A challenging Tennessee men’s 2008-09 basketball schedule includes 15 dates in Thompson-Boling Arena and an equal number in less-friendly environments — some of them unusual stops for the Vols.

Included in the lineup are both of last year’s NCAA tournament championship game opponents, Kansas and runner-up Memphis.

“The schedule is designed to send a message to our players that we have confidence in them to play against the best in the country,’’ said coach Bruce Pearl.

“We do not want to put them in a position that, when we start the SEC part of the schedule, they feel overwhelmed. I want them to feel prepared.’’

Television and tip-off times will be announced later.

After exhibition games against the University of Indianapolis and Tusculum, the Vols open the season Nov. 15 at home against Chattanooga.

Only three of the first nine games are in Knoxville.

The Vols play Kansas for the first time on Jan. 3, in historic Allen Fieldhouse.

They also make their first appearance in Murfreesboro since 1988, their first appearance in Orlando since 1990 and their first appearance in Philadelphia since 1998.

Tennessee scheduled a non-SEC game in Nashville’s Sommet Center for the fourth consecutive year. This time it’s Marquette in the SEC/Big East Challenge.

The Challenge is a double-header, the night’s first game matching Vanderbilt against South Florida. Tickets are $60 and $45 and are available from UT.

The Vols play Louisiana-Lafayette for the fourth consecutive year. Gonzaga visits Thompson-Boling on Jan. 7, a return match to UT’s win in Seattle last year.

The Old Spice Classic at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando on Thanksgiving weekend guarantees three games. The bracket hasn’t been set.

A heavyweight field includes Gonzaga, Georgetown, Maryland, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Siena and Wichita State.

Memphis visits Knoxville on Jan. 24 to launch the only three-game home stand of the season. LSU and Florida also visit that week.

New to the home schedule from last season are UT-Martin and Belmont.

The Vols play Temple in Philadelphia for the first time since 1945. UT experienced no brotherly love in a 1998 loss at St. Joseph’s.

UNC-Asheville and 7-foot-7 Kenny George return to Knoxville on Dec. 3.

The SEC tournament will be held in Tampa, Fla., for the first time, from March 12-15.

The schedule includes at least 14 games against teams that made the NCAA tournament last year. The Old Spice field also includes four NCAA tournament teams.

Renewal forms for season-ticket holders must be returned by Aug. 11. Any season tickets that remain will go on sale Sept. 3. Remaining single-game tickets will be available in October.

John Currie, executive associate athletic director, said UT “did our best to keep the 300-level season tickets and family-plan tickets as low as possible.’’

The 300-level tickets are $160 for the season. Individual game tickets in the 300 level will be $10 for non-conference games and $15 for SEC games, Memphis and Gonzaga.

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UT basketball schedule

Date Day Opponent Site

Nov. 3 Mon. Indianapolis (exhibition) Knoxville

Nov. 7 Fri. Tusculum (exhibition) Knoxville

Nov. 15 Sat. UT-Chattanooga Knoxville

Nov. 18 Tue. UT-Martin Knoxville

Nov. 21 Fri. at Middle Tennessee Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Nov. 27 Thur. 1-Old Spice Classic Orlando, Fla.

Nov. 28 Fri. 1-Old Spice Classic Orlando, Fla.

Nov. 30 Sun. 1-Old Spice Classic Orlando, Fla.

Dec. 3 Wed. UNC Asheville Knoxville

Dec. 13 Sat. at Temple Philadelphia, Pa.

Dec. 16 Tue. 2-Marquette Nashville, Tenn.

Dec. 20 Sat. Belmont Knoxville

Dec. 29 Mon. Louisiana-Lafayette Knoxville

Jan. 3 Sat. at Kansas Lawrence, Kan.

Jan. 7 Wed. Gonzaga Knoxville

Jan. 10 Sat. at Georgia* Athens, Ga.

Jan. 13 Tue. Kentucky* Knoxville

Jan. 17 Sat. South Carolina* Knoxville

Jan. 20 Tue. at Vanderbilt* Nashville, Tenn.

Jan. 24 Sat. Memphis Knoxville

Jan. 28 Wed. LSU* Knoxville

Jan. 31 Sat. Florida* Knoxville

Feb. 4 Wed. at Arkansas* Fayetteville, Ark.

Feb. 7 Sat. at Auburn* Auburn, Ala.

Feb. 11 Wed. Georgia* Knoxville

Feb. 14 Sat. Vanderbilt* Knoxville

Feb. 18 Wed. at Ole Miss* Oxford, Miss.

Feb. 21 Sat. at Kentucky* Lexington, Ky.

Feb. 25 Wed. Mississippi State* Knoxville

March 1 Sun. at Florida* Gainesville, Fla.

March 5 Thur. at South Carolina* Columbia, S.C.

March 8 Sun. Alabama* Knoxville

March 12-15 SEC Tournament Tampa, Fla. Raycom & CBS TBD

March 17 NCAA Opening Round Game (Dayton, Ohio)

March 19 & 21 NCAA First & Second Rounds (Greensboro, N.C. / Kansas City, Mo. / Philadelphia, Pa. / Portland, Ore.)

March 20 & 22 NCAA First & Second Rounds (Boise, Idaho / Dayton, Ohio / Miami, Fla. / Minneapolis, Minn.)

March 26 & 28 NCAA Regionals (Boston, Mass. / Glendale, Ariz.)

March 27 & 29 NCAA Regionals (Indianapolis, Ind. / Memphis, Tenn.)

April 4 & 6 NCAA Final Four (Detroit, Mich.)

Key

1-Old Spice Classic (Orlando, Fla.) - Georgetown, Gonzaga, Maryland, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Siena and Wichita State

2-SEC/Big East Challenge (Nashville, Tenn.)

* Southeastern Conference Game

All Times Eastern & Subject to Change

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.