IU to play Tennessee in charity exhibition game

Indiana forward Malik Reneau (5) during an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, in Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — Indiana men’s basketball announced that they will be playing in a charity exhibition game against Tennessee.

The game will be on Sunday, October 27 at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville.

The money from the game will be donated to the John McLendon Foundation.

The John McLendon Foundation offers scholarships for minority students that are in postgraduate studies in athletics administration.

“We are excited to be able to play such a good, well-coached team in Tennessee to get us ready for the season,” Indiana head coach Mike Woodson said in a press release. “We wanted to test ourselves away from our home floor early in the season and this will be a great experience to learn where we are as a ball club.

“We are also honored to play for such a wonderful cause in the McLendon Foundation. The work that they do is truly special, and it is a credit to John McLendon and his legacy.”

NCAA rules require that exhibition games between two Division I teams must donate the proceeds to a designated charity.

Last season, Tennessee got a two-seed in the NCAA Tournament and lost in the Elite Eight to Purdue. They lost six players from their rotation on last year’s team.

The tip time of the game will be released at a later date.

Indiana will play their first regular season game on November 6 against SIU-Edwardsville.