Tennessee and Indiana gear up to play a charity match on Oct. 27

The Tennessee Volunteers will be hosting the Indiana Hoosiers for a pre-season charity exhibition on Oct. 27. This is in accordance with the NCAA rules, which stipulate that the proceeds from an exhibition game between two Division I teams must be donated to a charity.

Tennessee coach Rick Barnes commented on the game in a statement from the school:

“We are thrilled to host one of the best programs in the nation and support a worthy cause at the same time. I have a great deal of respect for Coach Woodson and I look forward to sharing a sideline with him for the first time.

“Indiana’s first visit to Knoxville provides an excellent test for our guys before the season officially begins. Most of all, though, it is a great way to raise money for an impactful organization whose mission I fully support.”

The teams chose to support the John McLendon Foundation, which provides students from minorities an opportunity to pursue postgraduate education via its scholarship programs. It also helps them secure employment experience through the McLendon Minority Leadership Initiative.

"On behalf of the McLendon Foundation, we are humbled by the continued support of Coach Barnes and Coach Woodson," McLendon Foundation director Adrien Harraway said. "This game between the University of Tennessee and Indiana University demonstrates how sports can bring us together to inspire the next generation of sports leaders."

In their entire playing history, Tennessee has played against Indiana four times, with the Hoosier taking the lead at 4-0. All four games were between 1967 and 1985, with three post-season games and one regular season match-up. The most recent one was on March 27, 1985, for the NIT Semifinals, when the Hoosiers won 74-67.

Indiana Hoosiers coach Mike Woodson also commented on the match-up:

“We are excited to be able to play such a good, well-coached team in Tennessee to get us ready for the season. We wanted to test ourselves away from our home floor early in the season and this will be a great experience to learn where we are as a ball club.

Tennessee Volunteers spread joy through Hoops for Hope camp

Apart from donating money, the Tennessee Volunteers also donated their time through the Hoops for Hope event on Sunday. Both men's and women's basketball players spent time training and teaching young individuals with Down syndrome.

The event is a twenty-year tradition that has been carried out diligently. The players and the attendees have a deep bond after meeting annually. While the players may be the ones teaching the attendees, they also take something home. Lady Volunteers guard Jewel Spear said:

"Seeing them ready for the next shot... gives me inspiration."

With the upcoming college season, the players could use this to push forward in times of struggle.