The Tennessee Valley Authority says Norris Dam helped prevent millions in damage during recent flooding.
According to TVA, more than $89 million in flood damages were averted on the Clinch River downstream of the dam in Clinton.
TVA says the dam was able to manage several heavy rain events, including storing over 20 feet of water in Norris Lake to reduce downstream flood impacts.
TVA says if it wasn’t for Norris Dam, the Clinch River would have reached almost 18 feet above normal.
The heavy rain paired with strong winds resulted in nearly 25,000 households losing power on February 16th.
The flooding turned tragic in Eastern Kentucky, with 24 people dying from the floods.
Boyd Sports has partnered with the City of Knoxville and Knox County to develop a comprehensive parking plan for Knoxville Smokies games and other event days at Covenant Health Park, downtown Knoxville’s new publicly owned sports and entertainment stadium.
The collaborative parking plan features more than 1,500 dedicated parking spaces to serve Covenant Health Park, including 1,100 for the general public and 400 for staff, vendors and season ticketholders. There will be a free shuttle from designated parking garages provided by Knoxville Area Transit (KAT), offering visitors a five-minute ride to and from Covenant Health Park.
“Our teams have been working diligently to leverage the wonderful assets of downtown Knoxville and provide fans and visitors with convenient and affordable parking options,” Boyd Sports CEO Doug Kirchhofer said. “Thanks to the partnership of the City of Knoxville, KAT and others, we’re working to simplify the downtown gameday experience, offering free shuttles to and from Covenant Health Park from 1,100 spaces dedicated for event parking and from nearby garages. Reserved parking in the dedicated spaces will be offered for $5 in advance on the Smokies website.”
Located at 500 East Jackson Avenue, Covenant Health Park is situated just east of the Old City, connecting downtown and East Knoxville. It serves as the new home of Knoxville Smokies baseball and One Knoxville SC soccer teams and will serve as a venue for a variety of concerts and entertainment, private gatherings and other community events.
Urban planning models recommend one parking space for every 2.5 attendees at an event. With a capacity of roughly 7,000, a sellout event at Covenant Health Park would necessitate 2,800 parking spaces. Between the 1,500 dedicated parking spaces for Covenant Health Park and the nearly 7,400 additional available parking options surrounding the facility, there are nearly 9,000 area spaces identified.
“Knoxville is no stranger to welcoming big crowds downtown,” City of Knoxville Chief Operating Officer Grant Rosenberg said. “Just as we host thousands for UT football, Big Ears Music Festival, the Bassmasters Tournament and more, we will be able to accommodate those coming to Covenant Health Park – while preserving space for downtown workers and other visitors.
“In addition to infrastructure improvements, the City has been happy to work with all stadium partners to identify designated parking spaces and free shuttle services to streamline getting around downtown on game days.”
Visitors to Covenant Health Park are encouraged to take advantage of the following parking options:
§ Summer Place Garage will have 450 reserved, dedicated parking spaces available for a flat, prepaid $5 fee.
§ Free shuttle service running every 10 minutes
§ 0.7-mile walk
§ Langley Garage will have 650 reserved, dedicated parking spaces available for a flat, prepaid $5 fee.
§ Free shuttle service running every 10 minutes
§ 0.7-mile walk
§ In addition, there are nearly 7,400 affordable or free parking spaces, within about eight-tenths of a mile or closer to the stadium, at publicly owned garages, surface lots and on-street facilities. Parking at standard rates is available within a 10- to 20-minute walk from:
§ Market Square Garage (free shuttle service running every 10 minutes)
§ Locust Street Garage (free shuttle service running every 10 minutes)
§ State Street Garage
§ Jackson Avenue Lot
§ Dwight Kessel Parking Garage
§ On-street parking spots
§ And via free parking at the West Magnolia Avenue Parking Lots
§ Old City South Lot B, which is located directly across the street from Covenant Health Park, will have 70 reserved ADA-accessible spaces. These are free of charge for vehicles with valid disability license plates, placards and/or decals.
§ Of note, all publicly owned parking garages and lots also have free ADA-accessible spaces, and all stadium shuttle buses are ADA-accessible.
§ Designated drop-off/pick-up points will be available for ADA guests along Willow Avenue, at the southwest corner of the stadium, and for rideshare customers along Florida Avenue at the east side of the stadium.
§ Bicycle and micro-mobility scooter parking will be available in Old City South Lot A.
Additional parking for Covenant Health Park employees and Knoxville Smokies permit-parking will be available in Old City South Lot A, the Old City North Lot and the Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum Parking Garage. Use of these spots will not be open to the general public but will help alleviate use of existing parking spots frequented by downtown workers, visitors and others.
Boyd Sports and the Knoxville Smokies will continue to roll out details for Covenant Health Park visitors via its website at http://www.smokiesbaseball.com and social media. This will include driving directions, parking information and more.
In addition, the City of Knoxville, Visit Knoxville and Downtown Knoxville Alliance also provide insight for downtown visitors, including parking and transportation information, on their respective websites and social media channels.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Dozens of NFL personnel will descend upon the Anderson Training Center on Tuesday as Tennessee football holds its annual Pro Day leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft.
Linebacker Keenan Pili continues to work his way back from his season-ending knee injury last fall and has been meeting with teams. All six of Tennessee’s NFL Combine participants — McCoy, Norman-Lott, Pearce, Sampson, Simmons, Thornton Jr. — will be on hand Tuesday.
Pro Day comes one day after the Vols conducted their second practice of the spring, a two-hour helmets and shorts workout on Monday. Defensive coordinator Tim Banks, a 2024 Broyles Award finalist, is seeking to reload a unit that allowed only 16.1 points per game last fall. Much of that success derived from a ferocious and deep defensive front that returns several contributors led by Joshua Josephs, Jaxson Moi, Bryson Eason, Dominic Bailey and Tyre West.
“I think it’s a work in progress but in a good way,” Banks said. “Those guys were really productive for us and some guys who have played some football. I think these young guys will be fine. (Daevin Hobbs) has played a lot of football over the last couple of years. We’re super excited about his growth and development. Jaxson Moi, (Bryson Eason), those guys have played some football. They’ve worked during winter conditioning on leadership, working on their leadership skills.”
Banks enters his fifth season with the program and signed a new contract earlier this year.
“Being here, Tennessee is obviously a special place,” he said. “It’s a special place for me and my wife. You know that my faith is everything to me, and so I feel extremely blessed to be here. I knew things would work out the way they needed to work out, so I am excited to work with this new group.”
Tennessee will put on shoulder pads for the first time this spring Wednesday before going full pads Friday prior to spring break.
Tennessee Football Press Conference | March 10, 2025 Defensive Coordinator Tim Banks
On his thoughts of this defensive group and how they can develop this spring… “That’s a great question. It’s always the same every year. The fundamentals, who we are as a defense, the things we take a lot of pride in, how we run to the ball, the physicality in which we want to practice with, and how smart we want to be from snap to whistle. We are just really working on our core identity right now. We have a lot of new faces out there, and you can’t take anything for granted. We are just starting from the bottom up. Everybody is starting from scratch. We are just building and laying the foundation.”
On how Boo Carter has handled playing both sides of the ball and how a full season of playing defense helped him… “I think it’s been fine. Boo understands he is a defensive back for us. The goal every year is to be the last man standing, so we are trying to do anything we can to give everybody an opportunity to continue to grow. His role on offense will be dictated by Coach (Josh Heupel), and at this point, he seems to be handling it really well.”
On how the secondary group has grown… “It’s a lot of young faces out there right now. For us, I think the thing that’s exciting is we feel like they look like what we want them to look like. We have a lot of length back there, and we have a lot of guys that can run. They are still learning to play at this level, but we are excited for them. We think every year, we are continuing to move the needle and deal with a type of secondary that can stand the test of time. Obviously between (Jermod McCoy), (Rickey Gibson III) and guys like that, we think that they will be great ambassadors and role models for these young guys.”
On the linebacker room… “I think the first thing for me is that (Jeremiah Telander) has been awesome, just being a leader. He played a lot of football for us last year, and you can see his confidence that has grown. He’s really working with the younger guys. It’s a little bit by-committee right now, but that’s a good thing. We think that snaps are very valuable that they’re getting right now, and it will only pay dividends for us in the future.”
On the process of self-scouting and reflecting on last season… “It’s a little bit of both. Obviously, you always try to figure out how you can play better in some of the games that you weren’t quite as successful in. And then with the things you did well, why did you do them well? We’re trying to learn and grow. That’s what the cut-ups are for. As we get used to our new personnel, we’re defining right now what it is they do well, some of their strengths and weaknesses and how we can make them better within the framework of our defense. All of that information is really based on what we saw coming out of last season and how we can get better.”
On how the defensive front is evolving after a plethora of departures this offseason… “I think it’s a work in progress but in a good way. Those guys were really productive for us and some guys who have played some football. I think these young guys will be fine. (Daevin Hobbs) has played a lot of football over the last couple of years. We’re super excited about his growth and development. Jaxson Moi, (Bryson Eason), those guys have played some football. They’ve worked during winter conditioning on leadership, working on their leadership skills. I think we’re going to see some dividends being paid as we get further and further into camp.”
On having an experienced cornerback in Rickey Gibson III… “It’s awesome. Rickey has done a really good job here over the last two years. Having him out there has been awesome for him, and obviously awesome for some of the younger guys. We have Andre Turrentine who’s back and has played some football for us. (Jakobe Thomas) was a newcomer last year that played a lot of football for us. We feel like we have some guys that have played who are able to blend in with some of these younger guys, so that hopefully when we’re done with spring ball, we’ve taken another step on that back end.”
On Kaleb Beasley’s role this spring… “I think it starts with just being a good athlete. I think it speaks to how we try to recruit. We want to recruit defensive backs — guys that have flexibility, that can bounce inside-to-outside or outside-to-inside. Beasley fits that mold. He is a smart kid, a team-first guy. We are eager, just finding him a spot that he can continue to grow. He’s working at it. I don’t know that we have solidified any spot exactly where he’ll play, but I can say that for a lot of guys on the back end. We are just kind of working through it to figure out the best combination and make sure we have all the guys in the right spots.”
On what makes Levorn Harbin and Alan Williams the best fit for the defensive staff… “I’ll start with Coach Chop (Levorn Harbin); he has been a valuable asset for us since he has gotten here. I know he gets a lot of accolades because of his recruiting, and rightfully so, but he does just as good a job with developing and working with the front. He has kind of been an unsung hero around here for a long time, so I’m super excited he’s finally getting his just due. As far as Alan goes, I’ve known Alan for a while, but I never had the luxury of working with him. We are always trying to move the needle. Like I said earlier, nobody is happy except one team at the end of the year. So anything that we can do to help us become better players, better coaches, that’s what we’re striving to do. Bringing Alan in has really been awesome. Wealth of experience that you alluded to. As he gets to know us, he is getting to know the system, but he’s already helped us in so many ways, just with some insight and seeing things from a different lens. It’s already helping and paying dividends for us.”
On recruiting freshman cornerback Tre Poteat… “With Tre Poteat, he fits the mold that we are looking for. He’s a coach’s kid, so we knew he would have a great foundation in terms of learning and understanding what it looks like to be a collegiate defensive back. He hasn’t disappointed. He’s a smart kid. He’s a hard worker. He looks different than a lot of freshmen; there are obviously boatloads of things that he will continue to grow with. At the end of the day, those are the type of guys we want to recruit. Guys who see it and have a chance to be special as they continue to get older.”
On continuing his career at Tennessee… “Being here, Tennessee is obviously a special place. A special place for me and my wife. You guys know me. You know that my faith is everything to me, and so I feel extremely blessed to be here. Uncertainty? I don’t know. I knew things would work out the way they needed to work out, so I am excited to work with this new group. I am excited to work with our staff and some of the additions we have had. It’s been a blessing for me, and I am super excited to be here.”
On how accurate spring practice indicators are for a player’s potential… “I don’t know that you ever know until the kid is truly in the heat of the battle. It’s our job to try and simulate that as best we can. You have stages. You do the fourth quarter, the old school mat drills to try to put them in some mental anguish if you can. But at the end of the day, you have to go out and play football. We are in the first stages of that, no pads are on. There is not a lot of noise, crowd noise. The environment is pretty sterile. They still have to pass that test, then obviously you get to the scrimmages. How do they react during the scrimmages when things are going well versus when things go bad? And then, you finally get the chance to play in a place like Neyland. Now how do they respond? I just think it is a staircase for every guy. Some guys go from the first step to the last step quicker than others. I think history will tell you that if you stay to course, those guys that are able to handle the first stage to the second stage, there is a good chance that they will be able to handle the third.”
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Two members of the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team, Chaz Lanier and Zakai Zeigler, made the cut for the John R. Wooden Award Top 15 National Ballot.
The Volunteers are the only team with two selections, as named by the Los Angeles Athletic Club. They are joined by three other SEC competitors—Auburn’s Johni Broome, Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr., and Alabama’s Mark Sears—to give the league a third of the names on the ballot.
Selected by a panel of national college basketball experts, the list comprises 15 student-athletes who are candidates for the Wooden Award All-American Team and the Wooden Award Player of the Year.
Previously, Lanier was included on both the Midseason Top 25 Watch List and the Late Midseason Top 20 Watch List. Zeigler, meanwhile, was on the initial list, did not make the trim to 20 and then got added back in for the top 15 list. He is one of three players—the other are Houston’s L.J. Cryer and Wisconsin’s John Tonje—on the national ballot who were not featured in the top 20.
Lanier sits top-10 in Division I in both made 3-pointers and made 3-pointers per game (3.39), both of which rank top-four on Tennessee’s single-season leaderboard. He is third in the SEC in 3-point percentage and made field goals (197), plus fifth in points per game. The Nashville, Tenn., native has recorded double-digit points in 29 of 31 contests, eclipsing 20 in 12 of them.
A native of Long Island, N.Y., Zeigler ranks fifth nationally in assists per game, while his 224 total assists are three shy of the Tennessee single-season record and seven away of a top-10 spot on the SEC’s single-season list.
The John R. Wooden Award is presented annually to the most outstanding player in collegiate basketball. Established in 1976 by John Wooden and the Wooden Award National Steering Committee, the award evaluates candidates not only on their skills in passing, shooting, dribbling, defending and rebounding, but also on their overall contributions to their teams. All players on the ballot have been certified by their respective universities as meeting or exceeding the qualifications set forth by Coach Wooden when the award was established. These qualifications include:
– Candidates must be full-time students at an accredited NCAA college or university. – Candidates must be making progress toward graduation and maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.00 since enrolling. – Candidates must contribute significantly to their team’s success. – Candidates must excel in both offensive and defensive aspects of the game. – Candidates must be evaluated based on their performance over the entire season. – Candidates must demonstrate strength of character, both on and off the court.
Voting will take place from March 10 to March 24, with voters considering a player’s entire season, including the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Wooden Award All-American Team will then be announced during the week of the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, while finalists for trophy Wooden Award will be revealed April 1 on ESPN.
Lanier, Zeigler and No. 8/6 Tennessee (25-6, 12-6 SEC) are back in action Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals against a to-be-determined team, live on ESPN from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
WOODEN AWARD TOP 15 NATIONAL BALLOT Johni Broome, Auburn Walter Clayton Jr., Florida L.J. Cryer, Houston Hunter Dickinson, Kansas Eric Dixon, Villanova Cooper Flagg, Duke P.J. Haggerty, Memphis Dylan Harper, Rutgers Kam Jones, Marquette Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton Chaz Lanier, Tennessee Mark Sears, Alabama Braden Smith, Purdue John Tonje, Wisconsin Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee
The Tennessee House passes a bill that would place limits on buying junk food using SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
It’s not the first time the U.S. program that helps low-income families pay for food has faced threats limiting what qualifies for purchases. Other attempts to cut candy and snacks from SNAP have failed in the past.
The Tennessee Healthy SNAP Act would require the Tennessee Department of Human Services to request a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture allowing the state to end benefits for candy and soft drinks.
Some opponents say limiting what people can buy with SNAP is an attack on the autonomy of low-income Americans.
A USDA report put ranked “sweetened beverages” and “prepared desserts” as the second- and fifth-most purchased types of items by SNAP recipients, who receive, on average, $187 per month — or about $6 per day — from the program. That being said, those same foods ranked at number five and number six for non-SNAP households.
TN.gov relative information about the bill: AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 71, relative to the food stamp program. Department of Human Resources – As introduced SB1154 and HB1236, enacts the “Tennessee Health SNAP Act,” which requires the department to submit a request for a waiver from the United States department of agriculture’s food and nutrition service to seek authorization to prohibit the use of SNAP benefits for the purchase of candy and soft drinks. – Amends TCA Title 71.
HB1236 passed Monday – Ayes 69, Nays 23
The definitions of “candy” and “soft drinks” would follow federal government guidelines. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, with the stated purpose of ensuring SNAP benefits are used to improve food security and nutrition.
The Cocke County Sheriff’s Office says 12 people have been taken into custody after an indictment charging 32 people on various drug charges is unsealed.
Officers began searching for those who were indicted once the indictments were unsealed on Wednesday and on Saturday, CCSO took the following 12 suspects into custody Saturday:
Crystal Crum, 41
Sale and delivery of Schedule IV drugs
Tracy Joseph Jones, 42
Sale and delivery of fentanyl
Pauline Lundy, 67
Sale and delivery of methamphetamine
Jessica M. McKay, 36
Sale and delivery of fentanyl
Sale and delivery of gabapentin
Sale and delivery of a counterfeit substance
Danielle Vasaturo, 25
Sale and delivery of cocaine
Alisha Arrington, 37
Sale and delivery of fentanyl
Kaela Napier, 27
Sale and delivery of methamphetamine
Maleik D. Story, 28
Sale and delivery of fentanyl
Christopher Finchum, 49
Sale and delivery of methamphetamine
John E. Atkins, 31
Sale and delivery of methamphetamine
Jose A. Balderas, 20
Sale and delivery of fentanyl
Sale and delivery of methadone
Sale and delivery of a counterfeit substance
Ashley Mayfield, 38
Capias for several drug charges
Their arrests resulted in officers seizing two firearms, $346 in cash and almost 3 grams of heroin.
The investigation unsealed 19 counts of sale and delivery of fentanyl, 14 counts of sale and delivery of methamphetamine, six counts of sale and delivery of cocaine, seven counts of sale and delivery of opioids and 14 counts of sale and delivery of a counterfeit substance.
CCSO says additional names will be released following their arrest.
Friday evening at approximately 10:34 pm, Knox County Communications District received a call that their neighbor’s house was on fire at 3116 Rector Street.
Upon arrival, the first due engine company saw heavy smoke with fire coming from the basement. The crew was able to enter the house and start firefighting operations.
After a thorough search of the home, no residents were inside.
The fire was extinguished within 30 minutes.
KFD is still on scene working to overhaul and check for extension.
The neighbor told KFD that there was one individual that lived in the home, which was away at the time of the fire.
There are no injuries to report.
The home suffered substantial fire, smoke and water damage.
KFD fire investigators are on scene to try and determine a cause. The following responding to the fire:
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The fourth-ranked Tennessee men’s basketball team returns home for its regular season finale Saturday at Food City Center, facing South Carolina on senior day. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. ET.
Fans can catch Saturday’s game between the Volunteers (24-6, 11-6 SEC) and Gamecocks (12-18, 2-15 SEC) on SEC Network. Dave Neal (play-by-play) and Jon Sundvold (analyst) will have the call.
Fans can also listen live on their local Vol Network affiliate to hear Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp describing the action.
In Tennessee’s most recent outing, it capped its road slate with a narrow 78-76 setback Wednesday night at Ole Miss.
UT saw its four-game winning streak end at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion despite leading by nine in the first half and by seven with under 11 minutes to go. Senior guard Jordan Gainey led the team with 17 points in the defeat.
THE MATCHUP • Tennessee is 11-2 in its last 13 matchups with South Carolina, dating to 1/20/18. In that span, UT has been ranked 11 times, posting a 10-1 record. • The Vols are 6-1 in their last seven games versus the Gamecocks, with five wins by 20-plus and two by 40-plus. The six victories are by an average of 25.7 ppg. • Since South Carolina joined the SEC in 1991-92, this is just the fourth time the two schools are not meeting multiple times in the regular season. They played just once each in 2020-21 (one game was canceled due to COVID-19), 2013-14 and 2012-13. • Tennessee clinched the outright 2023-24 SEC regular season title in its last game versus the Gamecocks, posting a 66-59 road win on 3/6/24 behind 26 points from Dalton Knecht. • After a 26-8 (13-5) year that included an NCAA Tournament trip, South Carolina placed No. 11 in the SEC preseason poll. • Sophomore forward Collin Murray- Boyles leads the Gamecocks with 16.8 ppg and 8.4 rpg.
NEWS & NOTES • The Volunteers are playing back- to-back unranked SEC teams for the first time in over a year, dating to a six-game stretch from 2/7/24 to 2/24/24. • The last time Tennessee played a league game against a team with a sub-.500 record was 2/20/24 at Missouri, with this contest ending a 22-game streak. • Tennessee is seeking its ninth 25- win season, including its sixth in the Rick Barnes era (all in the past eight years) and fourth in a row. It would be UT’s third time reaching that mark in the regular season alone (27-4 in 2018-19 under Barnes and 28-3 in 2007-08). • The Vols are also looking to finish top-four in the SEC standings for the seventh time in eight years, includingthe fifth in a row. • UT will honor seven seniors after the game: Darlinstone Dubar, Jordan Gainey, Grant Hurst, Chaz Lanier, Jahmai Mashack, Igor Miličić Jr., and Zakai Zeigler. • After 26 seasons together as the radio crew, dating to 1999-2000, this is the final home broadcast for Bob Kesling and Bert Bertelkamp. • With 830 victories, Rick Barnes is tied with Jim Phelan for No. 11 all-time (min. 10 years at DI level), just one behind Cliff Ellis and John Calipari for No. 10. • Barnes’ 111 SEC wins are one shy of Hank Crisp for No. 18 in history. • Zakai Zeigler needs 12 assists to break the UT single-season record of 227, set by Rodney Woods in 1974-75. The 12 assists would also give him 700 as a collegian and make him the fourth SEC player, including the second Volunteer— Johnny Darden had 715 from 1975-79—ever to hit that mark. He is just four assists shy of the SEC’s single-season top 15 (220). • Igor Miličić Jr., is eight points away from reaching 1,000. He would be the fifth quadruple-digit scorer on the Volunteers’ roster. • Tennessee’s 195 victories over the last eight seasons (2017-25) rank ninth in DI. Only Gonzaga (236), Houston (234), Duke (212), Kansas (210), Purdue (203), Saint Mary’s (198), Auburn (197) and San Diego State (197) own more. Drake (194) and Liberty (194) tie to round out the top 10.
RACKING UP RANKED VICTORIES • TOP 25: In the past four years (2021-25), Tennessee’s 28 AP top-25 wins lead DI. Only Connecticut (26), Iowa State (25) and Kansas (25) are within three. The next SEC school is four back (Alabama with 24). • TOP 20: Tennessee is co-first in the nation with 24 AP top-20 triumphs over that span, tying Connecticut (24). Only Kansas (22) is even within four, while the nearest SEC program is five shy (Alabama with 19). • TOP 15: The Volunteers lead DI with 21 AP top-15 decisions over those four years. Kansas (20) is the lone school within four, while the closest SEC team (Alabama with 16) five behind UT. • TOP 10: Since 2021-22, Tennessee owns 11 AP top-10 wins, co-second in the SEC and co-fourth nationally, both alongside Kentucky (11). Only Connecticut (12), Iowa State (12) and Kansas (12) have more. The 11 wins in that time are against #1 Alabama (2/15/23), #3 Kansas (11/25/22), #3 Auburn (2/26/22), #4 Kentucky (2/15/22), #5 Kentucky (3/12/22), #6 Arizona (12/22/21), #10 Texas (1/28/23), at #10 Kentucky (2/3/24), #5 Florida (2/1/25), at #7 Texas A&M (2/22/25) and #6 Alabama (3/1/25). • TOP FIVE: In that same four-year span, UT has six AP top-five victories, tied with Arizona for the most in the country. Only six other schools have even four: Alabama (five), Iowa State (five), Florida (four), Gonzaga (four), Kentucky (four) and Purdue (four).
HIGH-CALIBER COMPANY • Tennessee and Kansas are the only two schools to earn an AP top-five ranking in each of the last four seasons (2021-25). Only two others, Arizona and Purdue, entered 2024-25 with a three-year streak. • The Volunteers are one of only four teams to reach the AP top six in each of the past five seasons, alongside Alabama, Houston and Kansas. • UT is one of just five programs to reach the AP top six in at least six of the last seven seasons (2018- 25), alongside Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Kentucky. Those are also the only five schools to enter the AP top five in at least five different years in that stretch. • The Vols are among only eight teams to reach the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll in at least two of the last seven seasons (2018-25), joining Auburn, Baylor, Duke, Gonzaga, Houston, Kansas and Purdue. • Over that same seven-year stretch (2018-25), UT is also one of seven teams to claim an AP top-two position in at least three seasons, alongside Baylor, Connecticut, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas and Purdue. • UT is one of seven schools with an AP top-20 ranking in each of the last eight years (2017-25), alongside Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and North Carolina. Just two others—Houston and Purdue—have even been AP top-25 each season. • Additionally, over the last three years (2022-25), the Vols are one of just six teams to reach the AP top two in multiple seasons, joining Alabama, Connecticut, Duke, Kansas and Purdue.
PARTICULARLY POTENT AT HOME • Under Rick Barnes, Tennessee is 23-8 (.742) versus AP top-25 teams at Food City Center, including 18-2 (.900) in its last 20 such games (since 1/30/21). • The Volunteers are 18-7 (.720) at home against AP top-20 teams in the Barnes era, including 14-2 (.875) in their last 16 such contests (since 1/30/21). • Tennessee has a 15-5 (.750) mark when hosting AP top-15 squads under Barnes, including a 13-2 (.867) record in its last 15 such affairs (since 1/30/21). • Barnes has led UT to a 9-1 (.900) ledger at home versus AP top-10 teams, with eight straight wins (since 3/2/19). That includes perfect marks against AP top-six foes (8-0) and versus SEC teams (7-0). • UT is a perfect 6-0 when hosting AP top-five teams in the Barnes era (all since 1/24/17). The six straight wins are an SEC record, per ESPN, surpassing the mark of five by Kentucky in 1978-84 and 1956-59. • The Vols won 12 straight home games against AP top-25 foes from 1/30/21 to 2/28/24. That is an SEC record, per CBS Sports, and the longest in DI since Kansas had 17 straight from 1/11/14 to 2/13/17. Nine of those victories were versus top-15 foes, with five against the top 10 and three over top-five teams. • Tennessee is 20-5 (.800) in AP top-25 home matchups under Barnes, including 14-5 (.737) with both teams in the top 20, 9-2 (.818) with both in the top 15 and 5-0 (1.000) with both in the top 10.
1.4K CLUB • Tennessee, Alabama and Ole Miss—all are in the SEC—are the only schools with four 1,400-point scorers. Just 10 others programs have even three. • Jordan Gainey possesses 1,504 points in 130 contests, an average of 11.6 ppg over four years. • Chaz Lanier, the only member of the quartet who entered the season below 1K, now has 1,461 points in 134 outings, a 10.9 ppg ledger across five campaigns. • Darlinstone Dubar has 1,449 points in 141 outings, good for 10.3 ppg across five seasons. • Zakai Zeigler owns 1,443 points in 130 appearances, giving him an 11.1 ppg average in four seasons
TOP-TIER TRIUMPHS • Tennessee is 42-41 (.506) against AP top-25 foes under Rick Barnes, including 26-14 (.650) in its past 40 such games (since 1/22/22). • The Volunteers are 36-33 (.522) versus AP top-20 teams in Barnes’ tenure, including 22-10 (.688) in their last 32 such affairs (since 1/22/22). • UT is 28-26 (.519) against AP top-15 teams in the Barnes era, including 21-9 (.700) in its last 30 such games (since 12/22/21). • The Vols own a 16-15 (.516) record versus AP top-10 foes under Barnes, including a 14-9 (.609) mark in their last 23 such contests (since 3/2/19) and an 11-6 (.647) tally in their last 17 (since 12/22/21). • UT is 10-9 (.526) against AP top-five opponents in Barnes’ tenure, including 6-4 (.600) in its last 10 such affairs (since 2/15/22). It is 8-2 (.800) versus AP top-five SEC teams, including 7-1 (.875) in its last eight such outings (since 3/2/19).
20,000 STRONG • In Rick Barnes‘ 10 seasons, Tennessee has played in front of a home crowd of at least 20,000 on 46 occasions (36-10), with 33 sellouts (26-7). • In 2022-23, the Volunteers had five sellout crowds, at the time tying an arena single-season record. • Tennessee well eclipsed that mark last season by selling out eight home games—including seven of nine in SEC play—good for its most ever at Food City Center. Four of those were over-capacity crowds, with the last three above 22,000. • This season, Tennessee has clinched seven sellouts: Syracuse (12/3/24), Arkansas (1/5/25), Mississippi State (1/21/25), Kentucky (1/28/25), Florida (2/1/25), Vanderbilt (2/15/25) and Alabama (3/1/25).
HAPPY AT HOME • Over the last four seasons (2021-25), the Vols’ .922 (59-5) home winning percentage is sixth in DI (fourth in Power Five, second in SEC). • In total, UT is 137-25 (.846) at Food City Center in Rick Barnes‘ 10 years and has twice gone undefeated at home (18-0 in 2018-19 and 16-0 in 2021-22)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – It was an historic night on the mound for top-ranked Tennessee during Friday’s series-opening 12-0 victory over St. Bonaventure, as five Volunteers’ pitchers combined to toss the ninth no-hitter in program history.
Liam Doyle was incredible once again in a starting role, striking out 13 batters over 5.2 innings and retiring 17 straight Bonnies after walking the first and last batter he faced. The junior lefthander improved to 3-0 on the year with the win and now has 47 strikeouts in 20.1 innings of work this year.
While the pitching staff was dominating, Tennessee’s offense also continued to roll, launching four more home runs to increase its NCAA-leading total to 42. The Vols hit two apiece in the second and sixth innings, combining for 10 of their 12 runs in those two frames.
Prior to Friday’s contest, the last no-hitter in UT baseball history was a solo effort from Jeffery Terrell on Feb. 15, 2002, in a 5-0 victory over Bowling Green.
The Vols’ last combined no-hitter also featured five pitchers (Kurt Scott, Brad Love, Logan Brummitt, Marlyn Tisdale, Brandon Crowe) as the Big Orange defeated the College of Charleston, 14-1, on Feb. 21, 2000, in Charleston, South Carolina.
Streaks Extended
Reese Chapman extended his hit streak to 14 games with a single in the second inning. Levi Clark also extended his hit streak to nine games with an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth.
Four Vols extended double-digit reached base streaks on Friday, as well. Kilen, Fischer and Chapman have all reached base in every game this season while Hunter Ensley extended his streak to 13 consecutive games with a pair of hits.
Up Next
The Vols will look to tie the longest win streak to start a season in program history on Saturday in game two of this weekend’s series against the Bonnies. Tennessee’s 14-0 start this season stands alone as the second best in program history behind the 2019 team’s 15-0 start.
First pitch for Saturday’s contest is slated for 6 p.m. and can streamed on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.
A water main break is affecting some Alcoa businesses.
The City of Alcoa’s water department is working that break at the entrance of Hunters Crossing at Louisville Road.
Those in the area can expect some outages for the next several hours. Specifically, the city warned that businesses at Hunters Crossing would be affected which includes Chick-fil-A, American Family Care,T-Mobile Murphy USA, Maryville Modern Dentistry, Blaze Pizza and Hooters.
Some people in the area may also see muddy water from their faucets.
