The 2010-2011 Tennessee basketball season began with a strong start, as the team won the Preseason NIT and rose to no. 7 in the national polls. However, the season took a turn for the worse when the NCAA launched an investigation into head coach Bruce Pearl's involvement in a possible recruiting violation in mid-December. SEC Commissioner Mike Slive subsequently suspended Pearl for the first half of the SEC season.

Despite the adversity, the Volunteers managed to finish the regular season with a 19-14 record, earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth consecutive year under Pearl. However, the team's tournament run was short-lived, as they were defeated 75-45 by Michigan in the opening round.

The week after the loss, the university announced the firing of Pearl. Overall, the 2010-2011 season was a disappointing one for the Volunteers and marked the end of an era under Pearl's leadership.