Donnie Tyndall, right, is introduced as Tennessee men’s basketball coach by athletic director Dave Hart during a news conference in Knoxville in this file photo.KNOXVILLE – Tennessee won’t open Donnie Tyndall’s tenure as its men’s basketball coach on an aircraft carrier, as some teams in college hoops have done in recent seasons.
His Volunteers will open the 2014-15 season in a unique setting, however.
In Tyndall’s debut, Tennessee will play Virginia Commonwealth at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., as part of the Veterans Classic, a Nov. 14 doubleheader that will be telecast by the CBS College Sports Network.
The Vols and Rams will play at 6:30, with Navy versus Michigan State to follow.
As part of the trip, the Vols will get a glimpse into daily life at the Academy. The team will tour the campus, known as the Yard, watch noon meal formations, attend military demonstrations and receptions and eat lunch with the naval brigade at King Hall.