The Lady Vols will have one of their own alumni in the building to kick off the annual weeklong initiative honoring legendary Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt.
Former Lady Vol Nikki Fargas will serve as an analyst for the matchup between No. 15 Tennessee (14-2, 2-2 SEC) and Mississippi State (15-3, 2-2) at Food City Center on Thursday (7 p.m. ET, SEC Network).
It will be the only We Back Pat Week game on Thursday to kick off the annual initiative. The Lady Vols are on the road for both games next week, which will be “We Back Pat” games for Vanderbilt and Texas.
Who is legendary Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt?
Pat Summitt led the Lady Vols program for 38 seasons, building it into a national powerhouse. She won eight national championships and retired as one of the greatest coaches in history with a 1,098-208 record. Her dynasty with the Lady Vols was a significant factor in the rise of the popularity of women’s basketball in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Summitt was born in Clarksville and played on the women’s basketball team at UT Martin. She was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s at 59 years old in 2011. She retired in 2012 and battled the disease until her death in June 2016.
What is We Back Pat Week?
“We Back Pat” Week is an initiative dedicated to raising awareness and recognition to the Pat Summitt Foundation. This will be the 13th annual “We Back Pat” Week in the SEC. The Pat Summitt Foundation was started by Summitt and her son, Tyler, in November 2011 after Summitt’s diagnosis that August.
The foundation’s mission is to award grants to nonprofit organizations that advance research for treatment and a cure. It also aims to provide care and support for patients and caregivers and to educate the public on Alzheimer’s disease.
Who is former Lady Vol Nikki Fargas?
Fargas is president of the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA. Since Fargas was hired in 2021, the Aces won WNBA championships in 2022 and 2023. She is also an analyst for SEC Network.
Fargas, then Nikki Caldwell, was a standout guard for the Lady Vols from 1990-94. The Oak Ridge native was a key piece of Tennessee’s 1991 championship run as a freshman.
As a member of Summitt’s staff Fargas played a significant part in recruiting Lady Vols legend Candace Parker and helped lead Tennessee to national championships in 2007 and 2008. Fargas also was head coach at UCLA and LSU.
KIM CALDWELL: Lady Vols coach Kim Caldwell’s emotional journey with her dad from life-changing wins to devastating loss
We Back Pat Week schedule, TV channels
Jan. 16
Jan. 19
-
Florida vs. LSU at 1 p.m. ET on SEC Network
-
Georgia vs. Kentucky at 2 p.m. ET, on SEC Network+
-
South Carolina vs. Oklahoma at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN
-
Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee at 3 p.m. ET on SEC Network+
-
Arkansas vs. Alabama at 5 p.m. ET on SEC Network
Jan. 23
-
Texas A&M vs. Kentucky at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network
-
Mississippi State vs. Auburn at 7:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network+
-
Texas vs. Tennessee at 9 p.m. ET on SEC Network
Jan. 26
-
Kentucky vs. Arkansas at noon ET on SEC Network
-
Alabama vs. Vanderbilt at 2 p.m. ET on SEC Network
-
Oklahoma vs. Georgia at 2:30 p.m. ET on SEC Network+
-
Auburn vs. Florida at 3 p.m. ET on SEC Network+
-
Ole Miss vs. Texas at 3 p.m. ET on ESPN
-
LSU vs. Texas A&M at 4 p.m. ET on SEC Network
Jan. 27
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: What is We Back Pat Week? SEC honors Lady Vols’ Pat Summitt every year
