To Vandy Fans - From an Angry Vandy Fan

Today sucks.

Yesterday sucked.

This whole process has just 100% sucked.

Vandy getting robbed of a playoff spot and Diego Pavia (likely) not winning the Heisman are two absolute travesties that cannot be excused. Even in basketball there is a lingering perception of “oh that’s just Vandy…” which explains the 10 team difference in AP poll vs Kenpom, Torvik, and NET ratings. I feel what all of you guys do. I’m angry, annoyed, dejected, and have found myself wondering what the point is if everything is stacked against us.

But here’s my message to everyone who is feeling the same way: Screw ’em. Screw everyone who would seek to put Vandy down because of some misguided perception of “Same Ole Vandy”, willful ignorance, or genuine stupidity. Today should be a rallying cry to everyone who cares about Vandy athletics. The athletic department should be going full scorched earth on anybody they can get ahold of in the NCAA or on the Committee. The coaches of every team should be doubling and tripling down on efforts to get more resources. The big boosters should be giving more to lift Vandy over the hump. 

Here’s the most important part of this article, though. We, as Vandy fans, should also make commitments to do our part as well.

Frankly, the coaches and people working at Vanderbilt deserve to have the investment that they have poured into VU athletics reciprocated. For so long the (formerly valid) excuse has been “Well, the university doesn’t care, so why should I?” But that’s not the case anymore. AD Candace Storey-Lee and Chancellor Daniel Diermier have done the work to break the decades-long pattern of apathy from the VU administration.

They’ve overseen financial investment at a level never before seen at Vanderbilt, have hired elite coaches consistently, and have provided the programs with the resources they needed to become elite. I mean seriously, once the football operations center breaks ground $400+ million will have been invested into Vanderbilt athletics for facilities alone. Who would have ever thought that would happen 10 years ago? It’s not a stretch to say that those two have done more for Vanderbilt athletics in the last 3 years than anyone in the previous 80 years.

It’s not just stuff that happens behind the scenes, either. The results have followed. VU football just had their best season ever and flipped the number 1 QB in the country from Georgia. Vandy basketball is in the midst of a similar season and is ranked in the top 10 of Kenpom, Torvik, and the NET while being the most fun team in the country to watch. WBB is a top 15 team with the best player in the country on the squad. Baseball upgraded their facilities and roster after earning the number 1 overall seed last year. Soccer got to the elite 8 for the first time. Women’s tennis had national champion runner-ups and has a top recruiting class. Men’s Tennis has the number 1 recruiting class in the country. Both men’s and women’s golf are perennially elite and have number 1 recruiting classes. Volleyball had some big wins in their first ever season and has a top 10 recruiting class.  

If you think Diermier, Storey-Lee, Lea, or any other member of Vanderbilt athletics sit idly by while they see what they’ve built get disrespected, you haven’t been paying attention. Diermier and Storey-Lee will be fighting with everything they’ve got to ensure that something like this never happens again, and Lea will be fighting to make sure they never leave doubt ever again. 

So let’s make sure that they have all the support they could need from the outside while they continue to build. Go to the bowl games. Get to all the VU athletics games you can go to. Get season tickets if you can afford them. Be loud on social media. Boost Vanderbilt’s presence and athletics in whatever way you can, big or small. The investment from the university is there. The new facilities are there. The results are there. Now it’s time to finally get ALL Vanderbilt fans up to date.

Yes, today was disappointing, but we can ensure that it will never happen again. So let’s do it.