Tennessee coach denies Texas Tech player’s claim of hostile handshake
Tensions flare between Tennessee and Texas Tech following the Women’s College World Series quarterfinal, as coach Karen Weekly refutes claims made by former volunteer Taylor Pannell regarding their interaction after the game.
Tennessee softball coach Karen Weekly has firmly rejected allegations made by Texas Tech player Taylor Pannell, describing the claim as an “outright lie.” The dispute centres on an alleged remark made during the post-game handshake line following Tennessee’s victory over Texas Tech in the Women’s College World Series on Saturday.
Pannell, who transferred from Tennessee to Texas Tech after the previous season, stated that Weekly told her she had made a mistake by leaving Knoxville, rather than offering the standard “good game” greeting extended to other players. Speaking to reporters, including the Knoxville News Sentinel’s Cora Hall, Pannell suggested the interaction was a lingering attempt by Weekly to criticise her departure.
Weekly dismissed the account entirely in comments to the Knoxville News Sentinel. She asserted that she moved through the handshake line at the same pace as with every other opponent and did not specifically address Pannell. “If you rewatch the tape of the handshake line, you’re going to see me go just as fast by her as anybody else,” Weekly said. “I didn’t even know where she was in the handshake line.”
The confrontation occurs against a backdrop of significant friction between the two programs. Weekly has previously accused Texas Tech of tampering and improper Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal arrangements involving Pannell prior to her transfer. While Weekly did not name Pannell or Texas Tech in a June 13 social media post regarding early contact with players, she later told The Athletic that a financial agreement had been signed with Texas Tech before Pannell entered the transfer portal.
Complicating the narrative further are reports of deleted social media posts by Pannell’s father. According to Softball on SI, one deleted tweet read, “Karen Weekly was right that my kid did make a mistake and that was to play for her.” The incident followed a 2-1 victory for Tennessee, secured by a walk-off home run from Emma Clarke, which advanced the Volunteers to the semifinal round.
