Vanderbilt Football’s 2026 SEC Schedule Unveiled – Sports Illustrated

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Shortly before the 2025 college football season began, the SEC made it a big move that made national headlines. The conference announced its decision to move the conference portion of the season from eight games to nine games. It was a decision that was long anticipated by fans and other conferences such as the Big Ten, who have been playing nine-game conference slates.
The SEC made the switch in the response to the College Football Playoff committee announcing a criteria change in the selection of teams. The committee said it was going to value the strength of schedule analytics more when choosing between teams. Another change to the schedule includes the move to a 13-week season with one off week rather than a 14-week season with two byes.
In September, the opponents for all 16 SEC schools for the next four seasons were unveiled. Included in the nine-game schedule structure are three yearly opponents that each school will play for the next four seasons. For Vanderbilt, its three annual opponents are Tennessee, Mississippi State and Auburn.
Vanderbilt's home conference opponents are Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas and Ole Miss. Vanderbilt will be traveling to Auburn, Mississippi State, Florida, Georgia and Kentucky.
On top of the nine conference games, teams will play three nonconference games with one of the three nonconference games being against another power conference school or Notre Dame
Thursday night, Vanderbilt found out when it will be each of its nine opponents for the first edition of the nine-game conference schedule. The Commodores begin their conference slate next season at Auburn Sep. 26 and ending it with a home game against Tennessee on rivalry weekend Nov. 28.
Vanderbilt is coming off a historical regular season that ended in a 10-2 regular season and a spot in the ReliaQuest Bowl against No. 23 Iowa. The season marked the first time in program history it has won 10 games in a season. Vanderbilt also knocked off three different AP Top 15 opponents en route to a season to remember.
Though Vanderbilt made program history, it was not enough to get a spot in the College Football Playoff as it finished No. 14 in the final playoff rankings. 
Vanderbilt will look to get back into the playoff conversation with what could easily be a tough conference schedule next year with the additional game. Here is Vanderbilt’s full 2026 schedule with the dates and opponents for each game.
Sep. 5 – vs. Austin Peay
Sep. 12 – vs. Delaware
Sep. 19 – vs. NC State
Sep. 26 – at Auburn
Oct. 3 – at Georgia
Oct. 10 – vs. Ole Miss
Oct. 17 – vs. Arkansas
Oct. 24 – at Kentucky
Oct. 31 – BYE
Nov. 7 – at Mississippi State
Nov. 14 – vs. Alabama
Nov. 21 – at Florida
Nov. 28 – vs. Tennessee
Graham Baakko is a writer for Vanderbilt Commodores On SI, primarily covering football, basketball and baseball. Graham is a recent graduate from the University of Alabama, where he wrote for The Crimson White, WVUA-FM, WVUA 23 as he covered a variety of Crimson Tide sports. He also covered South Carolina athletics as a sportswriting intern for GamecockCentral.
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