Tennessee Lady Vols to Compete in 2026 Coconut Hoops Tournament

The Lady Vols are scheduled to play their opening game in the Great Egret Division against Florida Gulf Coast University on Friday, November 27, at 6:30 p.m. ET. This matchup will occur at the Alico Arena, which has a capacity of 4,633, located on the FGCU campus.

The winner of the Tennessee vs. FGCU game will advance to face the winner of the Friday afternoon game between Houston and Creighton on Sunday, November 29, at 6:30 p.m. ET for the championship. The losing teams from the Friday games will compete in a consolation game on Sunday at 4 p.m. Further details regarding streaming coverage will be announced later.

In the Blue Heron Division, games will start daily at 1:30 p.m. The matchups include Oklahoma State vs. Washington on November 27, Oklahoma State vs. UMass on November 28, and Washington vs. UMass on November 29.

UT Head Coach Kim Caldwell expressed excitement about the tournament, stating, "We're looking forward to our trip to the Fort Myers area and to competing for the first time in Coconut Hoops. This multi-team event comes between a home game with UCLA and a road game at Virginia Tech, and it lines us up against some well-coached programs that have histories of success in their respective conferences. These competitive opportunities will test and prepare us for the conference schedule that lies ahead."

This matchup will mark the first-ever meeting between the Lady Vols and the Eagles, who are members of the Atlantic Sun Conference and have secured 15 regular-season titles in their league history.

Tennessee may also meet Creighton, a member of the BIG EAST, or Houston from the Big 12, both for the first time as well. Houston's head coach, Matthew Mitchell, previously served as a graduate assistant at Tennessee in 1999-2000 and led the women's program at Kentucky from 2007 to 2020.

Tennessee, currently ranked No. 25 in the USA TODAY Sports "Way-Too-Early" Top 25, is heading into Coach Caldwell's third year. The Lady Vols aim for their third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance after finishing the 2025-26 season with a record of 16-14 and an 8-8 mark in the SEC, placing them sixth in the league and leading to an NCAA First Round exit.

Caldwell's roster this season consists of 15 players, with 13 transfers and two freshmen. This lineup was finalized in just 22 days, and the Lady Vols' transfer class has been rated ninth overall by USA TODAY Sports and second in the SEC, with On3 ranking them tenth overall and fourth in the SEC.

College basketball analyst and event contributor Debbie Antonelli commented, "I'm really looking forward to watching these programs compete in Fort Myers this November. This event continues to grow the game of women's college basketball, and this strong field features some of the best brands in the game."

Fan travel information, including preferred hotel rates and ticket details, will be available on the official event website, www.coconuthoops.com. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, September 23, at 10 a.m. ET.

bdG Sports, the organizer of the tournament, has extensive experience in managing sports events, particularly in basketball. The company has a reputation for creating impactful events that benefit communities across North America and the Caribbean.