Tennessee Volunteers History

Located in Knoxville, Tennessee, the University of Tennessee is one of the oldest public universities in the country. The University opened its doors in 1794, before it had been added to the Union as a state. Through the Civil War, Eastern Tennessee was known to be very anti-slavery and pro-Union and the University found itself on the front lines several times during the war. Around the country, the university is probably best known for its sports programs, which have found success in many top tier sports, especially men's football and women's basketball. The owner of four National Championships, the Volunteers football team has been a fixture of the university since 1891, and serves as one of the most respected in the country. The Vols play their games as members of the Southeast Conference, or SEC, which is widely known as the most competitive in college football. They enjoy longstanding rivalries with many of the SEC teams, especially the Alabama Crimson Tide, Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs. Maybe the most storied of all the Vol sports programs is the women's basketball program, known as the Lady Vols. The Lady Vols have won an amazing eight National Championships, with 18 Final Four appearances. At the University of Tennessee, you will see some of the most loyal and spirited fans found anywhere in the country. So grab your orange gear and experience all of the UT traditions.

Tennessee Volunteers Football

The Tennessee Volunteer football program has been setting the standard for all of college football as one of the sports most storied programs since it began playing football in 1891. In the top 10 all time for wins, the Tennessee Vols have won six National Championships as well as sixteen Conference Titles, which is especially impressive because they have played in the fiercely competitive Southeastern Conference since 1932. The most famous of all the Tennessee Vols is quarterback Peyton Manning, a Vol from 1994-1998. Manning set many incredible records while in Knoxville, like the all time leader in passing, touchdowns and wins, a record that he also holds for the SEC as a whole. His number has been retired by the school and they even named a nearby street Peyton Manning Pass. Today, the Volunteers are looking at an even better SEC than ever before with the addition of the Missouri Tigers, who finished the 2013 season with a 12-2 record and the Texas A&M Aggies, who were led by Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Johnny Manziel. The Vols are looking to get back to the top of the standings in the SEC, which is never easy with a brutal schedule guaranteed every season.

Tennessee Volunteers Basketball

The Tennessee Men's Basketball program is coming off a tremendous season in 2013-2014, that was capped off by a thrilling run to the Sweet Sixteen. Though the SEC may not be known for its basketball programs, the three SEC teams who made the NCAA Tournament represented the Conference very well, with Kentucky making it all the way to the Championship Game. The Volunteers may have fallen short of their ultimate goal, but they proved that the Vols are still a force to be reckoned with on the national scene. The Vols will head into the 2014-2015 season with a new coach, though, as Cuonzo Martin has departed Knoxville to become of the head coach of the University of California Golden Bears in Berkeley. The Vols new coach, Donnie Tyndall from Southern Miss, is excited to take this talented roster into battle in the SEC in the upcoming season, and will be looking to get back to the Sweet Sixteen and beyond. Get out to Thompson-Boling Arena as the Vols enter this new are of Volunteer basketball.

Tennessee Volunteers Women's Basketball

The Lady Volunteers are one college basketball's most successful basketball programs with eight National Championships and an incredible eighteen trips to the Final Four. Led by the legendary coach Pat Summit from 1974-2012, the Lady Vols dominated the sports of women's college basketball and transcended gender in sports. Coach Summit is an icon in college sports, winning the Naismith Coach of the 20th Century, inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000 and even awarded the 2012 Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama, the highest civilian award given out. With names like Candace Parker, Tamika Catchings, Dena Head andChamique Holdsclaw, The Lady Vols have featured some of the greatest women's college basketball players and have made the Lady Vols one of the winningest college basketball programs, men's or women's. The excitement of Lady Vols basketball continues, so get out to Thompson-Boling Arena and cheer on the ladies in orange as they vie for another SEC Championship in 2014-2015.

Tennessee Volunteers Trivia

What was the winning percentage of the Lady Vols basketball team under Coach Pat Summit?

The Lady Vols won an incredible 84% of their games during the tenure of the legendary Pat Summit. She is the only NCAA Division I basketball coach with at least 1,000 victories, retiring in 2012 with 1,098 career victories.