August 29, 2023 — Multiple special events highlight the 2023-24 Vanderbilt men’s basketball nonconference schedule announced on Tuesday.
“We believe that we have constructed a challenging schedule with competition that can prepare our team for success in the SEC and postseason,” Vanderbilt head coach Jerry Stackhouse said. “Our program will face multiple NCAA Tournament-caliber opponents throughout the nonconference schedule. These contests are beneficial to the development of our team, and in addition they provide significant postseason résumé building opportunities. This schedule also provides our student-athletes with multiple home games, TV exposure, and unique travel that showcases our program nationally. We are ready to get started and continue building on the momentum that was on display in Memorial last season.”
The Commodores are one of four teams in the inaugural ESPN Events Vegas Showdown Nov. 23-24, and are set to take on NC State in the first semifinal on the opening night of the tournament. They will face either Arizona State or Brigham Young the second night, with the event scheduled to be held at the Michelob ULTRA Arena.
This will mark the third-consecutive season the Dores will compete in an ESPN event in front of a national television audience. Vandy went 2-0 at the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii in 2021 and 1-1 in the Wooden Legacy in California in 2022. Vandy has excelled in neutral site competition over the last two seasons, including a 4-2 mark in SEC Tournament action over that time.
The Commodores will return home and play host to Boston College on Nov. 29 in the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge, and will also face Texas Tech as part of the USLBM Coast to Coast Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 16.
Eight other home contests are on the Dores’ nonconference slate, including four in a row to open the season against Presbyterian (Nov. 7), USC Upstate (Nov. 10), UNC Greensboro (Nov. 14) and Central Arkansas (Nov. 17). Vanderbilt will also play host to Alabama A&M (Dec. 2), San Francisco (Dec. 6), Western Carolina (Dec. 19) and Dartmouth (Dec. 30). (ADD – the number of home goes offers a good tie in to the return of memorial magic last season)
In their last game prior to the Christmas break, the Commodores will visit Memphis on Dec. 23 in a battle of two of the state’s marquee programs. Vandy is 8-6 in the all-time series versus the Tigers, who earned an NCAA Tournament bid a year ago.
Vandy returns seven student-athletes from a team that won 12 of its last 15 contests in 2022-23, finishing with 22 victories after advancing to the quarterfinals of the NIT. The Dores put together back-to-back winning seasons while finishing with a strength of schedule in the top 40 in both seasons.
Season tickets for the 2023-24 campaign are available here (insert link to tickets).
At a Glance
– 13 total nonconference games
– Nine home games
– Three neutral-site games
– One road game
Nonconference Schedule
11.7 Presbyterian
11.10 USC Upstate
11.14 UNC Greensboro
11.17 Central Arkansas
11.23 vs. NC State $ (in Las Vegas)
11.24 vs. BYU or Arizona State $ (in Las Vegas)
11.29 Boston College ^
12.2 Alabama A&M
12.6 San Francisco
12.16 vs. Texas Tech (in Fort Worth, Texas) %
12.19 Western Carolina
12.23 at Memphis
12.30 Dartmouth
$ ESPN Events Vegas Showdown
^ ACC/SEC Challenge
% USLBM Coast to Coast Challenge
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