It’s Time for Vanderbilt Fans to Stand Behind Their Football Team

It wasn't too long ago that Vanderbilt fans hardly blinked at the thought of college football. The average student? They probably couldn’t have named you the team’s starting quarterback just two seasons ago.

To think that Vanderbilt Football was a mere afterthought in most fans’ minds less than 365 days ago seems crazy – but it’s the truth. Students didn’t apply to Vanderbilt to experience an SEC athletics program. They didn’t apply for the gameday atmosphere. And they certainly didn’t apply to watch their football team beat the nation’s best on any given Saturday.

Last season was a monumental one for Vanderbilt Football – a year that brought more growth to the program than the previous decade combined. It brought national attention to FirstBank Stadium and gave Vanderbilt fans something to believe in.

Maybe FirstBank – even with its new renovations – still isn’t quite like LSU’s Death Valley or the Florida Swamp. But last season, it didn’t matter that the stadium was unfinished. The 2024 Vanderbilt Commodores didn’t care. They went out on the field and played an entertaining brand of football and, most importantly, they won games.

As the team succeeded, the fans followed. Vanderbilt’s week 1 upset win over Virginia Tech saw students overflow their section to the point where security had to close it down for the first time anyone around the program could remember. From there, the momentum only grew.

By midseason, demand for tickets was so high that some students couldn’t even claim one. The ticket office opened new standing-room-only seats and still, student tickets sold out within 15 minutes for Vanderbilt’s showdown with the then-No. 4 ranked Texas Longhorns.

This is the kind of excitement that students get at other SEC schools. And it’s the kind of energy that makes a difference on the field.

“[The fans] give us another advantage in the game,” head coach Clark Lea said on Thursday. “And [the students] are going to be so important to what we establish here.”

Home-field advantage always exists in the form of more rest, less travel and familiar facilities. But true home-field advantage comes once you step onto the field. Especially in college sports, athletes play out of pride for their school. What better feeling is there for a player than seeing an overflowing section of your peers cheering you on?

It does make a difference. And this season, Vanderbilt football is in the best position they’ve been in a long, long time.

The Commodores are returning most of their team from last season as they look to make a push further in 2025. Star quarterback Diego Pavia is back along with projected first-round tight end Eli Stowers, forming one of the most dangerous offensive duos in the country. Sedrick Alexander returns as running back. Linebackers Langston Patterson and Bryan Longwell are back as upperclassmen leaders. Miles Capers, Junior Sherrill, Martel Hight, Yillanan Outarra, Glenn Seabrooks – the list goes on.

In addition to all of the returning talent, Lea bolstered his roster with a strong transfer class that features pass-catchers, offensive linemen, and plenty of depth on both sides of the ball. Make no mistake: this team is better than the one that beat No. 1 ranked Alabama just ten months ago.

“It’s the best team that we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Lea said.

A season like this doesn’t come around very often. The program has done everything it possibly could to be in a position to excite the fan base. Now, it’s on the fans to show up and respond.

While the Commodores are 38.5-point favorites against Charleston Southern on Saturday, the presence and energy of the fans will be a sign of how far Vanderbilt has come. In the past, only the most dedicated fans would show up for a game against Charleston Southern. But now, the stands should be packed with Black and Gold.

“I’d love to see the students pick up right where we left off,” Lea said. “If there’s anything environmental that I’m excited about for Saturday, it’s seeing that student section and feeling the energy that they’re giving.”

This football team has earned the right to have a packed stadium, even against an FCS opponent. And more than people realize, the fans will have an impact on the team on the field.

Vanderbilt students, alumni and fans: it’s officially your time. It’s time to show that Vanderbilt fans are no longer the punching bag of the SEC. Time to show the country that the Commodore fan base is as strong as ever. And, most of all, time to show Lea and his team you’re behind them.