Seven Home Games Highlights Football Schedule; Commodores Open With Three Straight in Nashville 4/15/03

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Vanderbilt will host seven games, including Southeastern Conference encounters with Ole Miss, Auburn, Georgia and Kentucky, during the 2003 football schedule, Commodore Athletics Director Todd Turner announced Monday.

In conjunction with releasing the schedule, the Vanderbilt Athletic Department began distributing season ticket renewals last Friday. The 2003 season ticket price of $162 is the same as last year.

The Commodores open the season with home contests against Ole Miss, Tennessee-Chattanooga and Auburn, and play six of their first eight games at Vanderbilt Stadium.

“This schedule is definitely challenging, but the fact that we open with three at home provides our squad an opportunity to get off to an excellent start,” Head Coach Bobby Johnson said.

The Commodores will face seven teams - Ole Miss, Auburn, TCU, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee - that went to bowls last year.

Besides the first three opponents, Vanderbilt will also host Georgia Tech, Navy, 2002 Southeastern Conference champion Georgia and Kentucky. It will also mark the first Commodore schedule in 51 years not to include Alabama as an opponent.

In addition to a road trip to Fort Worth to play 2002 Liberty Bowl winner Texas Christian, the Commodores travel to play SEC foes Mississippi State, South Carolina, Florida and Tennessee.

The Commodores’ homecoming is October 11 against Navy. The game pits the Vanderbilt coach against Naval Academy Coach Paul Johnson. The pair faced each other several times in important Southern Conference games with Bobby Johnson on the Furman sideline and Paul Johnson on the Georgia Southern bench.

The schedule also includes the intrigue of Coach Johnson taking the Commodores to his hometown Oct. 25 when Vanderbilt plays South Carolina in Columbia.

Complete 2003 Football Schedule