KNOXVILLE -- The Tennessee basketball team has earned a No. 2 seed in the 76th National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and hosts Mercer Wednesday, March 20, in the opening round of the tournament at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Volunteers and Bears tip off at 8 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
All tickets will be $10 and are general admission. BUY TICKETS
Mercer was the regular-season champion of the Atlantic Sun in 2013. The Bears, led by head coach Bob Hoffman, posted a 23-11 record following a loss in the league championship game to Florida Gulf Coast.
2013 NIT Bracket.pdf
Tennessee defeated Mercer in the schools’ most recent meeting in 1993, 67-45. Prior to that, the teams had not played since 1924, with Mercer winning three meetings from 1913-24.
The winner of Wednesday’s game will face the winner of Tuesday’s first-round clash between Washington and BYU.
This is Tennessee's 13th all-time appearance in the NIT, and the Vols own a 13-12 record in the event. Tennessee was a No. 1 seed in last season's NIT, and it defeated Savannah State in the first round before falling to Middle Tennessee.
UT's best showing at the NIT came in 1985, when the Vols advanced to the semifinals in New York City and fell to Indiana before beating Louisville in the consolation game.
NIT TICKET INFORMATION
General admission tickets are on sale now for the Tennessee basketball team's first-round NIT game against Mercer on Wednesday, March 20. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. at Thompson-Boling Arena.
All customers are encouraged to purchase online and use the "print at home" delivery method to avoid lines at the Will Call window. Direct link to purchase tickets online: BUY TICKETS
Tickets for the NIT are general admission and cost $10.
Starting Monday morning, UT students should register for tickets at www.BigOrangeTix.com (same procedure as during the regular season).
Phones sales begin at 8:30 a.m. ET, on Monday, March 18, by calling 865-656-1200 or 1-800-332-8657. Fans can purchase tickets at the Thompson-Boling Arena Ticket Office beginning Monday at 8:30 a.m.ET. Ticket window hours are 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday for as long as Tennessee remains in the NIT field (including UT Spring Break).
The Courtside Club at the Ray Mears Room will not be open for NIT games.
All regular basketball game parking lots will be open and available, except for Lot 23D (immediately west of Thompson-Boling Arena) and parking spaces reserved for handicapped/disabled patrons. Parking passes that were issued for the regular-season games will not be valid or in effect for any NIT games.
For the most up-to-date information about the Tennessee basketball program, visit UTsports.com/basketball and follow @Vol_Hoops on Twitter.
(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@earthlink.net)