| Vanderbilt Commodores | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Vanderbilt University |
| Conference | SEC (primary) American (women's lacrosse) CUSA (bowling) |
| NCAA | Division I (FBS) |
| Athletic director | Candice Storey Lee |
| Location | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Varsity teams | 17 |
| Football stadium | FirstBank Stadium |
| Basketball arena | Memorial Gymnasium |
| Baseball stadium | Hawkins Field |
| Volleyball arena | Memorial Gymnasium |
| Other venues | Multipurpose Facility Vanderbilt Track |
| Mascot | Mr. C |
| Nickname | Commodores |
| Fight song | "Dynamite" |
| Colors | Black and gold[1] |
| Website | vucommodores |
 | |
TheVanderbilt Commodores are theintercollegiate athletic teams that representVanderbilt University, located inNashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt fields 17 varsity teams (6 men's teams and 11 women's teams), 14 of which compete at theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)Division I level as a member of theSoutheastern Conference (SEC). Vanderbilt's women's lacrosse team plays in theAmerican Conference.[2] Thebowling team plays inConference USA (CUSA), which absorbed Vanderbilt's former bowling home of theSouthland Bowling League[3] after the 2022–23 season.[4] TheUniversity of TennesseeVolunteers are Vanderbilt's primary athletic rival, and the only other SEC team inTennessee.[5]
Vanderbilt is a charter member of the Southeastern Conference and is the conference's only private school.[6] With approximately 6,400 undergraduates, the school is also by far the smallest in the conference; theUniversity of Mississippi, the next smallest, has nearly twice as many undergraduate students. Vanderbilt fields fewer teams than any of its rivals and sometimes lacks the national prominence enjoyed by schools such as theUniversity of Florida or theUniversity of Kentucky. Men's and women'stennis and men's and women'sbasketball are traditionally Vanderbilt's strongest sports, with the more recently founded women'slacrosse andbowling programs as well as the long-standing men'sbaseball program experiencing national success, winning the2014 and 2019 College World Series. And being the national runner up in the 2015 and 2021 College World Series. After enjoying success in the first half of the 20th century, thefootball program struggled through the beginning of the 21st century. In the 2008–09 season, however, the Vanderbilt football team posted a winning season and wonits first bowl game in 53 years. Under previous coachJames Franklin, the football program enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance; since Franklin's arrival at Vanderbilt in2011, the Commodores have appeared in consecutive bowl games for the first time in school history (2011 and2012), and the 2012 team posted Vanderbilt's first 9-win season in over 80 years.
In September 2003, Vanderbilt disbanded its athletic department. Intercollegiate athletics are now administered as a part of the university's Division of Student Life, which oversees all student organizations and activities. Vanderbilt is currently the only Division I school without a separate athletic department. In making this decision, ChancellorGordon Gee cited a need to reform college athletics, returning the emphasis to the student half of student-athletes.
Vanderbilt's intercollegiate athletics teams are nicknamed theCommodores, in honor of the nickname given toCornelius Vanderbilt, who made his fortune in shipping.[7] Fans often refer to Vanderbilt athletic teams as "Dores" or use the cheer "Go Dores!"
The termcommodore was used by the Navy during the mid- to late nineteenth century. A commodore was the commanding officer of a task force of ships, and therefore higher in rank than acaptain but lower in rank than anadmiral. It was the highest rank in the United States Navy until theCivil War. The closest warfighting rank in today's Navy isrear admiral lower half. (In the BritishRoyal Navy, the designation of commodore was applied to the commanding officer.)
Since the term was used most during the late nineteenth century—and because it was then that Cornelius received his nickname—Vanderbilt's mascot is always portrayed as a naval officer from the 1880s, complete withchops, cutlass, and nineteenth-century naval regalia.
The school colors areblack andgold. Opinions vary as to the reason for selecting black and gold as the colors for Vanderbilt's teams. Some say the original colors were orange and black, given to the university by JudgeW.L. Granbery ofPrinceton. Others say that Commodore Vanderbilt's legacy was called upon to develop school colors for the university that bears his name: black for the magnate's control of coal and gold for his money.
When questioned about the subject in the 1930s, the few remaining members of the school's first football squad from 1890 did not recall why they suddenly began appearing in black and gold. Whatever the source of the colors, by 1892, the Commodores were known by the colors that Vanderbilt fans still wear today.
Vanderbilt's primary rival in almost every sport is theUniversity of Tennessee. There is also a rivalry with theUniversity of Kentucky in basketball. In addition,the Commodores' second-oldest rivalry is withOle Miss, and the two schools play each other every year as SEC cross-division "permanent opponents". In addition, Vanderbilt and theUniversity of Louisville of the ACC play for the "Battle of the Barrel" each year in baseball.
Vanderbilt has a number of football traditions: the "Commodore Creed" in the football locker room; the "Corridor of Captains" that honors Vanderbilt's athletics history; the "Star Walk" with fans, cheerleaders, and theSpirit of Gold Marching Band; the "Star V," an on-field formation by the marching band; the "Admiral", a foghorn from a U.S. Navy battleship that blows after every Vanderbilt score; "Mr. C," the mascot; the "Anchor Dash" by first-year students rushing the football field before kickoff of each season's home opener; the "Victory Flag" that is raised over Dudley Field after home wins; and the singing of the "Alma Mater" at the conclusion of a game (in most sports), win or lose.
The Vanderbilt fight song, "Dynamite," was written by studentFrancis Craig in 1924.[8] The song references the vigor with which Vanderbilt plays and the enthusiasm of the university's fans, who cheer regardless of the outcome of the game.
Formed by extending the thumb, index, and middle fingers of the hand (similar to theSerbian three-finger salute), the resulting shape forms a "V" and "U". It was introduced by Vanderbilt's cheerleaders in 2003.[9]
| Men's sports | Women's sports |
|---|---|
| Baseball | Basketball |
| Basketball | Bowling |
| Cross country | Cross country |
| Football | Golf |
| Golf | Lacrosse |
| Tennis | Soccer |
| Swimming & diving | |
| Tennis | |
| Track & field† | |
| Volleyball | |
| † – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor. | |
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Baseball has been a part of Vanderbilt athletics since its official debut in 1886. The sport started out as a two-game schedule which featured a draw between Vanderbilt and then conference rival Sewanee. As the number of games increased the game became more and more popular especially in 1921 when Vanderbilt (20–8) first reached twenty wins in a season and won the Southern Conference baseball championship. ManagerBill Schwartz who formerly coached theNashville Vols (1917, 1924–40, 1952) helped bring Vanderbilt to national prominence. Under his reign he led the Commodores to a 155–112–1 record which still ranks third all-time in victories at Vanderbilt. Under the direction ofLarry Schmittou (1968–1978) the Commodores found even more success as the 1971 team began a four-year streak as SEC Eastern Divisional Champs with a 34–19 record. He also guided Vanderbilt to back-to-back SEC conference titles in 1973 and 1974 while being awarded Coach-of-the-Year honors. Schmittou currently ranks second all-time in Vanderbilt wins (306–252–1) and has coached 20 All-SEC players, 14 of which were drafted in theMLB draft.[10]
Tim Corbin (2003–present) has led Vanderbilt baseball into national prominence with players likeJeremy Sowers,David Price,Casey Weathers,Sonny Gray,Jensen Lewis andPedro Álvarez. Vanderbilt's baseball team has enjoyed a great deal of success under his reign. The team qualified for theNCAA Super Regionals in 2004, had the nation's top recruiting class in 2005 according toBaseball America made the NCAA field again in 2006, and won the2007 SEC regular-season and SEC tournament crowns. The Commodores were ranked first in most polls for a large portion of the 2007 season and earned the #1 national seed for the2007 NCAA tournament. In2011, the team was ranked as high as #1 and won the SEC regular-season title. That year, the team entered the NCAA Regionals with a #6 national seed and went undefeated through Regionals and Super Regionals to enter theCollege World Series for the first time. That year Vanderbilt also broke a SEC record of most players drafted in MLB with 12 players, breaking Auburn's record of 11.[11]
Vanderbilt won the2014 College World Series, the school's first national championship in any men's sport. The team returned to the national championship series in 2015, finishing as runners-up to Virginia.
Vanderbilt's 2019 baseball team compiled a 59–12 record and won the2019 College World Series in addition to the SEC regular-season and tournament titles. FreshmanKumar Rocker was named the Most Outstanding Player of the College World Series and Freshman of the Year.[12]
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Vanderbilt basketball began on February 7, 1893, with a 9–6 victory over the Nashville YMCA, making it the first basketball game played by a collegiate team.[13] It would take several years for the Commodores to make an impact in the game. In December 1900, the school first produced a formal basketball team coached by W.D. Weatherford. The first actual schedule for Vanderbilt consisted of three games against the Nashville YMCA and one against the Nashville Athletic Club. That year the Commodores lost their first meeting against the YMCA but managed to finish their season 2–2. Vanderbilt's first modern basketball team began with the hiring of Bob Polk (1948–58, 1960–61) as the school's first full-time basketball coach. During that time, Polk was able to recruit Vanderbilt's first scholarship player, Billy Joe Adcock, who would later become Vanderbilt's first All-American. From 1982 to 1989, Vanderbilt found success under the coaching ofC.M. Newton who was able to bring Vanderbilt to new heights. In 1988, Vanderbilt managed to make it to theSweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament with the help of center and SEC Player of the YearWill Perdue. Newton was a two-time SEC Coach of the Year and was able to coach other notable players, including Phil Cox,Jeff Turner andFrank Kornet. In 1990, coachEddie Fogler (1990–93) led Vanderbilt to theNIT championship, which remains Vanderbilt's only national tournament title. In 1992, the Commodores (28–6) managed to win their third and SEC title and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen with the help of Duke transferBilly McCaffrey. Presently,Kevin Stallings is in his eighth season leading the Commodores. Under his guidance Vanderbilt has appeared in two NIT's and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament. In 2004 Matt Freije became the Commodores all-time leading scorer with 1,891 points. Since the 2000s Vanderbilt has been able to produce several important players including Greg LaPointe, Russell Lakey, Scott Hundley, Corey Smith, Mario Moore, Julian Terrell, Shan Foster,Derrick Byars (2007 SEC Player of the Year),John Jenkins,Festus Ezeli,Jeffery Taylor andDarius Garland.
The Vanderbilt men have an overall record entering the 2007–08 season of 1,378–995. Their home record in Memorial Gymnasium is 650–184. They have made nine NCAA tournament appearances including four in theSweet Sixteen and oneElite Eight. The Commodores have made 11 NIT (18–10) appearances with one championship (1990) and one Runner-up (1994). The men's basketball program is one of three Division I programs to hit at least one 3-pointer in every game since the 3-point line was implemented in the 1986–1987 season.Princeton andUNLV are the other two.[14]
The first Vanderbilt women's basketball game was in March 1897. During that time their schedule consisted of five games which expanded as the game became more popular nationally. The Lady Commodores began their modern and successful period when Joe Pepper (1977–80) was named part-time coach. Phil Lee (1980–91) became the school's first full-time coach in 1980 and helped lead the Lady Dores to their first 20 win season in 1981 and an appearance in theAIAW women's basketball tournament. The Vanderbilt women captured theWNIT championship in 1984 and later made their first appearance in theNCAA tournament in 1986 while finishing the season ranked No. 20. The Vanderbilt women soon became one of the top SEC teams and were consistently ranked nationally. CoachJim Foster (1992–2002) brought the Vanderbilt women to new heights and national prominence with his hiring. Vanderbilt advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament in eight of his 11 seasons. In 1993, the Commodores were able to advance to theFinal Four before falling to eventual championTexas Tech. Vanderbilt managed to receive a No.1 ranking in the poll taken before the tournament. Foster's teams also won three SEC Tournaments in 1993, 1995, and 2002.Melanie Balcomb became Vanderbilt's fourth coach in May 2002. She has taken the Commodores to the NCAA tournament in each of her six seasons and added SEC Tournament titles in 2004 and 2007.
The Commodores have an overall record of 623–307 record entering the 2007–08 season. Their Memorial Gymnasium all-time mark is 344–81. The Commodores have appeared in 20 NCAA tournaments (third most in the SEC) and have 12 Sweet Sixteen appearances.[14]
The first game in Vanderbilt Commodores football history was in 1890 when they met theUniversity of Nashville. Four years later, Vanderbilt became one of the seven founding members of theSouthern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. During those years, Vanderbilt was often a major player in southern football dominating many teams. In 1932, Vandy became a founding member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The original teams of the SEC consisted of Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Mississippi State, LSU, Auburn, Sewanee, Tulane, and Georgia Tech. Vanderbilt's primary rivalries consist of theTennessee Volunteers and theOle Miss Rebels.
In Vanderbilt Commodores football history, there have been several coaches who have been honored with College Football Hall of Fame honors. Some of those coaches often returned to the school to continue the success they found there. This list includesDan McGugin, who coached from 1904 to 1917 and 1919–1934;Ray Morrison, who not only played for the Commodores but also coached for the Commodores from 1936 to 1939; andRed Sanders, who led the Commodores from 1940 to 1942 and 1946–1948, and Paul "Bear" Bryant prior to his becoming head football coach at Alabama. Over the years, Vanderbilt has sent a numerous players to theNFL. One of the most notable football players isJay Cutler, who served as quarterback and offensive captain for the Commodores. He was selected as the 11th overall pick in the2006 NFL draft and went on to play for theDenver Broncos and then theChicago Bears. While at Vanderbilt, he started more than 40 consecutive games and set school records in touchdowns and rushing yards.[15]
Vanderbilt reinstated women'svolleyball in the 2025–26 school year (2025 season) after having dropped the sport in spring 1980.[16] This leavesOklahoma State as the only school in thePower 4 conferences that does not sponsor the sport. In addition, Vanderbilt is the only school in the SEC that does not sponsor softball.
The rapidly expanding and successful climbing team at Vanderbilt was founded in 2017 and is competing in the Appalachian region of theUSA Climbing Collegiate Series. The American collegiate climbing scene has grown by a staggering amount since the advent of modern climbing gyms and the addition of climbing in theSummer Olympic Games.[17] At the 2019 USA Climbing Collegiate National Championships, where over 100 teams attended, Vanderbilt placed 3rd inspeed climbing and 13th overall. There are currently over 50 active team members, who compete in all three disciplines -bouldering, speed climbing andlead climbing. The club roster has over 200 undergraduate as well as graduate & professional students.[18]
Founded in 2008, the Vanderbilt University Club Baseball team competes in the Mid-Atlantic conference ofNCBA Division 1 in the West division.[19] In the 2012–2013 season, opponents included clubs in the division (Appalachian State University,UNC Charlotte,University of Kentucky, andUniversity of Tennessee) and others out of conference.[20] The 2012–2013 roster included 26 undergraduate and graduate students, including 12 freshmen and 2 graduating seniors.[21][22]
Founded in 1970, Vanderbilt University Rugby Football Club plays in the Division 1Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference against its traditional SEC rivals such as Tennessee and Ole Miss. Vanderbilt had previously played in Division 2, where it was one of the stronger teams.[23] Every fall Vanderbilt hosts the Oak Leaf Cup tournament.[24] Vanderbilt is led by head coach James Snell.
Founded in 1985, the Vanderbilt University Rowing team is one of the largest club teams on campus and competes as a member of the Southeastern Intercollegiate Rowing Association (SIRA) and theAmerican Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA). Coached by formerUniversity of Michigan rower Jon Miller, Vanderbilt won ACRA National Championship titles in the Varsity Women's 4+ in 2018 and the Varsity Women's 8+ in 2024.[25] Vanderbilt won the Men's Collegiate 4+ race at theHead of the Charles Regatta in 2021 and the Women's Collegiate 4+ in 2023.[26]
The program was born in 1973 was dropped in 2006.[27] The college citedTitle IX as the reason for its decision. However, supporters of the team and some experts on the legislation said this was not necessary.[28] The decision caused outcry, with soccer players making petitions to resurrect the program. It was also revealed that men's soccer had low costs of operation.[27]
Vanderbilt has won six NCAA team national championships.[29]
Vanderbilt's athletics programs have seen more success in recent years, and 2006–2007 was one of the best in the school's athletic history. At one point, seven of Vanderbilt's 16 teams were ranked in the Top 25 of their respective sports.[30] Women's bowling won the NCAA championship, bringing the university its first team championship since the advent of the NCAA.[31] In 2014, the baseball team won its firstCollege World Series over theVirginia Cavaliers. In 2015, the Vanderbilt women's tennis team won its first national championship by defeating the defending championsUCLA Bruins. In 2018, the women's bowling team won its second national championship by defeating the defending championsMcKendree University. And in 2019, the baseball team won its second College World Series title.
Campus athletic facilities include:
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