Another big non-conference matchup.
The SEC/Big 12 Challenge has been replaced with the SEC/ACC Challenge, and Tennessee now knows its opponent for the inaugural event. The Volunteers will return to Chapel Hill to face the North Carolina Tar Heels.
The dates have changed too, shifting from late January to late November. Tennessee and North Carolina will play on November 29th at 7:15 p.m. ET. The date is scheduled for one week after the Maui Invitational.
Tennessee is just 2-10 overall against the Tar Heels. The Volunteers won their last trip to North Carolina — 73-71 in 2016. Tennessee most recently beat North Carolina at the Mohegan Sun Arena back in 2021, 89-72. That was freshman Zakai Zeigler’s coming out party, if you’ll remember. The then first-year point guard scored 17 points in the win.
Rick Barnes, who grew up in North Carolina, will now play both NC State and North Carolina in the upcoming season.
Tennessee’s non-conference schedule consists of a home game with Illinois, a road trip to Wisconsin, a neutral site game with NC State in San Antonio and the stacked field in Maui.
2023 SEC/ACC Challenge Schedule
Tuesday, November 28th
LSU at Syracuse, 7 p.m.
Missouri at Pitt, 7 p.m.
Mississippi State at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m.
Notre Dame at South Carolina, 7 p.m.
Miami at Kentucky, 7:30 p.m.
NC State at Ole Miss, 9 p.m.
Clemson at Alabama, 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, November 29th
Tennessee at North Carolina, 7:15 p.m.
Texas A&M at Virginia, 7:15 p.m.
Florida at Wake Forest, 7:15 p.m.
Duke at Arkansas, 9:15 p.m.
Virginia Tech at Auburn, 9:15 p.m.
Georgia at Florida State, 9:15 p.m.
Boston College at Vanderbilt, 9:15 p.m.