Vanderbilt Commodores football

Conference championships

Vanderbilt has won 14 conference championships, with six shared and eight won outright.

† Co-champions

Unclaimed national championships

Vanderbilt has been awarded 6 national championships for the years 1906, 1910, 1911, 1918, 1921, and 1922. The school does not claim any of these national titles.

Georgia

Having started in 1893, the Georgia–Vanderbilt football series was played annually from 1968 to 2023. The two were divisional opponents in the SEC East from 1992 to 2023. The series, which rotates between Nashville, Tennessee, and Athens, Georgia, stands with Georgia leading 61–20–2 through the 2023 season.^[21] Under the new SEC format, they are not scheduled to play each other again in the regular season until at least 2026.^[22]

Kentucky

Having started in 1896, the Kentucky–Vanderbilt football series has been played annually since 1953.^[23] The two were divisional opponents in the SEC East. The series, which rotates between Nashville, Tennessee and Lexington, Kentucky, is led by Kentucky at 48–44–4 with the average score being Vanderbilt 17.2-Kentucky 16.9^[24]

Ole Miss

Ole Miss was Vanderbilt's cross-divisional rival in the SEC from 1992 to 2023.

Vanderbilt and Ole Miss have played 98 times since 1894.^[25] Ole Miss leads the series 56–40–2.^[25] The largest margin of victory was by 91 points won by Vanderbilt in 1915. Vanderbilt also holds the longest win streak in the series (18) from 1894 to 1938. Under the new SEC format, they are not scheduled to play again in the regular season until at least 2026.^[22]

Tennessee

Vanderbilt and Tennessee have played 117 times since 1892, Tennessee leads the series 79–33–5.^[26] When the rivalry first started Vanderbilt dominated by taking 19 of the first 24 with 3 ties. But from 1928 to 2022 however, Tennessee has dominated going 77–14–2 against Vanderbilt. The largest margin of victory for Vanderbilt was by 76 points in 1918 at Old Dudley Field in Nashville. (Vanderbilt 76, Tennessee 0) The largest defeat was 65 points in 1994 at Vanderbilt Stadium (Tennessee 65, Vanderbilt 0). The longest win streaks for Vanderbilt is (9) from 1901 to 1913. The longest win streak for Tennessee is 22, from 1983 to 2004.^[27]

Georgia Tech (dormant)

The Commodores first met the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in 1892 in Atlanta, Georgia with Vanderbilt winning 20–10.^[28] Since 1924, the winning team in the series has received a silver-plated cowbell with the year and final score of each game engraved on it. The trophy was created by Ed F. Cavaleri, who was described by the Atlanta Constitution as “a faithful Georgia Tech supporter though he did not attend the Jacket institution,” according to Georgia Tech's website. Cavaleri purchased a cowbell at an Atlanta hardware store to use as a noise-maker while on his way to a game in 1924. The Commodores defeated Georgia Tech 3–0, however another fan in attendance suggested that Cavaleri award the bell to the winning team. The tradition was born and Cavaleri attended every game between the two teams from 1924 to 1967.^[29] The cowbell has a gold plate screwed into each side, with “GEORGIA TECH-VANDERBILT FOOTBALL TROPHY” inscribed at the top. Three columns list the year of each game, Vanderbilt's points scored and Georgia Tech's points scored. The results of the games from 1924 to 1967 are engraved on one side; the results from 2002, 2003, 2009 and 2016 are on the other.^[30] Vanderbilt is 16–20-3 against Georgia Tech in 39 games. The Commodores won the most recent matchup 35–27 in the 2024 Birmingham Bowl.

Sewanee (historical)

Vanderbilt and the Sewanee Tigers were both founding members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA), the Southern Conference, and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). It is the oldest of Vanderbilt's rivalries;^[31] dating back to 1891 when Vanderbilt played its second football game. Vanderbilt leads the series 40–8–4.^[32] The largest margin of victory was in 1905 when Vanderbilt won 68–4. Usually played towards the end of the season on Thanksgiving Day, the two teams have not met again since 1944 and are unlikely to anytime soon as Sewanee plays in NCAA Division III.

College Football Hall of Fame

Vanderbilt Commodore football personnel have been inducted into the National Football Foundation's National College Football Hall of Fame.^[39]

All-Americans

Consensus All-American

Vanderbilt has had eight consensus All-Americans in its history. In 2016, Zach Cunningham became the first unanimous All-American in Vanderbilt's history.^[40]

Other national player awards

National coaching awards

All-Southerns

Conference recognition

Vanderbilt Commodores personnel, including coaches and players, have received recognition from the Southeastern Conference for their performances on the football field.^[39]

Conference opponents

From 1992 to 2023, Vanderbilt played in the East Division of the SEC and played each opponent in the division each year along with several teams from the West Division. The SEC expanded to 16 teams and eliminated its two divisions in 2024, causing a new scheduling format for the Commodores to play against the other members of the conference.^[41] Only the 2024 conference schedule was announced on June 14, 2023, while the conference considered a new format for the future.^[42] The 2025 conference schedule was announced on March 20, 2024, in which teams would play the same opponents in 2025 that they played in 2024, with sites changed for equal home and away competition over the course of the two seasons.^[43]

The conference schedule has been expanded to 9 games effective in 2026. Each team has three designated annual opponents, with the other 12 conference members alternating on and off the schedule, in groups of six, every two years. Also, each SEC member is required to schedule at least one power conference opponent out of conference each season.^[44]

Non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of July 23, 2026^[45]

No games are scheduled for the 2030 season.