Tennessee starts the 2026-27 season outside both major preseason polls

The Lady Vols will open the 2026-27 season unranked in both the AP poll and the coaches poll, according to a Knoxville News Sentinel report on the preseason rankings.

Starting outside the Top 25 in both polls puts Tennessee in the position of having to play its way into the national rankings once the season begins, rather than carrying a preseason number into the opener.

For Kim Caldwell's team, the snub sets an early storyline for the year: the Lady Vols begin with something to prove, and early results will determine how quickly they can climb into either poll.