Dear Vanderbilt Commodore family,
As we shared with the community recently, college athletics and Vanderbilt Athletics are in a period of profound change. One of the most pressing issues at hand for college athletics broadly involves student-athlete name, image and likeness (NIL). State laws and NCAA policies changed in summer 2021 to permit student-athletes to monetize their NIL, and since that time, we have remained steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that we are equipping our programs and student-athletes with the tools and resources they need to be successful. That landscape has changed dramatically since these interim NIL policies were adopted, and we are writing today to provide you an honest assessment of the landscape, its impact on our programs and student-athletes competitively, and how you can help.
As you may be aware, “collectives”—third-party entities designed to support student-athletes by sourcing NIL opportunities—have become commonplace and are typically aligned with providing NIL support and resources to student-athletes at particular institutions. Anchor Impact is the single third-party collective established and actively supporting student-athletes across all sports at Vanderbilt. As required by state laws and NCAA policies, Anchor Impact operates independently of the university and Vanderbilt Athletics, but we support their efforts to the extent possible. To be clear, although we are hopeful that solutions to the current landscape are forthcoming, today’s reality is that Anchor Impact must be well-resourced and successful in order for our programs and student-athletes to be successful on the field of play. It is vital for the recruitment and retention of student-athletes at our level of competition. Supporting Anchor Impact is in addition to the work we do as a department and university to support our student-athletes on a day-to-day basis—academic support, nutrition, elite level training, medical expenses, facilities, etc.
To support our student-athletes and programs, we encourage you to contribute to Anchor Impact. The collective facilitates NIL opportunities for student-athletes when donors, fans or corporate partners wish to make a general contribution to support NIL. If you prefer a more direct engagement with student-athletes, reach out to them directly through our Opendorse Marketplace or contact a member of our staff (nil@vanderbilt.edu).
We appreciate your ongoing support of Vanderbilt Athletics and our student-athletes, especially during these transformative times. The National Commodore Club has played a pivotal role as the lifeblood of the athletics department, and your unwavering commitment to our student-athletes has been evident over the years. Amid the Vandy United campaign, the largest and most comprehensive initiative in the history of Vanderbilt Athletics, we are genuinely grateful for all those who have contributed to our wide-ranging athletics initiatives. Your support is instrumental in driving the success and growth of our athletic programs.
- NIL at Vanderbilt: visit vucommodores.com/vandynil or contact nil@vanderbilt.edu.
- Supporting student-athletes: visit anchorimpact.com
- NIL donations: contact National Commodore Club at ncc@vanderbilt.edu or 615-322-4114
Anchor Down!
Candice Storey Lee
Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs and Athletic Director
Mark Carter
Executive Director of the National Commodore Club
Senior Associate Athletic Director
