A new season may be upon us, but scheduling news has no sign of stopping. Vanderbilt has added a pair of non-conference games against an in-state FCS program for 2016 and 2018.
Vanderbilt will host Tennessee State on October 22, 2016 and again on September 29, 2018. The additions of Tennessee State to the schedule brings Vanderbilt one game closer to completing the 2016 non-conference schedule.
The SEC will start requiring all conference members to have at least one game scheduled against another power conference opponent in 2016, and Vanderbilt has that covered with a game at Georgia Tech. Tennessee State joins Middle Tennessee on Vanderbilt’s non-conference schedule in 2018, leaving two spots to fill that season. One of those two vacant spots will have to be played against another power conference opponent.
The last time Vanderbilt faced Tennessee State was in 2006, with Vandy picking up a decisive 38-9 win.