Tennessee Basketball's Projected March Madness Seed Entering SEC Tournament

The Vols are projected as a 5-seed in the Midwest Region, facing Liberty in the first round.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Tennessee Basketball has primarily landed as a 5-seed in Joe Lunardi's bracketology reports throughout the season. Following the regular season, the Volunteers are projected as the final 5-seed in the Midwest Region, facing 12-seed Liberty in the first round. Tennessee's potential path to the Final Four includes games in Portland, Chicago, and Indianapolis.

Why it matters

With the SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament on the horizon, Tennessee's projected seed and tournament path are important for understanding their chances of making a deep March Madness run. The Vols have been a consistent 5-seed, but their region features several other tough opponents.

The details

In Lunardi's latest projection, Tennessee is the final 5-seed in the Midwest Region, facing 12-seed Liberty in the first round. The Vols could potentially face 4-seed Virginia or 13-seed North Dakota State in the second round. Other notable teams in Tennessee's region include 1-seed Michigan, 2-seed UConn, 3-seed Purdue, 6-seed North Carolina, 7-seed Georgia, and 8-seed St. Louis.

  • The SEC Tournament will take place next week, with Tennessee as the 5-seed.
  • The NCAA Tournament First Four games are on March 17-18, with the first and second rounds from March 19-22.
  • The Midwest Regional Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games are on March 27-29 in Chicago.
  • The Final Four and Championship games are on April 4-6 in Indianapolis.

The players

Rick Barnes

The head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers basketball team.

Joe Lunardi

ESPN's bracketologist who releases regular projections of the NCAA Tournament field.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.