Tennessee announces home-and-home basketball series with Cincinnati
Tennessee has added to its future out-of-conference schedule on the hardwood.
UT announced Tuesday that it has signed a contract with Cincinnati for the Volunteers and Bearcats to face off in each of the next two seasons (2019-20, 2020-21). The Vols will play at Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Arena on Dec. 18, 2019, and the Bearcats are set to visit Thompson-Boling Arena on Dec. 12, 2020.
For any Vols fans considering making the four-hour drive from Knoxville up I-75, the announcement notes that Fifth Third Arena underwent an $87 million facelift prior to this season.
Tennessee trails its all-time series with Cincinnati 1-5 (dating to 1952), but the Vols own a 44-39 all-time record against current members of the American Athletic Conference. UT head coach Rick Barnes is 20-18 against AAC opposition in his career. He last faced Cincinnati in 2012 while at Texas.
Tennessee is currently ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press Top 25 coming off a big win over then-No. 1 Gonzaga on Sunday.