On the field, on the court, and in the pool, Vols shattered multiple school, conference, and world records during the 2024–25 season—and there’s still more to play.
Pitcher Karlyn Pickens threw her way into the record book with the fastest softball pitch ever recorded at 78.2 mph in a win against Arkansas in March, breaking a record set by legendary Lady Vol Monica Abbott in a professional game.
In December 2024, swimmer Jordan Crooks set a new world record in the 50-meter freestyle (short-course meters). He became the first person ever to swim faster than 20 seconds, finishing with a 19.90 performance during the semifinals—.61 seconds faster than the next fastest individual.
Crooks and his teammates Gui Caribe, Lamar Taylor, and Nikoli Blackman broke NCAA records in the 200 free relay (1:12.80) and 400 free relay (2:42.30) during the championship season. On the 400 free relay, Crooks anchored the NCAA gold medal-winning performance with a 39.36 time, making it the fastest 100-yard free relay split of all time. Throughout the NCAA Championships, the Vols brought home three national titles and finished fifth overall as a team.
Not to be outdone, women’s swimming and diving finished in the top five in back-to-back seasons for the first time ever. It is the eighth-straight top-10 finish at the NCAA Championships for the Lady Vols. This year marked the first time in program history that both programs placed inside the top five in the same season.
The Lady Vol basketball team, under first-year head coach Kim Caldwell, went on a Sweet 16 run, hitting an NCAA tournament record 16 three-pointers against the University of South Florida in the opening round. They also broke an NCAA record in the regular season with 30 three-pointers made in a blowout win over North Carolina Central in December 2024.
During the second-straight Elite 8 run for the men’s basketball team, Chaz Lanier broke the school’s single-season three-point record after hitting a three in the second round, marking his 119th three-pointer. Zakai Ziegler set a new SEC record with 261 assists on the season, breaking a 45-year record.
The Vol baseball team has produced two no-hitters during this season, marking the ninth and tenth in program history. The first this season came in March during a 12–0 win over St. Bonaventure, while the second occurred during a rematch of last year’s matchup with the Texas A&M Aggies.
Football running back Dylan Sampson set the UT single-season rushing touchdown record against Kentucky in November, crossing into the end zone 19 times. Sampson went on to finish the season with 22 touchdowns.