The Lady Vol Hall of Fame was initiated in 2001. In November 2014 the Athletics Department announced that it would no longer recognize female athletes by induction into the Lady Vol Hall of Fame, a corollary to combining the men’s and women’s athletics programs. The hall of fame had annually inducted up to 10 female … Continued
The name of all women’s intercollegiate athletic teams was established as Lady Vols in 1976 by newly appointed Director of Women’s Athletics Gloria Ray. Previously, when the sports club program was coordinated by the Women’s Physical Education Department, the teams had generally been referred to as Volettes. In November 2014 the Athletics Department announced that … Continued
Women’s basketball is the oldest of UT’s women’s intercollegiate sports, having been played at Tennessee in 1903. The women’s program, in fact, predates the men’s program. A team was fielded in 1920, with Mary Ayres Ewell, daughter of the late UT President Brown Ayres, as coach, and in 1921 Katherine Frisby organized a varsity team. … Continued
The Lady Vols Basketball Legends Program, annually honoring an outstanding former member of the team, was begun in 2001, with Bridgette Gordon as UT’s first inductee. She was followed by Daedra Charles (2002), Michelle Marciniak (2003), Jill Rankin Schneider (2004), Tamika Catchings (2005), Kara Lawson (2006), Holly Warlick (2007), Sheila Collins (2008), Dena Head (2009), … Continued
Amanda Humphrey of Hampton, Tennessee, was the 5 millionth fan through the turnstile at Thompson-Boling Arena for a Lady Vols basketball game on January 10, 2014, at the game against the University of Mississippi. She won two 2014–15 Lady Vol basketball season tickets; two courtside seats and Ray Mears Room access for the Ole Miss … Continued
On January 3, 1998, the Lady Vols vs. Connecticut game set the single game NCAA attendance record for women’s basketball when 24,597 fans (62 more fans than Thompson-Boling Arena held) watched the game. John Ward, Voice of the Vols broadcaster of men’s football and basketball games, stirred a debate over the attendance record in February … Continued
In 1968, when Joan Cronan became head Lady Vols basketball coach at 23 years old, the Lady Vols did not have any uniforms—they were playing in T-shirts and shorts. Cronan set about to change that. Only a few companies made women’s basketball uniforms, and none offered an orange uniform. She found some uniforms with orange … Continued
Basketball player Holly Warlick (22) was the first Lady Vol to have her jersey and number retired, on February 18, 1980, in a ceremony following Tennessee’s 89-72 win over Clemson. Other Lady Vol basketball jerseys/numbers retired have been Bridgette Gordon (30), Daedra Charles (32), Chamique Holdsclaw (23), and Tamika Catchings (24).
The John M. Lain Lecture is an annual event presented by Kappa Tau Alpha, UT’s honor society for mass communications. The lecture is named in honor of Professor John Lain who joined the UT journalism faculty in 1949 after serving as a naval aviator in World War II and then working for an aviation magazine. … Continued
In January 1927 a group of UT engineering students interested in intramurals formed a local fraternity, Zeta Tau Lambda. In 1930 the group petitioned Lambda Chi Alpha for a charter. The 14th General Assembly of Lambda Chi Alpha granted the charter, and the Epsilon Omicron Chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha was installed at UT on … Continued