BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – After a short drive down I-65, Vanderbilt football arrived in Birmingham Monday afternoon to continue preparations ahead of the Birmingham Bowl on Friday.
It’s nice to have you in Birmingham, @GeorgiaTechFB and @VandyFootball📍
Limited tickets for Friday’s game are still available, get yours now at https://t.co/G9aDmHfnHF!@cityofbhamal @JeffCoToday @inbirmingham #birminghambowl pic.twitter.com/mTLyPLYvaw
— Birmingham Bowl (@Birmingham_Bowl) December 24, 2024
Upon arriving at the team hotel, the Commodores were warmly welcomed with enthusiastic spirit and the familiar Vanderbilt fight song. Once settled, the team boarded the buses to visit the StarDome Comedy Club to see the captivating duo of Misty Knight and Alan Sands transform the experience of stage hypnosis, offering an engaging, dynamic, and entertaining show for both the Commodores and the Georgia Tech team.
Had a great time at the StarDome Comedy Club watching hypnotist Alan Sands this evening!
especially @DemarionT_ 😂 pic.twitter.com/w14ImEb0vX
— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) December 24, 2024
Tuesday morning came early but it was back to work for the Dores. Vandy started the morning off with a practice at the home of 13-time state champion Hoover High School.
Clock in. pic.twitter.com/aG2bIRuYiF
— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) December 24, 2024
Following practice, Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea, quarterback Diego Pavia and safety Marlen Sewell participated in a pre-bowl press conference was hosted at TopGolf. Once the press conference concluded, the Commodores indulged in the open bays before heading to a team dinner.
“Thank you to everyone in Birmingham who has welcomed us, we are excited to be here and play in a great game against a great team in Georgia Tech,” Lea stated. “This is a culmination of a special year for us. There has been a lot of effort and sacrifice made to get this team to this point. It’s a great opportunity for us to launch into what is next. Our team has been focused on preparation but also celebrating the time we have together. This is a tight-knit team that cares a lot about one another and so we are having fun and are focused on preparing to play our best against Georgia Tech. Also, for this team to leave a legacy and make history as a team is important to us as well. There has been a lot of great motivation for us to get everything we can out of this time and bowl prep and we are happy to be in this historic city and great game.”
Vanderbilt is slated to face Georgia Tech on Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the Birmingham Bowl at Protective Stadium. The game can be seen on ESPN and heard on 102.5 The Game (until 6 p.m.) & 94.9 The Fan.
