Vanderbilt Sets Date for 2026 Black and Gold Spring Game, Fresh Off Historic Season
Vanderbilt football has circled April 18, 2026, on the calendar for its annual Black and Gold Spring Game, giving fans their first glimpse of a team coming off the most successful season in program history. The scrimmage will take place at FirstBank Stadium and marks the unofficial kickoff to Clark Lea’s sixth year at the helm.
And what a foundation he’s building on.
Lea, now a two-time reigning SEC Coach of the Year and the 2025 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year, guided the Commodores to a milestone 10-win campaign last fall - the first time the program has hit double digits in the win column. Even more impressive?
Six of those victories came in SEC play, another school record. For a program long considered an underdog in the nation’s toughest football conference, that’s not just a step forward - it’s a leap.
The national spotlight followed. Vanderbilt cracked the Associated Press Top 25 in September and didn’t let go of their spot for 13 consecutive weeks.
That’s a remarkable stretch for a team that, prior to this run, had never stayed ranked for more than four weeks in a single season. At one point, they climbed as high as No. 9 - the program’s highest ranking since 1937.
That’s not just history being made; that’s a new era being ushered in.
While full details for the spring game are still to come, the date alone gives fans something to circle and look forward to. It’ll be the first opportunity to see how Lea and his staff are retooling the roster, reloading for another run, and continuing to build on a culture that’s clearly taken root.
For fans looking to lock in their spot for the upcoming season, the Vanderbilt Ticket Office is open during business hours at 615-322-4653. After last season’s breakthrough, demand is only going to climb - and with good reason.
The Commodores aren’t just turning heads anymore. They’re changing the conversation.