Vanderbilt Football (6-3, 3-2) has officially qualified for a bowl game thanks to a 17-7 road victory over Auburn.

Vanderbilt will return to the postseason for the first time since 2018 when head coach Derek Mason was at the helm of the program. Week 12 and 13 victories over Ole Miss and Tennessee propelled the ‘Dores to the postseason before their season ended in a 45-38 loss to Baylor in the Academy Sports + Outdoors Texas Bowl. 

Now — after a six-year drought — the Commodores will return to the postseason. 

The Black and Gold’s quest to six wins was fueled by a 2-0 start thanks to wins over Virginia Tech and Alcorn State. Head coach Clark Lea and Co.’s plans were briefly halted after losses to Georgia State and Missouri, but a bye week proved to be all they needed. The Commodores came back with a vengeance in Oct., defeating Alabama, Kentucky and Ball State to put themselves one win away from eligibility. 

A Week Nine loss to Texas slowed Vanderbilt down, but it wasted little time getting back on track, earning its sixth win against the Auburn Tigers on Saturday afternoon to reach bowl eligibility.

Commodore Nation will wait until Sunday, Dec. 8 — the day after the college football regular season ends — to learn more about where and when they’ll play, along with who they’ll take on.