National media outlet is united in its NCAA Tournament prediction for the Lady Vols
The Lady Vols have still never missed an NCAA Tournament.
The 2025-26 season has been full of adversity for the Lady Vols, but the program’s NCAA Tournament streak is still alive.
Tennessee had made every NCAA Tournament since the tournament’s inception in 1982.
The Lady Vols are a No. 10 seed in this year’s tournament. Tennessee will take on No. 7 seed NC State in the first round.
CBS Sports makes its NCAA Tournament prediction for the Lady Vols
The Lady Vols’ first round matchup against NC State will be a rematch of the season-opener between the two programs.
Tennessee lost 80-77 to NC State in Greensboro in early November.
Lady Vols head coach Kim Caldwell said she was surprised that her team was matched up with NC State in the first round after playing the Wolfpack during the regular season.
“I was surprised with that,” said Caldwell. “You see the boards, you see the different scenarios, you look at it. I was surprised with our matchup. We didn’t have that one picked.”
“I don’t love having to play a team that we’ve already played,” added Caldwell. “But it’s not a game where it was — I think we’re both very different teams. We’ve both been through a lot since that game, so it’s going to be kind of not a rematch, if that makes sense. We’re both different.”
A trio of CBS Sports writers — Lindsey Gibbs, Jack Maloney, and Isabel Gonzalez — made their NCAA Tournament bracket picks this week, and all three have the Lady Vols losing to NC State in the first round.
A one-and-done showing certainly wasn’t the goal for the Lady Vols coming into the season, but seasons don’t always go to plan.
There will be plenty of talk this offseason about whether or not Caldwell is the right coach for the Lady Vols. But for now, it appears that her job is safe. A first round exit is unlikely to change Caldwell’s status, but it would certainly make her seat warmer going into the offseason.
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