Tennessee is playing in the Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive year on March 27, but fans − and stores offering Vols merchandise − are already planning for the next rounds. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet.
Making it into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament is a massive accomplishment, but Vols fans are yearning for something more. They want this team to do what none other in program history has done before: to reach the Final Four. Better yet, finish the season with a national title.
The NCAA Tournament takes 64 teams and winnows that number down to one champion over the course of three weeks. It moves fast, and stores selling Vols merch have to move even faster, store manager Erica Williams for Alumni Hall on Papermill Drive told Knox News.
Before the first game of the tournament, Alumni Hall was selling bench T-shirts in each of their three Knoxville locations. What is that exactly? During March Madness, each team has a T-shirt they wear on the bench and during warm ups with a motto written across the front.
Last year, the tournament shirt said “Nothing Easy” with the respective school’s logo underneath it. This year, the shirt follows the same basic design, but the motto is “Lock It In.”
Can Tennessee lock in its first-ever Final Four appearance? We’ve got a few games to go before we find out. However, you can purchase the shirts online or in person at Alumni Hall and DICK’s Sporting Goods.
But what fans really want is merch that shows Tennessee’s depth in the NCAA Tournament, not just that they were there. So far, Alumni Hall and the VolShop both have a basic Sweet 16 T-shirt in stock on their websites.
The Alumni Hall T-shirt is “locally made,” Williams said. It comes only in classic Tennessee Orange, and “Sweet 16” is printed across a basketball with the Vols and March Madness logos.
“The road to the Final Four,” hugs the bottom of the basketball. This is the only Sweet 16 merchandise available at Alumni Hall right now, Williams said, and she was unsure if the store would get more. But if Tennessee fans have their way, and the Vols make a deeper playoff run, the store will be flooded with Final Four apparel and accessories.
Even if Tennessee beats Iowa State in the Sweet 16 and advances to the next round, there will not be Elite Eight merchandise. The tournament just moves too fast, she said. Williams expects all kinds of Final Four gear, like T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, mugs and koozies should the Vols reach the Final Four for the first time in program history.
The VolShop has a black Sweet 16 T-shirt on its website that is available for preorder. The website says it will ship in two to four weeks.
Joanna Hayes covers restaurants and retail for the business growth and development team. Email: joanna.hayes@knoxnews.com; Instagram: @knoxeat65. Sign up for Joanna’s Eat65 email newsletter to get the latest drink and dining news, as well as restaurant recommendations, at knoxnews.com/newsletters.
Support strong local journalism by subscribing at subscribe.knoxnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Where to buy Tennessee basketball Sweet 16 shirts in Knoxville
About the Author
