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Vanderbilt's upset win over Florida continues hot streak

Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner (3) drives against Florida guard Urban Klavzar (7) during their semifinal game of the 2026 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. DENNY SIMMONS / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No. 22 Vanderbilt's SEC semifinal upset win over No. 4 Florida continues athletic program's hot streak

By Eric Smithling | Last updated Mar 14, 2026 7:09 PM ET

Vanderbilt is no longer only leading the SEC in the classroom. Following a stunning blowout victory in the SEC tournament semifinals, Vandy is running laps over its competition in sports, too.

The Associated Press No. 22 Vanderbilt Commodores (26-7, 11-7 in SEC) defeated the SEC's 1-seed, No. 4 Florida Gators (26-7, 16-2 in SEC), 91-74, on Saturday, snapping the defending national champions' 12-game win streak. It also puts Vanderbilt one win from its first SEC tournament championship since 2012.

Sophomore guard Tyler Tanner led the team with 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting while adding seven assists, three rebounds and three steals. Overall, Vanderbilt shot 55 percent from the court and made 10 threes, while Florida was 46 percent, making just five threes on 17 attempts (29 percent), and finishing with more turnovers (14) than assists (13) for the second consecutive game.

The Commodores will play the No. 17 Arkansas Razorbacks (25-8, 13-5 in SEC), winners of the second SEC tournament semifinal against the Ole Miss Rebels (15-20, 4-14 in SEC), in Sunday's conference title game.

The teams haven't met since Jan. 20, when Arkansas handed Vanderbilt a third consecutive loss following a 16-0 start, tied for the best in program history.

This season's Vanderbilt squad joins the 2007-08 Commodores as the only @VandyMBB teams to start 16-0 in program history pic.twitter.com/z0yldvxhkf
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) January 10, 2026

Vanderbilt, which ranks No. 6 in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom, looked a lot like that team that went undefeated over the first half of the season against Florida. The Commodores' early-season run included three wins in three days for the Battle 4 Atlantis championship over the No. 21 Saint Mary's Gaels (27-5, 16-2 in WCC), giving them experience in a tournament setting, a positive sign for Sunday's final and the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

Vanderbilt's excellence extends beyond the hardwood

The Commodores are going dancing for the second consecutive season after a seven-year drought. The men's basketball program's resurgence gives the university no weak links across its biggest sports programs.

The women's basketball team began the season 20-0 and reached as high as No. 5 in the AP poll, its highest ranking since the 2001-02 season.

The football team had a program-record 10 wins in 2025, reaching as high as No. 9 in the AP poll and sending quarterback Diego Pavia to New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist.

Vanderbilt baseball has long been a national power under manager Tim Corbin, making 19 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, winning two College World Series (2014, 2019). On Friday, it scored a win in its 2026 SEC opener over No. 13 LSU on a walk-off home run, 13-12.

LOGAN JOHNSTONE WALKS IT OFF pic.twitter.com/7vJBqWEXYS
— Vanderbilt Baseball (@VandyBoys) March 14, 2026

No one in the SEC has it as good as Vanderbilt currently does. It's a wild change in fortune for a university that has long been an afterthought in sports beyond baseball. The women's basketball program had a nine-year NCAA Tournament drought from 2015-23 and hasn't reached the Sweet 16 since 2009. The football team was a punching bag for years, posting the second-worst record among power conference teams from 2014-23 (h/t Stathead).

The transfer portal and NIL era of college athletics have likely played a role, helping level the playing field as top teams are no longer to horde the best players. But that's only half the battle. It takes the perfect alchemy of resources, talent and coaching to build winners across multiple sports.

Vanderbilt has found a successful recipe. Instead of being the butt of SEC jokes, it's becoming all others in the conference should aspire to be, both on and off the field.

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

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