The 2024 SEC football schedule was released on Wednesday evening, and it revealed several changes to the non-conference lineup of the Vanderbilt Commodores.
Vanderbilt is scheduled to open the 2024 season at home against the Virginia Tech Hokies on Saturday, Aug. 31. The release confirmed that the game will be played on the campus of Vanderbilt University at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. The game was previously slated to be played at Nissan Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.
The following week on Saturday, Sept. 7, Vanderbilt will host the Alcorn State Braves of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Vandy was previously scheduled to host the Norfolk State Spartans on that date.
A third change for Vanderbilt in 2024 involves its road contest at the Georgia State Panthers. The game, which was previously scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 28, will now be played two weeks earlier on Saturday, Sept. 14 at Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta, Ga.
Vanderbilt was previously scheduled to host the SMU Mustangs on Sept. 14, 2024, but that date is now occupied by the Georgia State game and SMU was not included in Vanderbilt’s schedule release. The contest is part of a three-series that also includes games in Nashville in 2028 and in Dallas, Texas, in 2029.
In place of the SMU contest is a newly announced home game against the Ball State Cardinals. Vanderbilt will host Ball State in Nashville on Saturday, Oct. 19.
Below is Vanderbilt’s complete schedule for the 2024 season:
2024 Vanderbilt Football Schedule
- 08/31 – Virginia Tech
- 09/07 – Alcorn State
- 09/14 – at Georgia State
- 09/21 – at Missouri*
- 09/28 – OFF
- 10/05 – Alabama*
- 10/12 – at Kentucky*
- 10/19 – Ball State
- 10/26 – Texas*
- 11/02 – at Auburn*
- 11/09 – South Carolina*
- 11/16 – OFF
- 11/23 – at LSU*
- 11/30 – Tennessee*
* SEC contest.
Great, now SMU has to find a game in just over nine months.
There are still 14 other FBS schools that need non-conference games, they’ll find an opponent.
14? Which over FBS teams besides Army, OSU and WSU?
There are lots of changes going on behind the scenes due to realignment and the fall of the Pac-12. SMU will be fine.
Army, OSU and WSU don’t need non-conference games. In fact, Army’s excess of non-conference games with its move to the American is the cause of several teams needing games. I believe Army still needs to cancel five non-conference games, at least three of which will be against FBS opponents.
Unless I missed it, we don’t know for certain which school initiating cancelling the game. With SMU also having TCU and BYU on the schedule, and moving to the ACC for 2024, it may have been their idea.
Vanderbilt needs to wise up and leave the SEC because they are never going to be able to compete and they dont even try. They take the big checks every year from the SEC and hoard it instead of remodel there 40,000 seat stadium and have no plans for expansion or try to create any interest in there football program. It just isnt funny anymore it is sad.
Change I like to see in 2025 Villanova be FCS opponent for Notre Dame & Furman Paladins be FCS replacement opponent for Penn State also Clemson be added to Notre Dame Football schedule.