Vanderbilt head coach Mark Byington works with his team against Arkansas during the second half at Memorial Gym in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball Announces New Series

Originally posted on Vanderbilt Commodores on SI
By Graham Baakko | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 12:42 PM ET

Vanderbilt men’s basketball is giving themselves a new challenge.

The Commodores just announced that Vanderbilt has scheduled a home-and-home series with the Memphis Tigers, starting this upcoming season.

Vanderbilt will travel to FedEx Forum and play Memphis on Dec. 17 as a part of its 2025-2026 nonconference schedule.

The two schools will meet in Nashville during the 2026-2027 season.

The 2025 meeting will be the 17th all-time between the Commodores and Tigers with the series tied at 8-8. Vandy and Memphis last met in December 2023, when the Dores dropped a 77-75 thriller at FedEx Forum. Of the previous 16 matchups in the series, only four have been decided by 10 or more points.

Memphis finished 29-6 last season and made an NCAA Tournament appearance. The series is the second home-and-home matchup for the Dores against 20-win squads, joining the Wake Forest series which begins with a Dec. 21 tilt this season.

Vanderbilt is coming off its best season where the Commodores finished ninth in the SEC and appeared in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2016-2017 season. Vanderbilt lost a tight game to Saint Mary’s 59-56 in the Round of 64.

The Dores finished with a record of 20-13 in a loaded SEC that saw 14 of its 16 teams make it to the NCAA Tournament.

Memphis joins Wake Forest and SMU as the three opponents Vanderbilt is confirmed to see in the upcoming season. Vanderbilt will also be a part of “Feast Week” this season as the Commodores travel to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis.