Lady Vols basketball vs Iowa in inaugural Women's Champions Classic during 2024-25 season

Lady Vols basketball's first nonconference game of the 2024-25 season is on the schedule.

Tennessee will face Iowa in the inaugural Women's Champions Classic, which will be played at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Dec. 7. The Lady Vols will play in the first game of the doubleheader at 7 p.m. ET and will be followed by UConn vs. Louisville. Both games will be televised by FOX.

"We are honored to take part in the inaugural Women’s Champions Classic," Lady Vols coach Kellie Harper said in the release announcing the games in February. "What an exciting opportunity for our student-athletes to compete in a national showcase event that will continue to elevate the increased exposure we are seeing in women’s basketball. The Lady Vols have a long tradition of doing whatever we can to grow the game, and we can’t wait to hit the court at the Barclays Center next December."

Both Tennessee and Iowa's star players will be gone next season, with Lady Vols forward Rickea Jackson and Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark both headed for the 2024 WNBA Draft. There was a possibility the showcase would put the historic rivalry between the Lady Vols and UConn back on the schedule, but there's still a chance it returns next season.

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The series was first renewed before coach Kellie Harper was hired and the first matchup happened during her first season in 2019-20. UConn won all four matchups since the series was resumed in 2020 for the first time since 2007. It was not renewed for the 2023-24 season due to scheduling conflicts, but Harper said she believes they will try to continue the series after this season.

The showcase was initially planned as an annual event that featured UConn in an early-season showcase, and it will include a rotation of some of the most storied college programs each season. The four teams combine for a total of 19 NCAA Championships – thanks to UConn and Tennessee – along with 46 appearances in the Final Four and 120 conference titles.

Cora Hall covers University of Tennessee women’s athletics. Email her at cora.hall@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @corahalll. If you enjoy Cora’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that allows you to access all of it.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Lady Vols basketball vs Iowa in inaugural Women's Champions Classic