Just hours before Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball’s shocking upset win over Tennessee on Wednesday, Vanderbilt Athletics held a formal ceremony to break ground on a new basketball training facility, the first major construction project of the Vandy United campaign.
The ceremony was held at the construction site near the north end zone of FirstBank Stadium. Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and Athletic Director Candice Story Lee both made remarks, emphasizing the innovative nature of the basketball facility project and of the Vandy United campaign as a whole.
“Today, by the very act of turning the earth, we turn a page in the Vandy United story,” Lee said in her speech. “Today isn’t the final chapter, not by a long shot. But it is a new chapter, as the first of Vandy United’s cornerstone projects moves from draft board to building site.”
The new facility will be a four-story, 90,000 square foot building featuring identical upgraded facilities for both the men’s and women’s teams. The upgrades will include new practice gyms, locker rooms, a shared new weight room and a dining space. Separate practice courts for both the men’s and women’s teams will make it easier for them to schedule practices, as the teams currently share the same gym. The first floor space will be used by the men’s team, and the third floor space will be used by the women’s team.
“It will give both of our programs championship-caliber resources,” Lee said in her press conference after the ceremony. “We expect championship-caliber programs, so it’s appropriate.”
The speakers also expressed gratitude to Vanderbilt’s donors, who have contributed to the estimated $300 million fund for the Vandy United projects.
“The project we officially commence today is testimony to the crucial contributions of our alumni, our donors and the many friends of our university,” Diermeier said. “Construction of these new facilities is made possible by the immense generosity and partnership of donors who believe in the potential of our athletics program today.”
The basketball facility is expected to be completed by the summer of 2024 for use in the 2024-25 season. While the football field at FirstBank Stadium will still be fully operational for the fall 2023 season, seating and operations of both end zones will be temporarily unavailable.
Future Vandy United projects include a new football building and seating bowl in the south end zone, as well as an expansion of the McGugin Center for a new academic hub. Additionally, the university will add new facilities for football and tennis and will renovate the Vanderbilt Legends Club for both golf teams.
