Tennessee Sweeps Vanderbilt Baseball, Basketball and Football For First Time in History

Tennessee Vols Sports Sweeps Vanderbilt Baseball, Basketball and Football For First Time in History

With Tennessee baseball having swept Vanderbilt, four of the major UT athletics teams did something they've never done: sweep the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Tennessee men's and women's basketball combined for a 4-0 record against the Commodores this season, and Tennessee football took care of business back in November to defeat Vanderbilt 45-21.

Starting with football season and going through the baseball season, the Vols have never accomplished this feat in school history.

Tennessee football and Lady Vols basketball have historically done well against the Commodores. UT football holds a 78-33-5 record against Vandy, and the Big Orange Women hold a dominant 76-10 record over the Black and Gold.

As for Tennessee baseball, the BaseVols have struggled against the Commodores in the Tim Corbin era, as this weekend's sweep by UT marks only the third by the Vols against Vandy in the 21st century.

The other two sweeps came in 2009 and 2000. In the 2008-2009 season, the Vols were close to sweeping Vandy in the four sports, as the Lady Vols were the only team of the four to lose to the Commodores, splitting their games against the in-state rival in 2009.

When looking at the 1999-2000 season, Tennessee's men's hoops prevented the Vandy sweep as the Commodores defeated the Orange and White in Nashville and Knoxville that season.

Tennessee baseball had relative success against Vanderbilt in the 1990s, sweeping the Black and Gold four times ('98, '96, '94, '91). However, every season the BaseVols swept the Commodores, the BasketVols failed to win both regular-season games against the in-state rival.

Note: The Lady Vols and UT football did not lose a regular-season game to Vanderbilt in the 1990s.

UT baseball swept Vanderbilt in 1985 and 1983, but Tennessee basketball went a combined 1-3 against the Commodores in the two regular seasons. The four-sport sweep of Vanderbilt was one game away from happening in the 1975-1976 season, as the BasketVols fell to the Commodores in Nashville 77-66.

Before 2009, the last time Tennessee men's basketball won both games against Vanderbilt and baseball completed a weekend series sweep against Vandy was the 1974-1975 season.

However, in the '74-'75 season, Tennessee football tied with Vanderbilt, and the Lady Vols-Vanderbilt series had not yet begun, as the two teams first faced off in the 1975-1976 season.

Therefore, UT performed a first in history against the in-state rival with their win in Nashville on Sunday.

With the win, Tennessee baseball improved to a 177-161-2 record against Vanderbilt all-time and now has six series sweeps on the season, the most since head coach Tony Vitello took the reins in Knoxville. 

Note: Tennessee and Vanderbilt baseball played multiple regular-season series every season until 1986. So, when referencing pre-1986 seasons, as long as the Vols swept the Commodores in one weekend series, the season will count towards a potential "Vanderbilt sweep" in the four sports.

Stats via UT Sports and College Basketball Sports Reference 

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