The early game in the doubleheader features No. 20 North Carolina State and Rutgers, ranked third on the heels of a final eight finish last season.
"I think it is an impressive group, I really do," Tennessee coach Pat Summitt said. "You have four quality teams that are nationally ranked and respected and very competitive.
"I know it is early, but it should be two great games, and a lot of individual talent."
The second-ranked Lady Vols and No. 6 Lady Techsters have a long history. Louisiana Tech leads the series 16-15, but Tennessee has won the last 14 of 19 games, including a 93-75 victory in the 1998 NCAA title game.
"We are playing the greatest team in the world on their home court," Louisiana Tech coach Leon Barmore said of his team's Sunday opponent. "The (Lady Vols) are women's basketball."
Summitt's team is coming off a 65-64 exhibition victory over the U.S. Women's National Team -- a squad that beat both Stanford and UCLA by 50 points.
The Lady Vols return All-America selections Tamika Catchings and Semeka Randall, 6-foot-5 sophomore center Michelle Snow and junior point guard Kristen "Ace" Clement.
They've also added some new talent. It was freshman Kara Lawson who scored the go-ahead jumper with 10 seconds left to give the Lady Vols the victory over the national team.
Said Summitt: "She is a big play person."
Louisiana Tech brings a senior class of guards Tamicha Jackson, Betty Lennox and Christie Sides, and center Shaka Massey. But Jackson is the only Lady Techster on the roster with more than one year's experience at Tech.
The Tip-off Classic, sponsored by State Farm, benefits the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville.
