It’s been nearly five months since Vanderbilt announced its $300 million Vandy United campaign, a fundraising effort geared toward upgrading and building new VU athletic facilities.
On Tuesday, the university announced a timeline of sorts regarding the first phase of the initiative, including an aerial map showing a visual representation of which projects will begin first.
Construction of the projects included in the first phase are set to begin following the conclusion of the 2021 football season.
“We continue to be excited about the transformation of Vanderbilt Athletics,” Vanderbilt director of athletics Candice Lee said in a release. “Commodore Nation’s response to Vandy United has been nothing short of overwhelming. There is much work that remains, but it’s great to see our future begin to take shape.”
Included in the first phase of the project are several football-program specific projects. A new indoor football practice facility, complete with a full-length football field neighboring the outdoor practice field, tops the list. A football operations center is in the works as well, which will host football meeting rooms, offices, a training room and an expanded locker room.
Additionally, the south end zone project will create a new premium seating area, new food and beverage options, other fan niceties and a student-athlete dining center. The McGugin Center will also see a facelift that includes a new training room, a new sports medicine facility and a sport performance center.
The basketball program will also get a new basketball operations center, which will house men’s and women’s practice courts, locker rooms, and staff offices.
Vanderbilt has partnered with design firm Populous for the Vandy United project, and Lee said through a combined effort she hopes to have some concrete rendering and conceptual designs soon.
Apart from the football and basketball projects, Vanderbilt also has plans to renovate and upgrade the Currey Tennis Center and the track and field complex, as well as exploring potential opportunities to improve the baseball facilities.
“Vandy United is guided by the same core values we all share at Vanderbilt: Collaborating across the Vanderbilt community to realize a bold vision and pursuing excellence no matter what obstacles may lie ahead,” VU Chancellor Daniel Diermeier said.
“Candice and I are equally committed to solidifying a student-athlete experience at Vanderbilt that is second to none—a place where talented college athletes can compete in the nation’s best conference while receiving a world-class education that will serve them well for life. We are fortunate to have the support of so many people as we launch this vital initiative.”
Follow Michael Gallagher on Twitter @MGsports_