The Vanderbilt Commodores have canceled their future football series against the SMU Mustangs, SMU athletic director Rick Hart confirmed on Wednesday.
Vanderbilt and SMU previously announced the contract for their home-and-home football series back in 2019. The series was a two-for-one, with Vanderbilt hosting the first game on Sept. 14, 2024 and the second game on Sept. 9, 2028. The series would have concluded with the Mustangs hosting the Commodores in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 15, 2029.
On Tuesday, Vanderbilt informed SMU that they were pulling out of the contract and canceling all three games.
“Yesterday evening, Vanderbilt formally notified us that they were cancelling our football series,” Hart said in a statement. “We were looking forward to traveling to Nashville this fall and are disappointed for our team and our fans that these games will no longer take place as scheduled.”
As both schools are private institutions, the contract for the series is not publicly available and, therefore, the amount of the buyout is unknown.
The 2024 contest between SMU and Vandy would have marked the fifth meeting between the two schools. The SMU-Vanderbilt series, which began in 1936 in Dallas, is currently tied at two games apiece.
With the Vanderbilt game canceled, SMU now has an opening on its 2024 schedule.
“We are exploring options for the 2024 season and hope to announce an opponent soon,” Hart added.
Football Schedules
