Tennessee is coming off an Elite Eight run in the 2024 March Madness tournament and will hope to continue its success as a 2-seed for the second straight season and look to make its first Final Four in program history.
2024's Elite Eight run was the deepest run the Vols have had in the Rick Barnes era. For the second time in program history, the Vols advanced to the Elite Eight.
The Vols will have the opportunity to go on at least an Elite Eight run and possibly a Final Four run, but they will have to continue to improve throughout March on both ends of the court.
Tennessee will be looking to make its run as the 2-seed in the Midwest Region this year, which marks its 27th appearance in the "Big Dance" and the seventh-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. That stretch marks Tennessee's longest run of NCAA Tournament appearances in program history.
The Vols' first appearance in the NCAA Tournament came in 1967 when they made their first appearance in the Sweet Sixteen. The Sweet Sixteen round has been challenging for Tennessee, as the Vols have only won two Sweet Sixteen games in program history.
While the Sweet Sixteen has been a challenge, the Vols have seen some success in the NCAA Tournament, including a lot of recent success. Here is Tennessee's all-time round-by-round record in the NCAA Tournament:
Round of 64: 19-7 (.730)
Tennessee will look for its 20th first-round win this year in 27 all-time March Madness appearances. The Vols have been dominant in the first round in the Rick Barnes era, with only one loss under Barnes.
Round of 32: 9-9 (.500)
Tennessee has drastically improved in recent years. Tennessee has won three of its last four second-round games but has historically struggled. Four of its nine losses have come as the higher seed.
Sweet Sixteen: 2-8 (.200)
Tennessee's biggest roadblock has been the Sweet Sixteen. The Vols have had two periods of really good basketball since 2000, including one Sweet Sixteen win in both periods, one in 2010 and one in 2024.
Elite Eight: 0-2 (.000)
Tennessee only has two Elite Eight appearances in program history, including the Vols' 2024 run, but they have not advanced past the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament in their two chances.
Final Four & National Championship: No appearances
With Tennessee's 0-2 record in the Elite Eight, the Vols have never made an appearance in the Final Four or National Championship.
The Vols will look to change that this year as they prepare for their March Madness run. They will face 15-seed Wofford in the first round. Tip-off is scheduled for Thursday at 6:50 PM ET on TNT.