Division I · Southeastern Conference
Vanderbilt University Football
Nashville, TN · the Commodores · Vanderbilt University overview
116
Roster
11 over the D-I cap of 105
$44M
Team budget
85th percentile in Division I
$380,383
Per roster spot
median $79,762
11
Coaches
1 head · 10 assistant
984
APR
98% of players retained
6%
Admitted
top 10% for selectivity
Vanderbilt University fields a football team in the Southeastern Conference (NCAA Division I). In 2024–25 the roster carried 116 players, about the median of 119, with 1 head coach and 10 assistants. Team expenses were $44,124,525, well above the median of $9.1M — $380,383 per roster spot, top quarter of Division I football programs. Under the Division I roster cap of 105 in force from 2025-26, that is 11 over — cuts or attrition are likely, though players already on the roster may stay (230 of 261 Division I programs carried more than the cap). The team's multi-year Academic Progress Rate is 984, about the median of 964, with 98% of players retained year to year. The school gave $12,975,789 in athletic aid across its men's teams, about $59,796 per roster spot.
Among Division I football programs
Where this program sits against its 261 peers (percentile; the tick is the median).
#40Team budgetof 261 · Division I#38Spend per playerof 261 · Division I#165Roster sizeof 261 · Division I#36APRof 261 · Division I
Team budgets across the division
this programevery Division I football program
Roster sizes (cap 105)
this programevery Division I roster
The program
- Roster116 2024–25 season
- Division I roster cap105 11 over last season
- Coaching staff1 head, 10 assistant
- Team expenses$44,124,525 for the year
- Operating expenses$5,669,062 game-day and travel
- Spend per roster spot$380,383 division median $79,762
- Academic Progress Rate984 multi-year; 972 latest
- Players retained98% year to year
- Eligible99% of player-terms
- Athletic aid, men's teams$12,975,789 school-wide
- Aid per roster spot$59,796 across men's teams
- Recruiting spend, men's$2,075,726 school-wide
Coaching staff
| Name | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| Clark Lea head coach | Head Coach | not on file |
| Seth Payne | Assistant Coach • Defensive Line | not on file |
| Jovan Haye | Assistant Coach • Defensive Tackles | not on file |
| Melvin Rice | Assistant Coach • Safeties | not on file |
| Jamaal Richardson | Assistant Coach • Cornerbacks | not on file |
| Chris Klenakis | Assistant Coach • Offensive Line | not on file |
| Jeff Nady | Assistant Coach • Offensive Tackles | not on file |
| Brendan Flaherty | Assistant Coach • Tight Ends | not on file |
| Arion Shinaver | Assistant Coach • Stars & Nickels | not on file |
| Trenton Kirklin | Assistant Coach • Quarterbacks | not on file |
| Carson Casarahi | Assistant Quarterbacks Coach | not on file |
| Justin Harris | Assistant Cornerbacks Coach | not on file |
| Jackson Lampley | Assistant Offensive Line Coach | not on file |
| Adetokunbo Ogundeji | Assistant Defensive Line Coach | not on file |
| Isaiah Richardson | Assistant Safeties Coach | not on file |
| DJ Steward | Assistant Wide Receivers Coach | not on file |
| Jaxon York | Assistant Linebackers Coach | not on file |
| Andrew Gachkar | Assistant Nickels Coach | not on file |
| Molly Hart | Executive Assistant to the Head Coach • Operations Coordinator | not on file |
| Grace Shaw | Assistant Director of Football Operations | On file · sign in |
| Kendall Lawson | Director of Player Personnel and Recruitment | not on file |
Put Vanderbilt University on a target list, address the whole staff at once, and send each email yourself from Gmail — nothing goes out without you pressing Send.Start your board
Recruiting timing
- Coaches may first contact youSeptember 1 of junior year
- Your own emailsAny time the rule limits what coaches send back
- High-school football players1,029,588 2024-25
- Division I roster spots31,184 261 programs
- Odds of a spot1 in 33 3.0% of high-school players hold a Division I roster spot
General NCAA rule for Division I; the football recruiting guide has the date for each grad year, the eligibility checklist and what to put in a first email.
About the school
What an athlete asks first — each panel opens the full picture.Campus
Full picture →7,152undergraduates · 13,456 students in all
Women 56% Men 44%
- Setting
- City
- Type
- Private · Research university
- Affiliation
- None
Getting in
Full picture →6%admitted · of 45,313 applicants
SAT middle 50%1510 – 1560
ACT middle 50%34 – 35
- Test scores
- Test-optional
- Graduate in 6 yrs
- 93%
Football
Full picture →116on the roster · 2024–25 season
Roster vs the D-I cap of 105116
11 over — players already on the roster may stay
Academic Progress Rate984
98% of players kept year to year
- Team expenses
- $44,124,525 $380,384 per roster spot · top quarter of Division I
- Coaches
- 1 head · 10 assistant
- Athletic aid, men's teams
- $12,975,789
- Recruiting spend, men's
- $2,075,726
Cost
Full picture →$26,689net price · after grants, aided first-years
Net price by family income
- Tuition & fees
- $63,946
Campus safety
Full picture →4.08violent offences per 1,000 · students a year, 2022–2024
- In residence halls
- 8 burglaries · 60 sex offences over 2022–2024
- Residence-hall fires
- 14 over 2022–2024
Majors
Full picture →33%of bachelor's degrees in social sciences · 20 fields · Bachelor's, Doctorate, Master's
Research Vanderbilt University
School pages built around what an athlete needs to know — the program's money and roster room, admissions fit, what a family really pays, majors, campus life and safety.
Football program116 on the rosterPeers, percentiles, nearby programs, comparisonsRankingsWhere it standsEvery list this school is on, nationally and in its divisionAdmissions6% admittedSAT/ACT ladders, test policy, graduationCost & aid$26,689 net priceSticker vs net price by family income, athletic aidMajorsSocial sciences · 33%Every field and program with degrees awardedCampusCity · 7,152Setting, who is on campus, housing costs, servicesCampus safety4.08 violent / 1,000Three years of reported offences against the divisionAthleticsEvery teamThe whole department: every team, staff and aid
Football programs within 150 miles
| School | Miles | Roster | Budget | APR | Admitted | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee State University Division I · Ohio Valley Conference | 2 | 109 | $6.9M | 947 | 93% | |
| Middle Tennessee State University Division I · Conference USA | 32 | 149 | $13M | 985 | 68% | |
| Austin Peay State University Division I · United Athletic Conference | 41 | 108 | $5.5M | 941 | 96% | |
| Western Kentucky University Division I · Conference USA | 61 | 112 | $11M | 962 | 97% | |
| Tennessee Technological University Division I · Southern Conference | 73 | 111 | $5.7M | 947 | 83% | |
| University of the South Division III · Southern Athletic Association | 82 | 90 | $881k | — | 51% | |
| Murray State University Division I · Missouri Valley Football Conference | 90 | 110 | $4M | 962 | 86% | |
| Alabama A&M University Division I · Southwestern Athletic Conf. | 95 | 146 | $4.4M | 924 | 66% | |
| University of North Alabama Division I · United Athletic Conference | 105 | 126 | $3.9M | 965 | 96% | |
| Kentucky Wesleyan College Division II · Great Midwest Athletic Conference | 112 | 112 | $1.8M | — | 67% | |
| University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Division I · Southern Conference | 114 | 117 | $6.5M | 942 | 77% | |
| University of Tennessee at Martin Division I · Ohio Valley Conference | 116 | 116 | $4M | 937 | 87% |
Other football programs in the Southeastern Conference
| School | Roster | Budget | Per player | APR | Compare | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama 27 over cap | 132 | $82M | $617,440 | 990 | vs | |
| University of Oklahoma 23 over cap | 128 | $71M | $556,131 | 965 | vs | |
| University of Georgia 30 over cap | 135 | $71M | $526,723 | 969 | vs | |
| University of Texas at Austin 13 over cap | 118 | $70M | $596,657 | 974 | vs | |
| University of Mississippi 21 over cap | 126 | $62M | $490,841 | 997 | vs | |
| University of Tennessee, Knoxville 18 over cap | 123 | $61M | $497,889 | 967 | vs | |
| Texas A&M University, College Station 41 over cap | 146 | $60M | $412,535 | 965 | vs | |
| Auburn University 16 over cap | 121 | $59M | $485,325 | 980 | vs | |
| University of Arkansas, Fayetteville 22 over cap | 127 | $57M | $451,739 | 962 | vs | |
| University of South Carolina, Columbia 14 over cap | 119 | $56M | $469,407 | 967 | vs | |
| University of Florida 26 over cap | 131 | $52M | $395,160 | 974 | vs | |
| Louisiana State University 10 over cap | 115 | $51M | $441,205 | 952 | vs | |
| University of Missouri, Columbia 17 over cap | 122 | $49M | $404,230 | 973 | vs | |
| Vanderbilt University 11 over cap | 116 | $44M | $380,383 | 984 | vs | |
| University of Kentucky 17 over cap | 122 | $43M | $354,769 | 971 | vs | |
| Mississippi State University 5 over cap | 110 | $38M | $341,596 | 984 | vs |
Every Southeastern Conference football program · Football budgets ranked