The Volunteer State
The Volunteer State
The Volunteer State is a Tennessee Vols sports podcast covering sports topics from the University of Tennessee featuring The Knoxville News Sentinel's John Adams, Mike Wilson and Blake Toppmeyer.Follow the podcast:
6 burning Tennessee football questions after spring game, as transfer portal opens
Tennessee football can rest easy about its starting quarterback situation. Not only is Nico Iamaleava the starter, he's a star in the making. Iamaleava's tidy performance in Saturday's spring game reiterated that all is well with Tennessee's QB1. Elsewhere on the roster, it's more of a mixed situa…
38:02
Grading Lady Vols' hire of Kim Caldwell: Not an 'A,' but passing grade
The Lady Vols are all in on Kim Caldwell's upside. Tennessee athletic director Danny White didn't want to miss the boat on Caldwell or delay hiring a coach whose career is on an upward trajectory. Two years ago, Caldwell led Division II Glenville State to its first national championship. This seas…
37:37
Who should Lady Vols hire? Here are 6 swing-big options, plus a fallback plan
Danny White faces a big decision – his biggest decision, in fact, since he hired Josh Heupel in 2021. White is conducting a Lady Vols coaching search that will reshape the direction of the program. Kellie Harper maintained the program as an NCAA Tournament regular, but she repeatedly peaked in the…
42:37
Tennessee basketball to Final Four? Maybe, but here's a case for Purdue or Creighton
Rick Barnes and the Sweet 16 go hand and hand. The Vols are back among the NCAA Tournament’s final 16 teams standing in March Madness for the second straight year and the third time during Barnes’ tenure. But, this round of March Madness remains a familiar pitfall for Tennessee, which has never m…
27:11
How far will Tennessee basketball go in March Madness? Our experts picks are in
Tennessee’s early SEC Tournament exit cost the Vols a likely No. 1 NCAA seed. The silver lining: Tennessee won’t have to meet No. 1 overall seed UConn in the NCAA Tournament until the national championship. Also good news: Rick Barnes possesses his best team in a handful of years. But, Tennessee’…
26:44
Why winning SEC Tournament does (and doesn't) matter to Tennessee basketball
More than a trophy is at stake when the Tennessee basketball team takes the floor at the SEC Tournament in Nashville this week. A No. 1 seed could be on the line for the Vols (24-7). Some bracket experts are projecting Tennessee as a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament, but such outlooks are subj…
20:34
4 Tennessee football storylines to monitor during Vols' spring practice
We're talking about practice. Spring practice. Tennessee will begin spring workouts on March 18. Let the Nico Iamaleava era take hold. Iamaleava's performance in his first career start, a bowl victory against Iowa, has Vols fans feeling optimistic about the 2024 season. The quarterback position b…
28:49
What's the most important game on Tennessee football schedule? You can probably guess
Perhaps it goes without saying. We’ll say it anyway. The Third Saturday in October will be the most important game on Tennessee’s 2024 schedule. Oh, sure, we realize the importance of a few other games. When the Vols face Georgia in mid-November, Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs may well be ranked No. 1. T…
34:34
Why Tennessee basketball is built for March Madness. Hint: Dalton Knecht
Is this finally the year Tennessee basketball makes a Final Four? We've wondered that about previous Rick Barnes teams, but Barnes has never advanced past the Sweet 16 with the Vols. That history suggests that Tennessee, despite its No. 5 national ranking and 20-6 record, is just teasing a hungry …
24:27
How Tennessee football can use NCAA investigation as a recruiting pitch
Maybe this is the NCAA’s way of doing Tennessee a favor. UT officials have decried the NCAA’s latest investigation into the Tennessee Vols, but if you think about it, the Vols can use this to their advantage. Tennessee’s response to this investigation can be loosely summarized as: Rules? What rul…
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