Tennessee basketball SEC schedule announced featuring Kentucky in regular-season finale

Knoxville News Sentinel

Tennessee basketball closes the regular season against Kentucky two months after opening at Ole Miss.

UT announced its full SEC schedule on Thursday, which includes a Jan. 6 opener against Ole Miss at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Vols play at Kentucky on Feb. 3 and against host the Wildcats on March 9 in the regular-season finale. UT does not have a midweek matchup between Jan. 20 against Alabama and Jan. 27 at Vanderbilt.

Here is the full SEC schedule with game times and television assignments to be announced at a later date:

Saturday, Jan. 6: Ole Miss
Wednesday, Jan. 10: at Mississippi State
Saturday, Jan. 13: at Georgia
Tuesday, Jan. 16: Florida
Saturday, Jan. 20: Alabama
Saturday, Jan. 27: at Vanderbilt
Tuesday, Jan. 30: South Carolina
Saturday, Feb. 3: at Kentucky
Wednesday, Feb. 7: LSU
Saturday, Feb. 10: at Texas A&M
Wednesday, Feb. 14: at Arkansas
Saturday, Feb. 17: Vanderbilt
Tuesday, Feb. 20: at Missouri
Saturday, Feb. 24: Texas A&M
Wednesday, Feb. 28: Auburn
Saturday, March 2: at Alabama
Wednesday, March 6: at South Carolina
Saturday, March 9: Kentucky

The SEC Tournament is scheduled to take place in Nashville from March 13-17.

Tennessee went 11-7 in SEC play last season, finishing in a tie for fourth behind Alabama, Texas A&M and Kentucky.

The Vols play at Wisconsin on Nov. 10, one of two nonconference games with a Big Ten opponent. Tennessee is hosting Illinois at Thompson-Boling Arena on Dec. 9 in the first game of a two-game set against the Fighting Illini. The Vols play at North Carolina on Nov. 29 in the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge. UT also will play North Carolina State on Dec. 16 in San Antonio, Texas, as part of the Hall of Fame Series.

CHARITY:Tennessee basketball, Michigan State to play charity exhibition to benefit Maui fire relief

Tennessee is playing in the Maui Invitational from Nov. 20-22. It plays Syracuse in its first game on Nov. 20.

UT opens the regular season against Tennessee Tech on Nov. 6 at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Vols host Wofford on Nov. 14, George Mason on Dec. 5, Georgia Southern on Dec. 12, Tarleton State on Dec. 21 and Norfolk State on Jan. 2.

Tennessee and Michigan State will play an Oct. 29 exhibition in East Lansing, Michigan, with all proceeds from the game to be donated to the Hawai'i Community Foundation Maui Strong Fund to provide financial resources to the relief efforts from the devastating Maui wildfires.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it