The Vanderbilt Commodores are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt fields 16 varsity teams, 14 of which compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Vanderbilt's women's lacrosse team plays in the American Athletic Conference. The bowling team plays in Conference USA (C-USA), which absorbed Vanderbilt's former bowling home of the Southland Bowling League after the 2022–23 season. The University of Tennessee Volunteers are Vanderbilt's primary athletic rival, and the only other SEC team in Tennessee.
The Vanderbilt Commodores football program represents Vanderbilt University in the sport of American football. The Commodores compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) within the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They are led by head coach Clark Lea. Vanderbilt plays their home games at FirstBank Stadium, located on the university's Nashville, Tennessee campus.
The Tennessee–Vanderbilt football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Tennessee Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores. They are both founding members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Vanderbilt and Tennessee have played 118 times since 1892. Tennessee leads the all-time series 79–32–5.
The 2015 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Commodores played their home games at Vanderbilt Stadium at Dudley Field in Nashville, Tennessee, which has been Vanderbilt football's home stadium since 1922. Derek Mason coached the Commodores for his second year. They are members of the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Commodores finished with a losing record for the second year in a row with an overall record of 4–8 and 2–6 in SEC play.
The 1999 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 1999 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team played their home games at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
The 1916 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 1916 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. The 1916 season was Dan McGugin's 13th year as head coach. Quarterback Irby Curry was selected third-team All-America by Walter Camp.
The 1913 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 1913 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. The 1913 season was Dan McGugin's 10th year as head coach. Members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the Commodores played six home games in Nashville, Tennessee and finished the season with a record of 5–3 overall and 3–1 in conference play.
The 1914 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 1914 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association football season. The 1914 season was Dan McGugin's 11th year as head coach. Members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the Commodores played six home games in Nashville, Tennessee and finished the season with a record of 2–6 and 1–3 in conference play. Michigan reporters spread rumors that Josh Cody was put out of the game for slugging, though he just suffered an injury. Despite the poor record, tackle Josh Cody, quarterback Irby Curry and fullback Ammie Sikes were selected for Outing's Roll of Honor.
The 1996 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season as a member of the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Commodores were led by head coach Rod Dowhower in his second season and finished with a record of two wins and nine losses. The team played their home games at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
The 2016 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University during the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Commodores played their home games at Vanderbilt Stadium at Dudley Field in Nashville, Tennessee and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by third-year head coach Derek Mason. This was Vanderbilt's 126th season of college football. They finished the season 6–7, 3–5 in SEC play to finish in a tie for fifth place in the Eastern Division. They were invited to the Independence Bowl where they lost to NC State.
The 1943 Vanderbilt Commodores football team was an American football team that represented Vanderbilt University as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 1943 college football season. In their first year under head coach Ernest Alley, the Commodores complied an overall record of 5–0, with a conference record of 0–0, and finished fifth in the SEC.
The 1984 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 1984 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Commodores were led by head coach George MacIntyre in his sixth season and finished the season with a record of five wins and six losses.
The 2017 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Commodores played their home games at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee and compete in the East Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by fourth-year head coach Derek Mason. The team earned a final record of 5–7 in a season notable for wins against Kansas State, then in the top 20, and Tennessee, but also for sizeable losses against SEC opponents Alabama, Georgia, and Missouri. The Tennessee win at Neyland Stadium was the Commodores' fourth in six games, a feat unequaled by VU in that rivalry since 1926.
The 2018 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Commodores played their home games at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by fifth-year head coach Derek Mason. Vanderbilt finished the season 6–7, 3–5 in SEC play to finish in 6th place in the East Division. They were invited to play in the Texas Bowl where they were defeated by Baylor. This would be the last season the Commodores were bowl eligible until the 2024 season.
The 2019 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Commodores played their home games at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by sixth-year head coach Derek Mason.
The 2020 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Commodores played their home games at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by interim head coach Todd Fitch, who replaced Derek Mason after his firing on November 29, 2020. On December 14, 2020, Clark Lea was hired as head coach.
Clark Lea is an American football coach who has been the head football coach at Vanderbilt since 2021. He previously served as the defensive coordinator at the University of Notre Dame from 2018 to 2020. Lea began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2006 and went on to serve as an assistant coach at South Dakota State University, Bowling Green State University, Syracuse University, and Wake Forest University.
The 2021 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Commodores played their home games at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by first-year head coach Clark Lea.
The 2022 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Commodores played their home games at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by second-year head coach Clark Lea.
The 2023 Vanderbilt Commodores football team represented Vanderbilt University in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Commodores were led by Clark Lea in his third year as their head coach. Following their blowout loss to Ole Miss, the Commodores became ineligible for a bowl selection for the 5th consecutive season. This was the last year of the Eastern and Western divisions of the SEC, as Texas and Oklahoma joined the SEC in 2024. The Vanderbilt Commodores football team drew an average home attendance of 25,509 in 2023.
