Memphis, Vanderbilt Ink Hoops Home-and-Home

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – From Beale Street to Broadway, the Memphis–Vanderbilt rivalry is ready for its next act.

The University of Memphis men's basketball program announced Thursday a renewed home-and-home series with Vanderbilt, set to tip off in the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons.

The Tigers will host the first matchup on December 17, 2025, at FedExForum, with the return game set for the 2026-27 season at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville on a date to be determined. Tip times for both games will be announced at a later date.

While just two matchups have taken place in the last 20 years, these two programs have plenty of history. Vanderbilt holds the all-time lead at 8-7, but the Tigers have won the last four—including a pair of victories in 2022 and 2023 that reignited the rivalry.

This upcoming series marks the latest chapter in a rivalry that dates back to 1963. The Commodores lead the all-time series 8-7, but Memphis has the momentum, having won the last four meetings. The two sides most recently met in a home-and-home set, with Memphis claiming a 76-67 win in Nashville (Nov. 7, 2022) and a dramatic 77-75 comeback victory at home (Dec. 23, 2023).

Season tickets for the 2025-26 Memphis basketball season are on sale now at THIS LINK or by calling the Memphis Ticket Office at (901) 678-2331. Additional non-conference games for the upcoming season will be announced in the coming weeks.

Under head coach Penny Hardaway, the Tigers have not shied away from marquee matchups, particularly against Southeastern Conference opponents. Memphis is 14-10 overall against SEC teams in Hardaway's seven seasons and has gone 11-4 since a signature win over Alabama in 2021.

The Tigers are coming off their most successful season in over a decade, finishing 29-6 overall, capturing both the American Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles and earning a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Memphis notched five wins against Power Five programs, three victories over ranked opponents - including an overtime thriller against No. 2 UConn in Maui - and ended the year ranked No. 25 in the AP poll.

Vanderbilt enjoyed a resurgence in 2024-25 under first-year head coach and Skip Prosser Man of the Year Mark Byington, going 20-13 and earning the program's first NCAA Tournament berth since 2017. The Commodores posted their first 20-win season since 2012 and made history with the most regular season wins ever by a first-year coach in program history. Along the way, Vandy picked up four wins over top-15 opponents and reached No. 24 in the AP poll, its first national ranking in a decade.

HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS: For complete information on Memphis Tiger Men's Basketball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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