Lady Vols basketball is set to begin its 2026 NCAA Tournament run on Friday. 10-seed Tennessee will match up with 7-seed NC State in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in the Round of 64.
The game will tip off on Friday, March 20, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET. It will air on ESPN. The commentator pairings and where each will attend for the opening rounds will be announced on Monday.
This marks the second meeting between the teams this year. The squads, then both ranked inside the top 10 of the AP Poll, met in Greensboro to begin the season. NC State won 80-77, despite Talaysia Cooper contributing 23 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and a block.
The winner between the Lady Vols and Wolfpack get the winner between 2-seed Michigan and 15-seed Holy Cross. That matchup will be played just ahead of UT vs. NCSU on Friday, as well. The opening two rounds are all played on the home floor of Michigan, which serves as the host site.
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Whichever of the four teams advances to the Sweet 16 will head to Fort Worth, Texas. For Tennessee, it’d mark two-straight trips to the round after Kim Caldwell led the Lady Vols to an upset of Ohio State on the Buckeyes’ home floor a year ago.
However, Tennessee has not made it to the Elite Eight since the 2015-16 season under Holly Warlick. That team made the run as a 7-seed in the event.
Likely Sweet 16 opponents that the Lady Vols could face this year include 3-seed Louisville, 6-seed Alabama and 11-seed Rhode Island.
