The East Tennessee State Buccaneers are the men's basketball team that represents East Tennessee State University (ETSU) in Johnson City, Tennessee. ETSU currently competes in the Southern Conference as of July 1, 2014. The team last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2017.
ETSU has been playing Division I basketball since the 1958–59 season when they joined the Ohio Valley Conference. In the 1979–1980 season ETSU joined the Southern Conference and after the 2004–2005 season they left the Southern Conference for the Atlantic Sun Conference. On July 1, 2014, they re-joined the Southern Conference.
Freedom Hall Civic Center is a multi-purpose arena in Johnson City, Tennessee. Starting in 2014, it became the basketball venue for East Tennessee State University.
Freedom Hall Civic Center opened in 1974 on the Liberty Bell Complex next to Science Hill High School. The arena was built by the city of Johnson City to be used as an entertainment venue and additional space for the middle and high schools located on the property. Over the years the venue has been used for sporting events, theatrical productions, concerts, ice shows, and a rodeo venue.