP Brannon Jordan (4 GS, 2-0, 1.71 ERA)
Series History vs. South Carolina
Overall: SC leads, 65-38
In Knoxville: SC leads, 24-22
In Columbia: SC leads, 38-14
Neutral Sites: SC leads, 3-2
Last Meeting: W, 6-3 (March 24, 2019)
Tennessee won last year’s series but has struggled historically in Columbia. The Vols will be looking to earn their first series victory in Columbia since 2006.
Notable Crochet and Sewell Make Season Debuts
Two of Tennessee’s top returning pitchers have made their season debuts over the past week after being held out with injuries to start the year. Preseason All-American Garrett Crochet started in Saturday’s win over Wright State, pitching 3.1 shutout innings while striking out six batters.
Sophomore right hander Camden Sewell made his 2020 debut in Tuesday’s midweek triumph over ETSU. The Cleveland, Tennessee native got the start and tossed three solid innings. Sewell racked up five strikeouts and allowed just one run on one hit and one walk.
Soularie Heating Up After Slow Start
Preseason All-America and All-SEC selection Alerick Soularie has started to regain last season’s form after a slow start to the year. The junior slugger was just 2-for-20 over the team’s first seven games, but has turned it around over the past 11 contests, batting .350 while leading the team with 11 runs, 14 hits, five home runs, 14 RBI and 30 total bases.
Soularie had his best game of the year in Tuesday’s midweek win over ETSU, going 3-for-5 with a pair of homers and four RBI.
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!
Junior infielder Liam Spence has been one of the Vols’ most productive players so far this season. The Geelong, Australia native ranks third on the team with a .346 batting average and is third on the team with 18 hits.
Spence is coming off a productive week where he either led or tied for the team lead in batting average (.417), runs (four), hits (five) and home runs (one). His solo home run in the seventh inning was the difference in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Wright State. Spence followed that performance by tying his career high with three hits, a walk and a run scored in Sunday’s series finale. He also drove in two with a double in Tuesday’s win over ETSU.
The Aussie has been as surehanded as they come defensively while splitting time at shortstop and second base. Spence has committed just one error and leads the team with 56 assists.
Home Run Derby
UT has come out of the gates swinging this season with 31 home runs through 17 games this season, which ranks second in the nation behind Mississippi’s 32. The Vols have hit multiple home runs in 13 of their 17 games and have had 14 different players go deep this season.
Vols Rank Among the Nation’s Leaders
Tennessee enters this weekend ranked among the nation’s leaders in a handful of statistical categories. The Vols rank among the top 25 in the country in each of the following categories:
Offense
Batting Average: .320 (5th)
Doubles: 43 (6th)
Hits: 193 (3rd)
Home Runs: 31 (2nd)
On-Base Percentage: .442 (2nd)
Runs: 180 (1st)
Runs/Game: 10.6 (1st)
Slugging Percentage: .556 (2nd)
Walks: 124 (2nd)
Pitching/Defense
ERA: 2.00 (5th)
Fielding Percentage: .981 (18th)
Hits Allowed/Nine Innings: 6.41 (16th)
Shutouts: 3 (12th)
Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio: 4.89 (3rd)
WHIP: 0.94 (2nd)
Walks Allowed/Nine Innings: 2.06 (3rd)
Opponent Scout South Carolina Gamecocks (12-4 // 0-0 SEC)
2019 Record: 28-28 (8-22 SEC)
2019 Postseason: N/A
Head Coach: Mark Kingston (3rd season) // Led South Carolina to the NCAA Super Regionals during his first season as head coach in 2018.
South Carolina was picked to finish fifth in the Eastern Division of the SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, one spot behind Tennessee.
The Gamecocks have won five straight entering this weekend’s series following midweek wins over Furman and The Citadel and a series sweep of Cornell.
As usual, SC ranks among the nation’s leaders in home runs, coming in at 12th with 21 bombs this season.
Sophomore catcher Wes Clarke leads the SEC and ranks third nationally with eight homers already this season. His 22 RBI are also tied for third in the league.
The Gamecocks have gotten solid production from their weekend rotation, as the trio of Carmen Mlodzinski, Thomas Farr and Brannon Jordan have combined to go 7-1 so far this season. All three have ERA’s of 2.84 or lower.
On Deck
The Vols return to Knoxville for a midweek matchup against Georgia State on Tuesday, March 17 before an in-state showdown against SEC rival and defending national champion Vanderbilt next weekend at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
On Wednesday, March 11, the Southeastern Conference and Commissioner Greg Sankey announced that all SEC Championships, as well as regular-season events held on campuses, will have attendance restrictions through the end of March in order to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Attendance at championship events such as the men’s basketball tournament taking place in Nashville this week, will be limited to “essential staff, limited family and credentialed media” with all campus events featuring similar attendance restrictions. To view the SEC’s full statement and release, click HERE.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 20 Tennessee opens Southeastern Conference play this weekend with a trip to Columbia, S.C., to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks.
The Vols and Gamecocks are both coming off convincing midweek victories over in-state opponents and will be looking to get off to a strong start in conference play.
Broadcast Info
This weekend’s entire series will be streamed on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app. Burch Antley (PxP) and Kip Bouknight (color) will have the call for all three contests.
Fans can also listen to the games on the radio via the Vol Network (FM 99.1 / AM 990) as well as UTSports.com and the UT Gameday app, as John Wilkerson calls the action.
Projected Starting Pitchers Game 1: RHP Chad Dallas (4 GS, 3-0, 2.53 ERA) vs. RHP Carmen Mlodzinski (4 GS, 2-1, 2.84 ERA) Game 2: LHP Garrett Crochet (1 GS, 0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Thomas Farr (3 GS, 3-0, 1.72 ERA) Game 3: TBD vs. RHP Brannon Jordan (4 GS, 2-0, 1.71 ERA)
Series History vs. South Carolina
Overall: SC leads, 65-38
In Knoxville: SC leads, 24-22
In Columbia: SC leads, 38-14
Neutral Sites: SC leads, 3-2
Last Meeting: W, 6-3 (March 24, 2019)
Tennessee won last year’s series but has struggled historically in Columbia. The Vols will be looking to earn their first series victory in Columbia since 2006.
Notable Crochet and Sewell Make Season Debuts
Two of Tennessee’s top returning pitchers have made their season debuts over the past week after being held out with injuries to start the year. Preseason All-American Garrett Crochet started in Saturday’s win over Wright State, pitching 3.1 shutout innings while striking out six batters.
Sophomore right hander Camden Sewell made his 2020 debut in Tuesday’s midweek triumph over ETSU. The Cleveland, Tennessee native got the start and tossed three solid innings. Sewell racked up five strikeouts and allowed just one run on one hit and one walk.
Soularie Heating Up After Slow Start
Preseason All-America and All-SEC selection Alerick Soularie has started to regain last season’s form after a slow start to the year. The junior slugger was just 2-for-20 over the team’s first seven games, but has turned it around over the past 11 contests, batting .350 while leading the team with 11 runs, 14 hits, five home runs, 14 RBI and 30 total bases.
Soularie had his best game of the year in Tuesday’s midweek win over ETSU, going 3-for-5 with a pair of homers and four RBI.
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!
Junior infielder Liam Spence has been one of the Vols’ most productive players so far this season. The Geelong, Australia native ranks third on the team with a .346 batting average and is third on the team with 18 hits.
Spence is coming off a productive week where he either led or tied for the team lead in batting average (.417), runs (four), hits (five) and home runs (one). His solo home run in the seventh inning was the difference in Saturday’s 3-1 win over Wright State. Spence followed that performance by tying his career high with three hits, a walk and a run scored in Sunday’s series finale. He also drove in two with a double in Tuesday’s win over ETSU.
The Aussie has been as surehanded as they come defensively while splitting time at shortstop and second base. Spence has committed just one error and leads the team with 56 assists.
Home Run Derby
UT has come out of the gates swinging this season with 31 home runs through 17 games this season, which ranks second in the nation behind Mississippi’s 32. The Vols have hit multiple home runs in 13 of their 17 games and have had 14 different players go deep this season.
Vols Rank Among the Nation’s Leaders
Tennessee enters this weekend ranked among the nation’s leaders in a handful of statistical categories. The Vols rank among the top 25 in the country in each of the following categories:
Offense
Batting Average: .320 (5th)
Doubles: 43 (6th)
Hits: 193 (3rd)
Home Runs: 31 (2nd)
On-Base Percentage: .442 (2nd)
Runs: 180 (1st)
Runs/Game: 10.6 (1st)
Slugging Percentage: .556 (2nd)
Walks: 124 (2nd)
Pitching/Defense
ERA: 2.00 (5th)
Fielding Percentage: .981 (18th)
Hits Allowed/Nine Innings: 6.41 (16th)
Shutouts: 3 (12th)
Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio: 4.89 (3rd)
WHIP: 0.94 (2nd)
Walks Allowed/Nine Innings: 2.06 (3rd)
Opponent Scout South Carolina Gamecocks (12-4 // 0-0 SEC)
2019 Record: 28-28 (8-22 SEC)
2019 Postseason: N/A
Head Coach: Mark Kingston (3rd season) // Led South Carolina to the NCAA Super Regionals during his first season as head coach in 2018.
South Carolina was picked to finish fifth in the Eastern Division of the SEC Preseason Coaches’ Poll, one spot behind Tennessee.
The Gamecocks have won five straight entering this weekend’s series following midweek wins over Furman and The Citadel and a series sweep of Cornell.
As usual, SC ranks among the nation’s leaders in home runs, coming in at 12th with 21 bombs this season.
Sophomore catcher Wes Clarke leads the SEC and ranks third nationally with eight homers already this season. His 22 RBI are also tied for third in the league.
The Gamecocks have gotten solid production from their weekend rotation, as the trio of Carmen Mlodzinski, Thomas Farr and Brannon Jordan have combined to go 7-1 so far this season. All three have ERA’s of 2.84 or lower.
On Deck
The Vols return to Knoxville for a midweek matchup against Georgia State on Tuesday, March 17 before an in-state showdown against SEC rival and defending national champion Vanderbilt next weekend at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
![Chris Young Drops Piano-Driven Version of Top 40 Single, “Drowning” [Listen]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/602/2020/03/13135701/Chris-young-CH.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
![Luke Bryan Drops Spirited New Song, “One Margarita” [Watch Sunny New Video]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/602/2020/03/13094302/Luke-Bryan-TA.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
