ESPN’s College GameDay will visit Tuscaloosa for Vanderbilt’s game against No. 17 Alabama next Saturday, Oct. 4. The announcement comes after No. 18 Vanderbilt Football earned a solid 55-35 victory over Utah State on Saturday, Sept. 27, to improve to 5-0 — the program’s best start to a season since 2008.  

It’s expected to be a top-20 matchup in Tuscaloosa after the Crimson Tide defeated No. 5 Georgia, 24-21, on Saturday, Sept. 27. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson was very accurate in the contest, completing 63% of his passes for 276 yards, while five different Alabama receivers amassed 35 receiving yards or more.  

It will certainly be a raucous environment in and around Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium as all eyes will be on this heavily anticipated game. The Commodores bested the Crimson Tide in Nashville a year ago in a historic 40-35 victory that significantly altered Vanderbilt’s 2024 season. It was the Commodores’ first victory over an AP No. 1 opponent in program history, and the students promptly stormed the field following the victory. 

Vanderbilt last participated in a College GameDay game in the 2008 season, when it hosted Auburn in Nashville. The Commodores conquered the Tigers at home, despite sports personality Lee Corso picking against Vanderbilt, to catapult itself to No. 13 in the AP Top 25, its highest ranking ever in the AP Poll.

If the Commodores win this Saturday against the Crimson Tide, it’s likely they will be ranked even higher.

The College GameDay cast of Desmond Howard, Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Nick Saban and Pat McAfee will officially be set up on Alabama’s campus ahead of the 2:30 p.m. CDT kickoff. The guest picker for the final segment of the show will be released soon.