KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team will face Duke at Food City Center in a preseason exhibition game in advance of the 2025-26 season, as announced Friday afternoon.
The contest between the Volunteers and Blue Devils is slated for Oct. 26 at 7 p.m., with a TV network designation set to be announced at a later point.
“We have so much respect for Jon Scheyer and for the Duke basketball program,” Tennessee head coach Rick 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.”
The game will not be part of Tennessee’s season ticket package. Upper-level pricing begins at $20, while lower-level pricing starts at $35.
Season ticket holders, beginning today, will have first right of refusal for their current seat locations and will receive email communication from Tennessee Athletics this afternoon with details. First right of refusal for current seat locations ends Aug. 8 at 5 p.m.
Donor presales will take place Aug. 13-14 and eligible donors will receive email communication from Tennessee Athletics prior to those dates. General public ticket sales will open Aug. 15 at 10 a.m.
Parking information will be provided at a later point. In addition, tickets will be free for Tennessee students, with the claim period slated to start Oct. 20.
The Volunteers are 8-8 all-time against Duke, with each contest an official regular season affair. Tennessee owns a 3-2 ledger over the past five meetings and a 4-2 mark on its home floor.
Over the last 44 seasons, from 1981-2025, the two programs have clashed just twice. In the most recent matchup—the only one in series history with both sides ranked—Tennessee collected a 65-52 neutral-site victory on March 18, 2023, in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 in Orlando, Fla.
Duke last played a road game at Tennessee on Dec. 7, 1976, when the Blue Devils notched an 81-78 victory. The other five matchups on Rocky Top came between 1931 and 1952.
Tennessee is 88-18 all-time in exhibition affairs; that includes preseason affairs, in-season contests and foreign tours. That count features a 65-12 mark in the United States, including a 62-10 tally in Knoxville, as well as a 28-2 record versus American colleges.
The Volunteers are 25-1 in their last 26 exhibition games, including 15-1 under Barnes’ leadership. This is the fourth consecutive season Tennessee will play a Division I foe in an exhibition contest after never previously doing so.
