When Tennessee plays in Brooklyn, New York for the NIT Season Tip-Off, they’ll be wearing some new threads. But these new jerseys look a lot like some older ones Tennessee used to wear.
The official Tennessee basketball Twitter account put out a video Tuesday night showing off new alternate uniforms for the men’s basketball team that have a throwback look about them. The style of the new uniforms are modeled after jerseys Tennessee wore in the early 1970s through the 1980s. Tennessee is billing the new uniforms as “Old School/New Heights.”
Take a look at the video:
Old School / New Heights
Tomorrow night’s threads ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/nJdNrtGtaa
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) November 21, 2018
Tennessee wore similar jerseys most notably during the tail end of the Ray Mears era and through most of the Don DeVoe era of Tennessee basketball. The Vols sported jerseys in this style when they won SEC titles in the 1971-72, 1976-77, 1978-79 and 1981-82 seasons.
Here’s a better look at the new jerseys compared to the ones from the 70s and 80s:
Keep it classic. pic.twitter.com/VvsEHzMc3P
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) November 21, 2018
No. 5 Tennessee will wear these throwback uniforms when they take on Louisville in the NIT Season Tip-Off on Wednesday at 5 PM Eastern in Brooklyn, NY. If Tennessee wins that game, they will play the winner of the No. 2 Kansas vs. Marquette match-up at 9 PM Eastern on Friday. If they lose to Louisville, they will face the loser of the other match-up at 7 PM Eastern on Friday.
The Vols haven’t worn an alternate jersey in basketball in a couple seasons. When the University of Tennessee agreed to a contract with Nike prior to the 2015 season, the basketball team — along with every other major sport at UT — was given an alternate “Smokey Grey” uniform. Tennessee hasn’t worn that combo in basketball since the 2015-16 season, Rick Barnes’ first at Tennessee.
If Tennessee wears these new uniforms during a home game, their first opportunity after this tournament will come on November 28th when they host Eastern Kentucky at 6:30 Eastern.
