2016 Commodore football schedule announced

Oct. 29, 2015

2016 Football Schedule

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Vanderbilt and South Carolina will open the 2016 football season in Nashville on Thursday, Sept. 1, the Southeastern Conference announced this evening.

The Commodores’ 2016 schedule also features additional SEC encounters in Vanderbilt Stadium against Florida, Ole Miss and Tennessee.

Vanderbilt will also host two non-SEC opponents on campus in Nashville – Middle Tennessee and Tennessee State.

The schedule includes road dates for the Commodores at Georgia Tech, Western Kentucky, Kentucky, Georgia, Auburn and Missouri.

The opener against South Carolina marks the fourth straight year that Vanderbilt will start its season on a Thursday. It also marks the third Thursday game between the Commodores and Gamecocks, with South Carolina claiming a 17-13 win in 2012 and Vanderbilt earning a 24-17 decision in 2008. The Commodores are 3-7 all-time in Thursday games.

After the opener, Vanderbilt stays at home to host Middle Tennessee on Sept. 10 before going on the road to face Georgia Tech from the Atlantic Coast Conference on Sept. 19 and Western Kentucky from Conference USA on Sept. 26.

The Commodores’ lone home game during a six-week stretch from mid-September to late October is against the Florida Gators on Oct. 1. That game is followed by SEC road encounters against Kentucky on Oct. 8 and Georgia on Oct. 15.

After hosting Tennessee State in its final non-conference game on Oct. 22, the Commodores return on the road against Auburn on Nov. 5 and Missouri on Nov. 12.

Vanderbilt concludes the regular season with home games against Ole Miss on Nov. 19 and Tennessee on Nov. 26.

The Commodores’ open date comes Oct. 29.