2023 Vanderbilt Football Season Tickets On Sale Now

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Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

After a solid 2022 season, Vanderbilt football season tickets are on now available for the upcoming season, the third under Head Coach Clark Lea.

Fans who had tickets last season have until March 30 to renew their seats for 2023. In addition, new season tickets are on sale starting at $225.

The season opens on Aug. 26 when Hawaii visits FirstBank Stadium. The Commodores will also host Alabama A&M, Kentucky, Missouri, Georgia and Auburn this fall.

Season Ticket Renewals:
· Fans have until March 30 to renew.
· Fans should renew prior to the deadline to ensure they have the opportunity to participate in the online seat upgrade process later in April.
· After the deadline, seats will be released from non-renewed accounts, first becoming available to other season ticket holders, then to the general public.

New Season Ticket Purchases:
· Fans purchasing for the first time can click here.
· Season ticket holders save an average of 25 percent over purchasing single-game tickets.
· Prices start at $225 for the season.

Season Parking Passes:
· Season ticket holders have access to purchase a season parking pass.
· Spaces are available in the surface lots off of Natchez Trace for $125 for the season.
· Each season ticket account can purchase up to three parking spots. Fans are not permitted to take more than one space without purchasing the appropriate number of parking passes.

Chair Back Seat Cushions:
· Season ticket holders can purchase season-long chair backs for their seats.
· The new chairs for 2023 are weatherproof and made from a breathable, instant-drying fabric which is tear and stain resistant.

Payment Plans:
· Only season ticket holders can take advantage of payment plans.
· The plans provide the flexibility to pay in as many as five monthly installments from the day of purchase through July.

Additional Season Ticket Holder Benefits:
· Dedicated sales representative from the Vanderbilt ticket office
· Access to the best available inventory
· Same seat every game
· Opportunity to purchase away game tickets
· Priority access to any postseason games
· National Commodore Club membership benefits
· Special pricing on additional single-game tickets
· Exclusive season ticket holder discount at Vanderbilt’s official online store
· Early access to mini-plans and single-game ticket sales
· Special offers for other Vanderbilt athletics events
· Exclusive season ticket holder events
· Ability to request one videoboard message per season (while supplies last)

Titans Hire Former Packers Executive Chad Brinker As Next Assistant General Manager

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Photo: Courtesy of Gary Glenn/Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans have hired former Packers executive Chad Brinker as the team’s assistant general manager.

Brinker just finished his 13th season with the Packers and second as personnel/football administration executive. He was promoted to that position in January 2021 after spending three seasons as assistant director of pro scouting/salary-cap analyst. Brinker originally joined the Packers as a scouting assistant in January 2010 before spending six seasons (2012-17) as a pro scout.

“Chad brings a unique skill set to our franchise,” says Titans General Manager Ran Carthon. “He has touched every facet of the personnel department—working in pro personnel, college scouting, cap management and analytics. We are excited to add his knowledge and experience to our evolving personnel group.”

Most recently, Brinker helped direct the Packers’ pro personnel department, which develops and executes the team’s strategy for unrestricted free agency and the undrafted free agent process while also conducting year-round analysis of talent on other NFL rosters. His scope of work also included scouting future opponents, managing free agent visits and tryouts and monitoring NFL transactions.

Brinker also worked with Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst and Executive Vice President/Director of Football Operations Russ Ball to incorporate long-range planning processes in areas such as player contract research and negotiation, salary-cap administration, roster management and the day-to-day operations of the player personnel department.

Prior to his current role, the Packers media guide said Brinker served under former GM Ted Thompson for eight seasons, and in addition to his pro scouting duties, Brinker was also responsible for making 10-15 college visits each fall and attending college all-star games and pro days to evaluate draft-eligible prospects.

Super Bowl LVII Averages 113 Million Viewers, Most Watched Super Bowl Since 2017

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Super Bowl LVII between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs brought in huge rating numbers, with a preliminary average audience of 113 million tuning in to watch the the Chiefs win 38-35 at State Farm Stadium in Arizona.

Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to their second championship in three years and delivered the best Super Bowl audience in six years ranking as the most-watched Super Bowl since 2017 on FOX, per Nielsen Media Research Fast National data and Adobe Analytics. Final Nielsen data will be available tomorrow.

Super Bowl LVII Highlights

  • Super Bowl LVII drew an average audience of 113 million across television (FOX and FOX Deportes) and digital (FOX and NFL properties).
  • FOX’s average audience represents the second most-watched non-overtime Super Bowl on record and the second most-watched program in FOX Sports history.
  • 182.6 million viewers watched all or part of Super Bowl LVII on FOX and FOX Deportes.
  • Super Bowl LVII on FOX ran away in primetime viewership across all networks with a  40.0/77 household rating/share.

Metered Markets

  • Local markets were led by Kansas City with a 52.0/87 rating/share and Philadelphia with a 46.3/77 rating/share. Host market Phoenix posted a 23 percent increase over last year’s Super Bowl with a 39.5/76 ratings/share.
  • Top metered markets available for Super Bowl LVII:
  1.  Kansas City – 52.0/87
  2.  Philadelphia – 46.3/77
  3.  Cincinnati – 45.9/77
  4.  Detroit – 43.4/74
  5.  Pittsburgh – 43.0/73
  6.  Milwaukee – 42.4/74
  7.  Norfolk – 42.1/70
  8.  Charlotte – 42.0/74
  9.  Minneapolis – 41.9/77
  10.  St. Louis – 41.6/74

Halftime

  • The Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show, starring Rihanna, drew an average of 118.7 million viewers across television (FOX and FOX Deportes) and digital platforms (FOX and NFL properties).
  • The event was the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show since Katy Perry‘s performance in 2015 and second most-watched Super Bowl halftime performance on record.

Digital

  • Super Bowl LVII was the most-streamed Super Bowl in history, delivering an average of seven million streams, up 18 percent over last year (vs. six million) and up 103 percent over FOX’s last Super Bowl stream in 2020 (vs. 3.4 million), according to Adobe Analytics and traditional counting of streaming (which does not take into account co-viewing from connected devices).
  • The Super Bowl LVII live streaming audience includes consumption across: FOXSports.com; the FOX Sports app; FOX.com; the FOX NOW app; NFL digital properties, including the NFL mobile app, the NFL Fantasy mobile app, NFL.com, the NFL connected TV app and NFL+ for subscribers.

Titans Move Tim Kelly To Offensive Coordinator, Among Other Coaching Changes & Additions

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Tim Kelly. Photo: By Donald Page/Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans have announced numerous changes and additions to Head Coach Mike Vrabel’s coaching staff including the elevation of Passing Game Coordinator Tim Kelly to the position of Offensive Coordinator.

The team also announced the following hires to the coaching staff:

  • Charles London has been hired as Pass Game Coordinator/Quarterbacks.
  • Chris Harris has been hired as Defensive Pass Game Coordinator/Cornerbacks.
  • Lori Locust has been hired as Defensive Quality Control.
  • Justin Hamilton has been hired as Defensive Quality Control.

The following coaches remain on the staff with new responsibilities:

  • Jason Houghtaling is now the team’s new Offensive Line Coach. He replaces Keith Carter, who was not retained.
  • Luke Steckel is now the team’s Run Game Analyst. Steckel previously served as Tight Ends Coach.
  • Pat O’Hara is now the team’s Pass Game Analyst. O’Hara previously served as Quarterbacks Coach.
  • Tony Dews is now the team’s Tight Ends Coach. Dews served previously as Running Backs Coach, a position that is yet-to-be filled.

Prior to joining the Titans as Passing Game Coordinator last year, Kelly spent eight seasons (2014-21) with the Houston Texans in a variety of roles, including Offensive Coordinator (2019-21), Tight Ends (2017-18), Assistant Offensive Line (2016) and Offensive Quality Control (2014-16).

As the Texans Offensive Coordinator in 2021, Kelly guided quarterback Davis Mills to a franchise rookie record for passing yards, ranked second among NFL rookies in passer rating and led all NFL quarterbacks in red zone passer rating (116.8). Wide receiver Brandon Cooks also set a career high with 90 receptions. In 2020, quarterback Deshaun Watson led the NFL in passing yards (4,823) and yards per attempt (8.9), while ranking second in passer rating (112.4) and third in completion percentage (70.2 percent). While with the Texans, the team captured four AFC South division titles.

The Titans make history, hiring Locust as the first female to join the coaching staff on a full-time basis. Locust served the past four seasons (2019-22) as the Assistant Defensive Line Coach for Tampa Bay.

During her tenure with the Bucs, they led the NFL in rushing defense, allowing only 92.3 yards per game. Additionally, the team ranked fifth in sacks (187), third in tackles for loss (348), first in quarterback hits (452) and fifth in takeaways (102). Nose tackle Vita Vea earned his first Pro Bowl selection, while totaling 15 sacks between 2019 and 2022, a total that led all nose tackles. Locust joined fellow Buccaneers assistant Maral Javadifar in becoming the first women on an NFL coaching staff to win a Super Bowl (LV).

The Titans Switching From Grass To Turf At Nissan Stadium In 2023

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Nissan Stadium. Photo Courtesy of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp

Nissan Stadium. Photo: Courtesy of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp

The Titans will no longer be playing on grass at Nissan Stadium as they are switching to artificial turf before the start of the 2023-24 season.

Tennessee has sighted the overwhelming amount of lower-body injuries over the past years, most notably these past two seasons where the Titans struggled to keep a consistent team on the field due to injuries. From the 2018-2021 NFL seasons, Nissan Stadium had higher lower extremity injuries than each of the monofilament synthetic turfs in the league, according to the press release.

“Ultimately we’ve landed on the decision, based on that data, to transition to a monofilament surface with an organic infill that mimics the natural feel of grass while getting the consistency and durability of field turf,” says Titans President and CEO Burke Nihill.

Nissan Stadium’s field will be upgraded to monofilament, Matrix Helix Turf with organic infill, providing players with a consistent playing experience year-round. This fall, Nissan Stadium will become the first NFL stadium with the technology of a synthetic turf system that incorporates organic infill.

The main factors the Titans listed as reason they are switching to turf are the climate zone, injuries and the improved technology:

  • Climate zone: Because Nashville is located in a transition climate zone, the ability to provide a consistent, durable playing surface has been a struggle since the Titans first started playing at Nissan Stadium in 1999. The team has regularly replaced the grass, and resodded, but the results have been less than ideal, and the playing surface has been especially troublesome late in past seasons.
  • Injuries: Because of the inconsistent, undependable surface, the Titans have seen a number of injuries take place at Nissan Stadium. During the 2018-2021 seasons, Nissan Stadium consistently had amongst the highest lower body injuries of any stadium across the league.
  • Improved technology: The monofilament, Matrix Helix Turf, combined with the organic infill, is the latest in turf technology. It combines consistency and durability of field turf with the feel and performance of a grass and dirt surface. The organic infill is a type of infill that mimics the feel and performance of natural grass. It can produce field temperatures that are 20- 40 degrees cooler than fields with traditional SBR infill. It even requires watering, as it is made with natural materials.

“There is nothing more important than the health and safety of our players,” says Head Coach Mike Vrabel. “We’ve had a lot of issues (with the grass at Nissan Stadium) after a certain part of the season. It’s hard to grow grass. It gets slick. We put new turf down, we try and put new sod down and it’s slick, you see guys slipping. Those are real things that I’ve witnessed over my time here. Our grass surface is not on the level of some of the other grass surfaces (across the NFL). At the beginning of the year, summer, training camp, early season, I can see it being very consistent. But as the season wears on, and the weather changes, there is a noticeable difference in performance of the field.”

The new playing field at Nissan Stadium will be similar to the surface and infill that is currently used inside the team’s indoor practice facility at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park, and also used in other practice facilities across the NFL. Organic infill retains moisture better than rubber infill to mimic the feel and performance of natural grass, while the matrix helix design of the turf limits infill “splash” upon contact.

“I think our grounds crew is among the best in the National Football League,” Nihill says. “Ultimately, there’s just a limit to how much can be done for a natural grass surface in this part of the country. This turf is cutting-edge technology and will be a huge improvement in terms of consistency and performance.”

Prep work on the Nissan Stadium field installation is already underway and will be completed in time for the 2023 NFL season.

Lipscomb Academy Names Former Titan & NFL Hall Of Famer Kevin Mawae As Head Coach

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Kevin Mawae. Photo: Courtesy of the Tennessee Titans

Lipscomb Academy has named their new head football coach and it’s a familiar face.

Former Titan and NFL Hall of Famer Kevin Mawae will lead Lipscomb’s football program after Trent Dilfer left the school at the end of last season.

For the past two seasons, Mawae has served as assistant offensive line coach for the Indianapolis Colts. He will officially begin his work with Lipscomb on Feb. 1.

The Savannah, Georgia native will lead a Mustang football program that is coming off its fifth state championship in December, and will guide the program to its move to TSSAA Div II-AAA competition next season. In addition to varsity head coaching duties, he will oversee all of Lipscomb Academy’s football teams and player development programs at all grade levels.

“Because of Lipscomb Academy’s outstanding reputation and the recognition the football program has built nationally, we had an unbelievable level of experienced candidates quickly emerge who were interested in leading this program,” says Brad Schultz, Lipscomb Academy head of school. “The talent and hard work of our players have elevated our football program, and we anticipate many more successes in the future.”

Mawae finished his professional career with the Tennessee Titans (2006-2009), where he started 61 games and helped the offensive line allow a single-season franchise record 12.0 sacks in 2008. He was selected as the team’s Ed Block Courage Award winner for the 2009 season.

“It is an honor to return to Tennessee and to coach the Lipscomb Academy football team,” says Mawae. “I am excited to get to work and lead these outstanding young men, both on the field and in the community. I have had many coaches pour into my life and shape me into the person I am today, and this is an opportunity to take those lessons and invest in the lives of others through a sport that I love so much. God has led me to this point in my journey and I look forward to how He will work in the lives of our players, coaches and this program as we seek to glorify Him in all that we do.”

Mawae has five years of coaching experience, including two seasons in the NFL. Prior to his work with the Colts, he served as an offensive analyst at Arizona State (2018-20). He started his coaching career in 2016 with the Chicago Bears as an offensive assistant.

“With his background as a successful player at all levels of the game, his passion for investing in the lives of young people and his deep faith, Coach Mawae is a unique fit for Lipscomb Academy and to lead the Mustang football program,” says Dr. Candice McQueen, president of Lipscomb University, of which Lipscomb Academy is a part. “Coach Mawae not only has an enthusiasm and love for pouring into the lives of students through football, he is also committed to serving the community through his philanthropic work, is deeply rooted in his faith and is strongly committed to our mission.”

Over his 16-year NFL career, Mawae appeared in 241 games (238 starts) with the Titans, New York Jets (1998-2005) and Seattle Seahawks (1994-97). He was a seven-time Associated Press All-Pro and was voted to eight Pro Bowls. He was selected to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2000s and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2019.

Mawae served as NFL Players Association president from 2008-2012 and helped navigate the players through the 2011 NFL lockout. Collegiately, he appeared in 42 games (40 starts) at Louisiana State University (1989-93) and was a First Team All-SEC selection in 1991 and a Second Team All-SEC selection in 1992 and 1993. He attended Leesville (La.) High School and helped the team win the district championship in 1985, 1986 and 1987.

Mawae is known for his extensive work serving the community, and has been a long-time supporter of the Children’s Cup, which equips local churches to transform communities through child development. He also created the First and Goal Challenge to benefit the Child Life Program and Pediatric Services at Winthrop-University Hospital in New York. Mawae is also actively involved in Pro Athletes Outreach and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

The Titans Have A Lot Of Questions This Offseason & Tom Brady Is Not The Answer [Column]

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Tom Brady. Photo: Scott Clarke/ESPN Images

There are many questions surrounding this Titans offseason after the team collapsed and failed to make the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.

Do they continue on the same path and tweak as they go? Do they go full rebuild? Should they spend more money and build up a team to compete for a championship while they still have major talent?

All these questions are valid and will be discussed for months on Nashville sports talk radio.

The one topic that continues to be thrown around, though, is whether the Titans should pursue and sign Tom Brady. He was all the talk in 2020 when he was set to leave the Patriots, and now that talk is beginning again as his tenure in Tampa Bay seems to be coming to a close.

With all the issues the Titans have and need to fix, adding Brady will not be the answer.

Signing Brady is not realistic. He is too expensive for how much they need to spend on other areas, and he isn’t a quarterback to build a future off of. It’s also highly unlikely that he would consider the Titans as a viable option.

The quarterback question has been discussed for the past two season in Nashville, as well as whether or not Ryan Tannehill is the guy that can take the Titans to a Super Bowl.

The 2021-22 season was their best chance to make a run for a championship but they choked in the first playoff game, which was mostly to blame on Tannehill’s poor performance. His performance this season was lackluster, but cannot be blamed on him.

Tennessee’s offensive line was absolutely horrendous and needs a complete overhaul. They have two decent options to put back on the O-line next season in Nicholas Petit-Frere and Dillon Radunz, but they need to figure out what to do with Taylor Lewan, who’s owed a lot of money next season but is habitually injured.

How could the Titans pay Brady before they even have a solid offensive line to protect him, and why would Brady even consider the Titans when they had one of the worst O-lines in the league this past season?

If the Titans want any chance at competing next season, they will need to draft and sign quality offensive lineman, as well as bulk up on backups if injuries occur. This will help Derrick Henry thrive and will allow the team to build around Tannehill or whoever their starting QB may be.

Another huge concern that needs to be a top priority is the Titans receiving corp. If Brady were to join the Titans, who would he throw to?

Titans fans complained all season about how the passing game was non-existent because the team lacked a No. 1 wide receiver. How will adding Brady be any different?

Since trading AJ Brown, the Titans haven’t been able to find their go-to WR. We saw flashes of potential from Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and tight end Chig Okonkwo, but not enough to call them the team’s top wideouts.

The wide receiver market isn’t the best at the moment, so the Titans will most likely need to use their first draft pick on a talented, young receiver.

Tennessee has a new general manager in Ran Carthon so things will begin to heat up as he and head coach Mike Vrabel start to build next season’s team. They will need a handful of coaches, including an offensive coordinator.

If they want to attract Brady, they’d have to hire one that will work best with him. Will Vrabel and Carthon want that to be their first major move, though?

The Titans have been a Henry-focused offensive for years now and it’s hard to imagine they’d change that up while he’s still the best running back in the league.

Why keep Henry if you’re going to completely revamp the offense for Brady? It’s hard to believe that he’ll be okay with handing the ball off 20-30 times a game.

For now, Tannehill is the Titans quarterback but he will be heavily questioned with Carthon and a new staff coming in. There are a ton of quarterback options on the market, but once again, the Titans have a ton of work to do before they can dive into the QB market this offseason.

No matter what happens, the likeliness that Brady comes to the Titans are almost slim to none.

The Titans Announce Regular Season Game In London For 2023

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Photo: Brad Moore/Tennessee Titans

The Titans are heading to England in 2023 as the NFL announced that Tennessee will be playing a regular season game at the Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium in London next season.

London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium–the only purpose-built NFL stadium outside of the US–will once again host two international games as the Bills and Titans head to the capital.

This will be the Titans second time playing in London following their matchup against the Los Angeles Charges in 2018, losing 20-19. In 2021, the NFL expanded the regular season to 17 games, including a requirement for teams to play at least one designated international game on a rotating basis. The Titans will now play eight 2023 regular season games at Nissan Stadium, eight games on the road and one designated game in London.

“It’s an honor to be one of the teams representing the NFL abroad in 2023 and play a role in continuing the incredible growth our sport has seen in the UK,” says Titans President and CEO Burke Nihill. “The atmosphere in London leading up to and at our game in 2018 was absolutely electric. Since then, we’ve remained in touch with our UK-based Titans fans and they’ve grown into one of our most enthusiastic fan bases. We can’t wait to see them again this upcoming season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and know many of our fans here in Tennessee will be excited to make the trip as well.”

Additionally, the Jaguars will return to their home away from home, Wembley Stadium, as part of their multi-year commitment to playing in the UK. Both the Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots will also be making their international debut as they’re set to play in Germany.

“Growing the league and our sport internationally is a major strategic priority for the NFL, and we are excited to again be playing five games outside of the United States in 2023,” says Peter O’Reilly, NFL Executive Vice President, Club Business, Major Events & International. “We know how important live regular season games are to our passionate global fans and we thank our clubs for their strong, long-term commitment to this important initiative. Interest in our game globally is at an all-time high, and we look forward to returning to the UK and Germany in 2023 with some of the most iconic clubs and stars in the NFL.”

No date and time have been announced yet, but are expected in the coming months along with the full 2023-24 schedule.

As previously announced, the Titans home opponents for next season will be the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, LA Chargers, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars. Their away opponents will be the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins, te Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars.