If Vanderbilt isn’t successful importing a head coach from Stanford, perhaps it can benefit from the Cardinal in another way.
The Commodores on Wednesday announced a four-game football series against the Carindal. Stanford and Vandy will meet in 2021, 2024, 2025 and 2027, playing two games in Nashville and two games in Palo Alto, Calif.
Vandy and Stanford look forward to a 4-game series! #AnchorDown http://t.co/nB895sokE5 pic.twitter.com/x4HfrjAy4J
— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) March 25, 2015
The two teams never have met in football, but it makes a lot of sense for Vanderbilt.
“We have been working to put this series together for quite some time,” athletic director David Williams II said. “This game is a natural because Stanford is also an academic institution playing football in a strong conference.
“We have had good competition with Stanford in various other sports so it makes sense to meet in football too. Playing Stanford also increases Vanderbilt’s exposure on the West Coast where we recruit student-athletes and have many alumni.”
The Commodores hired former Cardinal defensive coordinator Derek Mason as head coach when James Franklin departed for Penn State following the 2013 season. Mason helped Stanford to a 46-8 overall record, two Pac-12 titles, two Rose Bowls, and Fiesta Bowl and Orange Bowl appearances.
Vanderbilt has only played one Pac-12 opponent in its history, falling 28-21 to a ranked UCLA team in Los Angeles on Oct. 14, 1961.
In the team release, Williams said to expect more announcements about games with future non-conference opponents in the next few weeks.
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
