close
close

Yiamastaverna

Trusted News & Timely Insights

    • 3 areas where Vanderbilt football’s upset of Alabama could have a long-term impact
    Duluth

    3 areas where Vanderbilt football’s upset of Alabama could have a long-term impact

    Eira Gwyneth Posted on

    Vanderbilt football had a win for the ages against Alabama on Saturday.

    The surprising 40-35 score came as the Commodores (3-2, 1-1 SEC) held a lead over the second-ranked team in the country. Vanderbilt held the ball for nearly two-thirds of the game and made 29 more plays. The Crimson Tide (4-1, 1-1) committed twice as many penalties and had two turnovers to the Commodores’ zero line. Vanderbilt scored on six of its eight possessions before fending off the ball late in the fourth quarter.

    But what’s next for Vanderbilt? Clark Lea admitted that this cannot be an end point. The Commodores still have a lot of work to do to become one of the worst teams in the SEC.

    Here’s what the long-term impact of victory could be.

    Vanderbilt Football’s upset of Alabama could impact recruiting

    As of Saturday, Vanderbilt had just nine high school commitments for 2025. Although many teams are considering fewer high school players due to the increasing importance of the transfer portal, nine commitments are four fewer than any other team in the SEC, and three other SEC teams have twice as many.

    But talented players have noticed. Stephon Shivers, a Georgia native and Brentwood Academy player, initially resumed his recruitment without decommitting from the Bulldogs and then paid a visit to the Commodores. But after the result was final, Shivers again said he was reopening the recruiting process and removed all mentions of Georgia from his social media.

    Ladarian Clardy, a four-star safety who attended Vanderbilt in September before committing to Ole Miss, also posted about the win on social media.

    Lea can now show the recruits proof of their concept with a big surprise win and a team that has played in every game this season. Vanderbilt doesn’t appear to be the worst team in the SEC this season, with several schools like Mississippi State, Florida and Auburn arguably having worse situations.

    CLARK LEA Clark Lea gets emotional as he explains Vanderbilt football defeating No. 1 Alabama: ‘Not shocking to me’

    Impact on attendance

    Most of the fans in the stands at FirstBank Stadium cheered for Alabama on Saturday. The majority of the fans in black and gold were students, and these people got to experience the celebration of their lives. They stormed the field, tore down the goalposts and marched all the way to Broadway before dumping part of the stadium in the river.

    Vanderbilt has long had attendance issues. Some fans of opposing teams – many of whom already live in the Nashville area – buy Commodores season tickets because they are cheaper than individual tickets to their teams’ home games. In other cases, Vanderbilt fans buy season tickets and sell certain coveted games for more money on the secondary market.

    The Commodores also don’t have any regular students in attendance most years, even though tickets are free for students. That changed this year, however, as students were turned away in two of the team’s three home games.

    The upset over Alabama won’t immediately solve the attendance problem. Tickets for the Texas and Tennessee games cost over $100, both in school and on the secondary market, and it’s all but certain that a large portion of the tickets have already been purchased by orange-clad fans. But tickets for the South Carolina game are still available for under $25 and for Ball State for under $10.

    Now that fans have seen what they’re missing, they may show up in greater numbers.

    Diego Pavia a ZERO phenomenon

    When recruits consider zero offers, they are typically thinking about the amount of money they can receive from a collective, rather than third-party marketing deals. But if the right player lands on the right market, it can still be very lucrative without the collective being involved at all. We’ve seen it before in baseball, with players like Enrique Bradfield Jr. and RJ Austin promoting big brands. But we have never experienced as much excitement as Diego Pavia.

    Pavia’s jersey is now sold by the Vanderbilt Bookstore. Other athletes on campus also buy and wear it. Former Vanderbilt quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels said on social media that he would buy a jersey.

    When Vanderbilt wins, people take notice, and that’s exactly what happened at Pavia. The Commodores have long tried to convince recruits of Nashville’s marketing potential, but they finally have an example to point to.

    And this victory could also help with the collective NIL. Vanderbilt ultimately made significant use of the transfer portal in the offseason, bringing in players like Pavia, Eli Stowers and Randon Fontenette, who had an important pick-6. For a program like the Commodores, more NIL support can really translate into more wins – and memorable moments – on the field. Now the question is whether Vanderbilt can take advantage of it.

    Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or on X, formerly Twitter, @aria_gerson.

    Tagged:

    LEAVE A RESPONSE

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Eira Gwyneth
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like

    ads