Official Tennessee basketball SEC schedule announced for the 2025-26 season

Let the countdown to the new Tennessee basketball season begin. After reaching the Elite Eight in back-to-back campaigns, Rick Barnes and Co. are fully focused on making program history by reaching the Final Four for the first time ever.

That's of course not going to be easy and before we start thinking about March Madness, there's a gauntlet awaiting the Vols once conference play gets here. On Wednesday, the official SEC schedule for next campaign was posted by Tennessee. As you can see below, there indeed are some incredibly difficult matchups on the way:

Tennessee basketball's 2025-26 SEC schedule features some head-turning games

Things will get started with a Jan. 3 tilt on the road against Arkansas. Then, Texas will come to town either Jan. 6 or Jan. 7 for the home-opener. The third SEC game of the year? It's an easy one, just going up against the reigning national champs in the Florida Gators on their home floor.

Florida is dreaming of repeating as the champs and they no doubt loaded up this offseason via the transfer portal. Tennessee has the chance to make a statement early in the campaign against them, while also hoping to wipe away the terrible memories from the blowout loss to Florida last year.

Barnes and his team have been hard at work this offseason, getting a head start on their prep for 2025-26. Plenty of attention has gone to 5-star signee Nate Ament, plus transfer Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Jaylen Carey. The pieces are in place for this team to once again go on a deep postseason run.

With so many changes on the roster, life after Zakai Zeigler, Chaz Lanier and Jahmai Mashack will surely have some growing pains. However, Barnes is one of the best coaches in the country and he himself loaded up too with exciting additions via his high school signing class and the portal. It could be a season to remember for the fellas from Knoxville.