Candice Lee on state of Vanderbilt athletics: Facilities, NIL and Jerry Stackhouse's future
Vanderbilt's construction projects in both end zones of FirstBank Stadium are still on track to be completed on their original timeline, athletic director Candice Lee told The Tennessean on Thursday.
The north end zone project, which will consist of premium seating and a new basketball practice facility, is on track to be ready for the 2024 football season. The south end zone project, which will consist of new locker rooms, a dining hall for athletes and additional premium seating, is on track to be ready for the 2025 season.
Lee said she does not regret her insistence on playing home games amid the construction in 2023, despite the inconveniences it caused.
"I'm really appreciative of everybody's patience as we conducted a home football season while under construction, and I think I think it was the appropriate thing to do because you certainly could not build while you're in season but it will delay your timeline if you do that," Lee said.
Lee did not provide updated timelines on any of the other projects, including planned Hawkins Field renovations for Vanderbilt baseball, but she said more information on those projects would be available soon.
Vanderbilt's increased NIL strategy
Vanderbilt has been ramping up its activity in the NIL space. Among recent developments in that area are a team-wide NIL deal for baseball and the school's NIL collective, Anchor Impact, partnering with marketing firm Athlete NIL and multimedia rights holder Learfield.
Football coach Clark Lea said he hoped to expand the team's usage of NIL and the transfer portal in the offseason. NIL can be used both to entice high school players and transfers to commit, as well as keeping current players out of the portal.
"We've been pretty hands on," Lee said. "There are some parameters that have to be followed relative to NIL but ... we're working together to make sure that Coach Lea has what he needs to use the transfer portal as he sees fit, and use NIL as he sees fit. I feel like there's always continuous opportunity to grow, but we've been heavily involved in that space."
One issue that all athletic departments face in regard to NIL is how to balance soliciting donations for NIL versus facilities. Vandy United, the athletic department's ongoing fundraising campaign for facility upgrades, began before NIL became legalized.
Lee said she may go heavier on fundraising for one or the other depending on what is needed at the time or what a donor is interested in.
"Vandy United is probably, I would say in terms of the long-term strategic play, Vandy United is the priority," Lee said. "But the reality is that you have to have student-athletes to occupy these facilities, and so at any given moment, NIL is just as important."
Lee also said she has seen increased support from athletics alumni in making donations.
ON CLARK LEA How Vanderbilt football will play in FirstBank Stadium amid construction in 2023, what fans need to know
Expectations for Jerry Stackhouse
Lee said she never considered firing men's basketball coach Jerry Stackhouse last season as the team at one point sat at 10-12 in the SEC. The Commodores won 12 of their last 15 games and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT.
The goal for both the men's and women's programs is to make the NCAA Tournament, Lee said. Despite a loss to Presbyterian in the season opener, Lee sees that goal as still attainable for men's basketball. She would not say whether tournament play would be an ultimatum for Stackhouse this season.
"I wasn't sitting last year at a decision point," Lee said. "Maybe other people thought that I was. I wasn't. We extended him going into the season, because I believe in him as a leader of our program. And so that extension was to support continuity of leadership, which I think is important when you believe you have the right leader."
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on Twitter @aria_gerson.
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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Vanderbilt AD talks facility upgrades, NIL, Jerry Stackhouse's future
