It wasn’t like Vanderbilt had it all that easy over the last two seasons, but it beat the blah-to-good teams, and lost to the terrific ones – for the most part.
And now there’s no Diego Pavia to make it all go.
How tough is the 2026 Vanderbilt schedule, considering the changes and expectations to win now? Here’s our breakdown.
The Good, the Bad, and Who Vanderbilt Misses in 2026
Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea celebrates their victory over Auburn after the game at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025.© Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
(© Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
The Good
There are enough winnable games to at least assume another bowl game. That might not seem like anything to get excited about after the last two seasons, but it’s still the SEC – ask Florida, Auburn, and South Carolina if going bowling is a given.
If the Commodores can get by NC State, they should be 3-0, and in SEC play, they get five teams that weren’t bowl eligible, even though Mississippi State ended up going to one.
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The Bad
The three road games in four dates in the second half of the season aren’t a plus, considering the final two home games are against Alabama and Tennessee.
All Vandy has to do to start the SEC campaign is go to Auburn, then go to Georgia, and then face Ole Miss.
What SEC Teams Vanderbilt Will Miss
LSU, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Texas A&M.
Considering Alabama, Tennessee, and Ole Miss are home games, it’s not a bad deal overall. Missing Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, and Oklahoma is terrific.
Vanderbilt’s Best and Worst Case Scenarios in 2026
Best Case: Get to Arkansas 5-1
In a perfect world, Vanderbilt gets by NC State for a 3-0 start, begins the SEC season with a win over Auburn, and then come the true killers.
The Commodores split the dates at Georgia and at home against Ole Miss, and then it’s on. After that, four of the next five games are against teams that finished with losing seasons.
They’re on their way to another big season, or …
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Worst Case: No Pavia, big problem
This isn’t the same team as it was the last two years without Diego Pavia. The Commodores lose to NC State, drop the road games at Auburn and Georgia to start the SEC season, and then it’s uh-oh time.
They don’t take advantage of the manageable midseason, and November gets ugly as dreams of a bowl game are long gone before going to Florida and finishing with Tennessee.
Vanderbilt Football 2026 Schedule
Sept 5 Austin Peay
Sept 12 Delaware
Sept 19 NC State
Sept 26 at Auburn
Oct 3 at Georgia
Oct 10 Ole Miss
Oct 17 Arkansas
Oct 24 at Kentucky
Oct 31 OPEN DATE
Nov 7 at Mississippi State
Nov 14 Alabama
Nov 21 at Florida
Nov 28 Tennessee
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Games That Will Decide Vanderbilt’s Season
1. at Auburn, Oct. 3
The Commodores have won the last two against the Tigers and four of the last six. With at Georgia and Ole Miss next, they’d better pull off the SEC opener.
2. at Kentucky, Oct. 24
This will be a huge deal for the Wildcats. Vanderbilt needs to steal road wins from somewhere, and if it loses this …
3. at Mississippi State, Nov. 7
With Alabama, at Florida, and Tennessee to close, and with the Commodores coming off an extra week to prepare, it’s a dangerous – but gettable – game going into the finishing kick.
This story was originally published by College Football News on Feb 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
