NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt has been named the 2026 Marketing Team of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators, honoring Vanderbilt Athletics’ success in generating revenue, managing its brand and developing fans.
Vanderbilt was a first-time finalist in Group 1, which encompasses the largest NCAA Division I athletic departments. National recognition caps a year of historic success on and off the field for the university, in keeping with Vandy United’s commitment to elevate the student-athlete and fan experiences for a new era of Commodore excellence.
The NACMA Team of the Year is awarded to the institution in each of the organization’s three groups that earns the highest cumulative score across four judging categories: fan development, brand management, revenue generation and overall campaign. Also known as “Best in Class,” the overall campaign is most heavily weighted in the scoring.
Each of those four categories representing organizational pillars also features five award subcategories, with gold, silver and bronze winners in each determined by either a judging panel or NACMA membership for specific “People’s Choice Awards.”
As part of its overall Team of the Year success, Vanderbilt’s commanding campaign took home seven category awards, including four golds.
Vanderbilt Gold Winners
- Multi-platform Branding Campaign: 2Turnt Heisman Campaign (Best in Class)
- Quick Sales Campaign: Men’s Basketball vs. Ole Miss Winter Storm Game Reschedule (Revenue Generation)
- Student Engagement: Volleyball Match One and Post-Match Concert (Fan Development)
- Single Game Attendance/Sell Out Campaign: Volleyball Match One (Best in Class)
Vanderbilt Silver Winners
- Game Day Experience: Football’s Party in Music City (Best in Class)
- Sport Specific Brand Campaign: 2Turnt Heisman Campaign (Brand Management)
Vanderbilt Bronze Winner
- Game Day Promotion: Men’s and Women’s Basketball Squishmallows (Fan Development)
The seven awards span efforts from football’s record-breaking season, leaning into Heisman Trophy finalist Diego Pavia’s infectious swagger to amplify Vanderbilt’s confidence and winning mission, to varsity volleyball’s return embodying the commitment to lead a new model of collegiate athletics now fueling efforts like Anchored for Her.
In reaching new audiences, Vanderbilt demonstrated a mastery of digital, traditional and unique media, with student-athletes, coaches and administrators making appearances everywhere from Good Morning Americato Bussin’ With the Boys, securing celebrity engagement and leveraging new merchandise and NIL opportunities.
The marketing team also executed its vision on a local and national scale, whether partnering with campus leadership to create a vibrant student section for volleyball’s home opener on Wyatt Lawn, rallying the Nashville community to draw the third-largest men’s basketball crowd of the season for a game moved to Memorial Gymnasium with 48 hours of notice due to winter storms or reaching Heisman audiences with billboards from Times Square to Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The awards also highlight the marketing team’s seamless collaboration with department and university partners including communications and creative, ticketing, facilities, the National Commodore Club, corporate partnerships and more.
In addition to setting the standard during the 2025–26 academic year, Vanderbilt will also play a leadership role in guiding NACMA forward next year. Vanderbilt’s Lauren Belisle, senior associate athletic director for fan experience and sales and senior women’s administrator, has been appointed to serve as NACMA president for 2026–27.