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Vanderbilt-Michigan Announce 2006 Football Opener 1/10/2006 Vanderbilt and Michigan will meet in the 2006 season opener on national television, officials at both The game — marking the only regular season meeting between teams from the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten — will be played in the 107,501-capacity Michigan Stadium on the University of Michigan campus. It is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 2, with kickoff slated at 11:00 a.m., CT. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN, the Commodores’ first appearance on the network since playing Kentucky in 1999. Vanderbilt has opened its season twice previously on ESPN — versus Notre Dame in 1996 and Alabama in 1997. The Commodores did make three appearances on ESPN2 and one on ESPNU last season. David Williams II, Vice Chancellor for Student Life and Athletics at Vanderbilt, said the matchup provides tremendous national exposure for the Commodore football program and the university. “This is a great opportunity for Vanderbilt University, one that simply doesn’t present itself very often,” Williams said. “How many times do you get a chance to play in front of a national television audience? Add the fact that your opponent is one of the elite programs in the history of college football and, indeed, one of the great universities in our nation, and it becomes an awesome opportunity.” Vanderbilt Head Coach Bobby Johnson echoed Williams’ sentiments. “When you think of great college football programs, Michigan is one of the first you consider. It will indeed be a great challenge to our football team, but it’s also a tremendous national platform for our players and program.” ESPN worked with both schools to schedule the matchup. ESPN committed to future national appearances involving Commodore athletic teams — a football game in 2007 and women’s basketball contest in 2007 — in its negotiations with Vanderbilt administrators. To schedule the game, Vanderbilt was forced to cancel an expected home opener versus Middle Tennessee, though Vanderbilt officials are negotiating with MTSU administrators on a replacement date in coming years. “We’re very excited about Vanderbilt playing Michigan on ESPN. We are looking forward to a matchup between these teams from the SEC and Big Ten, two premier conferences,” ESPN Vice President of Programming and Acquistions Dave Brown said. “We had Vanderbilt three times last year on ESPN2 matched against three very tough opponents. Each time, they gave ESPN2 viewers a great game to watch. This is a fantastic way to start the 2006 season,” Brown added. In 2005, Vanderbilt hosted SEC powers LSU and Georgia on ESPN2, then took Florida to double overtime later in the season, a game that remains one of the nation’s most exciting and discussed regular season matchups. Vanderbilt also opened the season on ESPNU, defeating Wake Forest in the first I-A college football game ever aired on the 24-hour college sports network. Vanderbilt will enter the opener off a 5-6 season. Michigan finished the 2005 season with a 7-5 overall mark. The Wolverines’ postseason appearance in the Alamo Bowl was Michigan’s 31st consecutive bowl appearance. Vanderbilt has played Michigan on 10 occasions, more than any other Big Ten school. The Wolverines hold a 9-0-1 record in a series that dates to 1905. The most recent meeting between the teams resulted in a Michigan victory in 1969. For the second consecutive year, Vanderbilt will open its season with two road games — Michigan and Alabama — before playing its first game on campus against Arkansas. Vanderbilt-Michigan Series Facts: ? In the most recent meeting between the schools, Michigan captured a 42-14 home victory in 1969. ? Michigan was the opponent in one of the most remembered games in Vanderbilt football history. In that game, played on Oct. 14, 1922, Michigan served as the Commodore opponent for the dedication of Dudley Field, current site of Vanderbilt Stadium. The game, featuring a number of future College Football Hall of Fame inductees including Vanderbilt halfback Jess Neely and end Lynn Bomar, ended in a scoreless tie. ? The coach responsible for Vanderbilt’s golden era of football, Dan E. McGugin, was a standout player at Michigan. He became the Commodore head coach in 1904, shortly after earning a law degree from the University of Michigan. In the next three decades, McGugin guided Vanderbilt to the pinnacle of Southern football, compiling a 197-55-19 overall record. McGugin was also the brother-in-law of legendary Wolverine Head Coach Fielding Yost. 2006 Vanderbilt Football Schedule |
