NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As Vandy United continues to alter the landscape in and around FirstBank Stadium, Vanderbilt Athletics has shared several updates for fans planning on attending Commodore football games this fall.
Vanderbilt opens the 2024 season on Aug. 31 when Virginia Tech visits FirstBank Stadium for an 11 a.m. kickoff. The home slate includes Alcorn State (Sept. 7), preseason No. 5 Alabama (Oct. 5), Ball State (Oct. 19), No. 4 Texas (Oct. 26), South Carolina (Nov. 9) and No. 15 Tennessee (Nov. 30).
Kickoff Windows
The first new process for fans involves kickoff times, as the SEC’s enhanced partnership with ABC and ESPN has facilitated the announcement of kickoff windows for all games this season. Every conference game this year has been assigned a window, allowing fans to better plan their game weekends and travel.
Alabama, Texas and South Carolina are all in the afternoon window, meaning kickoff will be between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. CT. The Tennessee game is in the early window, giving the contest a start between 11 a.m. and noon. Exact kickoff times will be announced six days prior to each game.
In the nonconference slate, Virginia Tech gets underway at 11 a.m., Alcorn State starts at 6:30 p.m. and Ball State will begin at 6 p.m.
Vanderbilt’s complete 2024 schedule is available here.
Digital Map
Vanderbilt has partnered with Concept3D to develop a new digital map for fans to use on game days. The map will be available the week of the Virginia Tech game.
Star Walk
Star Walk will return in a similar format to last season, giving fans a chance to cheer on the Commodores as they transition from the locker room to the field. Star Walk is scheduled for approximately 45 minutes prior to kickoff of each home game on the football practice fields directly south of the McGugin Center.
Stadium Entrances
As construction continues in the Frist Athletics Village, fans will have multiple options to enter FirstBank Stadium. With the opening of the north end zone facility, fans will be able to access both sides of FirstBank Stadium.
The Gate 1 and Gate 4 entrances on the north side of FirstBank Stadium will both be open this season. Fans can also continue to enter through the Frist Family Gate at the corner of Natchez Trace and Jess Neely Dr., as well as through Memorial Gymnasium.
Videoboard and Sound System
Atop the new north end zone facility sits a new video board and sound system. CTS AVL was added to the construction team undertaking the generational renovations at FirstBank Stadium. CTS, which has worked closely with Vanderbilt for years, was brought on board to provide and install the new LED and audio solutions for the stadium. CTS partnered with Elite Displays for the LED technology solutions, and L-Acoustics and Fulcrum Acoustic for the audio solutions.
Elite Displays provides the primary scoreboard at 30 feet x 84 feet using 8mm SMD technology with a resolution of 1152 x 3200 pixels of crystal-clear images. Additionally, 230 feet of 10mm Ribbon displays will allow for increased advertising opportunities and light up the crowd with graphics and fan prompts.
The new audio system in FirstBank Stadium is built to bring high energy, excitement and connectedness to the entire stadium. L-Acoustics, one of the premier manufacturers of speaker systems in the world, provides line array technology for the main seating sections. Twenty-four L-Acoustics K2 Line Array speakers, 16 KS28 sub speakers, 13 A15 speakers, with 12 L-Acoustics amplifiers delivering a possible 168,000 watts of power make up the primary audio system. Supplementary fill speakers from L-Acoustics and Fulcrum Acoustic are strategically placed throughout the stadium to ensure that coverage and intelligibility are consistent throughout the entire stadium.
Concessions Updates
Multiple new concessions offerings will be available for fans at FirstBank Stadium starting this fall. The highlights include offerings from 5 Points Pizza, Mission BBQ and a cantina-style concession stand, and the north end zone will include a new market for fans to purchase food and drinks.
Continued Updates
As construction progress throughout the season, fans are encouraged to check back to VUCommodores.com during the week leading up to each home game to have the latest information. Construction will continue to impact road closures and pedestrian access on campus.
Fans should consult maps and keep an eye out for postage signage as they navigate the area surrounding FirstBank Stadium.
Vanderbilt opens the 2024 season on Aug. 31 when Virginia Tech visits FirstBank Stadium for an 11 a.m. kickoff. The home slate includes Alcorn State (Sept. 7), preseason No. 5 Alabama (Oct. 5), Ball State (Oct. 19), No. 4 Texas (Oct. 26), South Carolina (Nov. 9) and No. 15 Tennessee (Nov. 30).
Kickoff Windows
The first new process for fans involves kickoff times, as the SEC’s enhanced partnership with ABC and ESPN has facilitated the announcement of kickoff windows for all games this season. Every conference game this year has been assigned a window, allowing fans to better plan their game weekends and travel.
Alabama, Texas and South Carolina are all in the afternoon window, meaning kickoff will be between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. CT. The Tennessee game is in the early window, giving the contest a start between 11 a.m. and noon. Exact kickoff times will be announced six days prior to each game.
In the nonconference slate, Virginia Tech gets underway at 11 a.m., Alcorn State starts at 6:30 p.m. and Ball State will begin at 6 p.m.
Vanderbilt’s complete 2024 schedule is available here.
Digital Map
Vanderbilt has partnered with Concept3D to develop a new digital map for fans to use on game days. The map will be available the week of the Virginia Tech game.
Star Walk
Star Walk will return in a similar format to last season, giving fans a chance to cheer on the Commodores as they transition from the locker room to the field. Star Walk is scheduled for approximately 45 minutes prior to kickoff of each home game on the football practice fields directly south of the McGugin Center.
Stadium Entrances
As construction continues in the Frist Athletics Village, fans will have multiple options to enter FirstBank Stadium. With the opening of the north end zone facility, fans will be able to access both sides of FirstBank Stadium.
The Gate 1 and Gate 4 entrances on the north side of FirstBank Stadium will both be open this season. Fans can also continue to enter through the Frist Family Gate at the corner of Natchez Trace and Jess Neely Dr., as well as through Memorial Gymnasium.
Videoboard and Sound System
Atop the new north end zone facility sits a new video board and sound system. CTS AVL was added to the construction team undertaking the generational renovations at FirstBank Stadium. CTS, which has worked closely with Vanderbilt for years, was brought on board to provide and install the new LED and audio solutions for the stadium. CTS partnered with Elite Displays for the LED technology solutions, and L-Acoustics and Fulcrum Acoustic for the audio solutions.
Elite Displays provides the primary scoreboard at 30 feet x 84 feet using 8mm SMD technology with a resolution of 1152 x 3200 pixels of crystal-clear images. Additionally, 230 feet of 10mm Ribbon displays will allow for increased advertising opportunities and light up the crowd with graphics and fan prompts.
The new audio system in FirstBank Stadium is built to bring high energy, excitement and connectedness to the entire stadium. L-Acoustics, one of the premier manufacturers of speaker systems in the world, provides line array technology for the main seating sections. Twenty-four L-Acoustics K2 Line Array speakers, 16 KS28 sub speakers, 13 A15 speakers, with 12 L-Acoustics amplifiers delivering a possible 168,000 watts of power make up the primary audio system. Supplementary fill speakers from L-Acoustics and Fulcrum Acoustic are strategically placed throughout the stadium to ensure that coverage and intelligibility are consistent throughout the entire stadium.
Concessions Updates
Multiple new concessions offerings will be available for fans at FirstBank Stadium starting this fall. The highlights include offerings from 5 Points Pizza, Mission BBQ and a cantina-style concession stand, and the north end zone will include a new market for fans to purchase food and drinks.
Continued Updates
As construction progress throughout the season, fans are encouraged to check back to VUCommodores.com during the week leading up to each home game to have the latest information. Construction will continue to impact road closures and pedestrian access on campus.
Fans should consult maps and keep an eye out for postage signage as they navigate the area surrounding FirstBank Stadium.
