Tennessee Basketball Set to Clash with Duke in High-Stakes Showdown at Food City Center—Who Will Dominate the Court?

“We have so much respect for Jon Scheyer and for the Duke basketball program,” Barnes said. “It is an exciting opportunity for our players and our fans to host the Blue Devils here in Knoxville for a high-level exhibition game. We are confident this matchup will benefit both teams and really help prepare us for the upcoming season.”Here we go again — the Tennessee Volunteers are gearing up for another pivotal chapter in their basketball saga. The 2025-26 campaign marks a full eleven seasons under the hawk-eyed guidance of Rick Barnes, a coach who’s carved out quite the legacy with a 232–109 overall record, including a gritty 111–66 in SEC showdowns. The man’s no stranger to success — his resume boasts a 2022 SEC Tournament crown, a pair of SEC regular-season titles in 2018 and 2024, and not one but two Elite Eight runs in the NCAA Tournament over the last couple of years. And just when you thought things couldn’t get more electrifying, Barnes dropped a bombshell: a preseason exhibition clash with none other than Duke, right in the heart of Knoxville at the Food City Center. Talk about a basketball bonanza! The buzz is real, and confidence is sky-high that this matchup will sharpen both squads as they march toward the season ahead. Stay tuned — this is the kind of hoops action you won’t wanna miss. LEARN MOREBarnes guided Tennessee to a 2022 SEC Tournament title, two SEC regular-season championships (2018, 2024) and two NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearances (2024-25).The 2025-26 men’s basketball season will be the 11th for Tennessee under head coach Rick Barnes. He has compiled a 232–109 (111–66 SEC) record with the Vols.Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).

Tennessee will host Duke on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. EDT. A TV network designation will be announced at a later date.

On Friday, he announced a preseason basketball exhibition game against Duke at Food City Center.