Tennessee Volunteers Lady Volunteers |
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University | University of Tennessee |
Conference | Southeastern Conference |
NCAA | Division I/FBS |
Athletic director | Dave Hart |
Location | Knoxville, Tennessee |
Varsity teams | 18 |
Football stadium | Neyland Stadium |
Basketball arena | Thompson-Boling Arena |
Baseball stadium | Lindsey Nelson Stadium |
Softball stadium | Sherri Parker Lee stadium |
Symbol | Power T |
Mascot | Smokey |
Nickname | Volunteers (Vols) |
Fight song |
Down the Field (official) Rocky Top (unofficial) Fight Vols, Fight (official) |
Colors | UT Orange and White |
Website | www |
The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the 18 male and female varsity intercollegiate athletics programs that represent the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Volunteers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). In September 2011 Dave Hart, formerly the assistant athletic director at the University of Alabama, was introduced as Tennessee's new athletic director. Hart became the school's first athletic director in Tennessee history to oversee the women's and men's athletic departments as they merged in June 2012 after which Joan Cronan, the former women's athletics director, became the senior adviser to Hart and Chancellor Jimmy Cheek.
Men's and women's teams with the exception of women's basketball are called the Volunteers (often shortened to "Vols") The Tennessee women's basketball team is called the Lady Volunteers ("Lady Vols"). These names come from the nickname of Tennessee, The Volunteer State.
The Tennessee Volunteers have competed in the Southeastern Conference since its inception in 1932 and consistently been at the top. The Vols have adopted a tradition for competing in every sport often resulting in many teams being ranked in the top 25. Tennessee has been known for its football and women's basketball programs that have both featured several famous coaches including Robert Neyland and Pat Summitt. Tennessee's football team won the first ever BCS National Championship Game and also represents the 9th winningest program in the NCAA. Tennessee women's basketball team won the 2007 and 2008 National Championships earning Pat Summit her eighth national title, which is the most in women's basketball. Overall Tennessee has won 147 regular season SEC championships and 23 national championships in women's basketball, football, men's indoor and outdoor track & field, women's indoor and outdoor track & field, and men's swimming & diving. The only Tennessee sport that does not compete in the SEC is women's rowing which competes in C-USA and won the 2010 conference championship.