Growing Forward: Building on Strong Foundations

Dear Commodore Nation,

We seek to surround ourselves with excellence every day. It is rarely as easily accomplished as during the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which we will celebrate tonight as we induct 11 remarkable individuals. I was coached by a member of this year’s class and hired by another. I have enjoyed the ceremonies since we welcomed the first class in 2008, but it will be a particular privilege to be there for the first time as athletic director.  

I am moved hearing so many stories about exceptional student-athletes, from familiar and recent national champions Sydney Campbell, Michelle Peloquin and Dansby Swanson to the late Ray Morrison, who helped Vanderbilt put Southern football on the map more than a century ago. I am inspired by sharing the occasion with pioneers like Doug Nettles and Walter Overton, who broke down racial boundaries, and Harriet Brumfield, who starred as women’s sports came under the NCAA umbrella a decade after the passage of Title IX.  

In mid-February, we are hosting our Vanderbilt football pioneers, the Black players who desegregated the program in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. These men will enjoy fellowship and have a chance to share stories about their pioneering days at Vanderbilt and in the SEC during three days of informal get-togethers and more formal presentations and banquets Feb. 10–12. There is much to learn from these former student-athletes who played such an important role in our history. 

At Vanderbilt, our history helps shape our future. By ensuring tomorrow’s student-athletes have the tools to succeed, we allow them to add new chapters to story already written by legends like those among our pioneers and those we honor in this year’s Hall of Fame class.  

I understand that even as we celebrate our past and look to our future, the present still comes with frustrations born of an ongoing global health crisis.  

We are all tired. We all feel the cumulative toll of the past two years. I also know that our student-athletes continue to persevere. Our coaches and staff continue to persevere.  

The disruptions brought about by the pandemic range from just annoying to downright catastrophic. The reality is that we need to do our best to get to the other side of this pandemic. That’s what our students deserve. That’s what all of us deserve.  

As a new year begins, we are positioning ourselves for the future. On Jan. 8, we honored Parmer Field House in a ceremony that included members of the Parmer family—Walter and Elise Parmer, Danny and Vickie Parmer, Kurt Page and Teresa Tilley. Now that the space has been cleared, we will soon begin construction on the men’s and women’s basketball operations center and new north end zone amenities in Vanderbilt Stadium.  

Speaking of the north end zone, many of you recently received surveys regarding new premium seating options and enhanced in-stadium amenities. Providing an unparalleled game day experience is one of the pillars of Vandy United, and I hope you will take a moment to help us determine exactly what that should look like.  

I know from the continued overwhelming response to Vandy United that people are eager to see us make the upgrades needed to provide the kind of experience we all want and deserve.  

Some of that will take time, but there are plenty of areas in which we aren’t waiting. Baseball season is right around the corner, and fans visiting Hawkins Field this season will be able to enjoy new mesh chair-back seating throughout the infield and portions of the outfield, in addition to a variety of new premium seating options. We want the game day experience to be as special as the team.  

And when it comes to solidifying the future, making a long-term commitment to the best baseball coach in the country is a no-brainer. We’re excited for the VandyBoys to get started again, and we’re thrilled Tim Corbin will lead them for years to come.  

Even as we cheer our winter sports teams down the stretch of their seasons, I’m equally eager to see all of our spring sports get underway. There is so much optimism radiating from our golf, lacrosse, tennis and track and field programs—which I experienced firsthand taking in the first day of the Commodore Challenge. The Commodore Challenge, Jan. 14–15, was the first competition under first-year director of track and field and cross country Althea Thomas. Haley Bishop and Divine Oladipo set school records in the 300 meters and shot put, respectively, with Oladipo establishing a national standard this season with one of her throws.   

From the baseball diamond to the track to the lacrosse field, our student-athletes are eager to compete against the best. They’re eager to be the best, on and off the field. It is up to us to make sure Enrique Bradfield Jr., Auston Kim, Taiya Shelby and every student-athlete has the best experience in college athletics.  

I had the opportunity to attend the NCAA Annual Convention earlier this month, the first time we were able to gather in person in two years. It only reinforced that this is a pivotal moment for college athletics. Exactly what the future looks like remains to be seen, but I am confident that we at Vanderbilt are working hard to carve out our place. With a unified vision, we are ready to be competitive across the board. That is what Vandy United is all about.  

We will build a future that fills the Hall of Fame for generations to come.  

Anchor Down! 

Candice Lee
Vice Chancellor of Athletics and University Affairs and Athletic Director