Almost two years ago, on Feb. 8, 2023, I sat in my room watching the fourth quarter of Vanderbilt Men’s Basketball’s match against No. 6 Tennessee. I had a class that conflicted with tip-off time and instead of going to the game late, I missed it entirely. I wasn’t missing anything important — or so I thought.

But then I saw the “close game” notification pop up on my phone from ESPN. With two minutes left in the game, I had to tune in. On the small screen in my hands, I experienced one of the best moments in modern Vanderbilt Athletics history, as Tyrin Lawrence sent the Volunteers home on a buzzer-beater from the corner. 

I, like every other Vanderbilt fan at that moment, lost my mind in celebration. But while I fist-pumped around my dorm room, my classmates stormed the court. My jubilation morphed into regret realizing I likely passed up the best athletics experience of my collegiate career. From then on, I promised myself I’d be at the big games for every sport on this campus, not just the revenue ones. And I’ve followed that promise over the last two years.

Vanderbilt faced yet another similar situation two weekends ago. Tennessee, ranked No. 6 just as it was two years ago, returned to Memorial Gymnasium. But this wasn’t just a men’s basketball weekend: The women’s teams dueled against each other the next day. Knowing how important this weekend could be — along with a push from my aforementioned promise — I asked to attend both games on behalf of The Hustler: the men’s for the photography section and the women’s for the sports section. 

Sitting on the baseline on Saturday and observing the match was a pleasure. The student section was packed, the energy was intense, and — though I was a photographer and not a fan at that moment — I felt proud to be a Vanderbilt student. Zach Joseph explained it perfectly — it was an atmosphere unheard of at Vanderbilt before. In her post-game press conference on Sunday, women’s basketball head coach Shea Ralph expressed similar sentiments.

“Memorial Magic is a real thing,” Ralph said. “It’s made real by the fans, the community [and] the players.”

And though I was already sitting on the court, I finally avenged my regret from two years prior by taking a small part in the celebration. I came back to my dorm on Saturday elated and ready to cover the second game of the weekend as Vanderbilt had a chance to sweep its despised rival.

Walking into the same gym on Sunday, swapping my camera for a laptop, I made my way to the press box. With about 20 minutes until tip-off, I stared down at a nearly empty student section. I originally shook it off as students being late, assuming — albeit naively — that the section would fill.

It eventually filled, not with Black and Gold, but instead creamsicle orange. Watching our student section be overrun by our neighbors to the east was disheartening and left a sour taste in my mouth, despite the win. Thousands of students missed out on what could’ve been a second college-defining moment of the weekend, with Mikayla Blakes’ putback serving as the dagger to send Tennessee fans traveling back to Knoxville.

This isn’t a standalone example. 

Vanderbilt Soccer hosted an NCAA Tournament game and the crowd leaned toward its opponent, Lipscomb. Vanderbilt Football came off the heels of its win over Alabama, yet its next home game against Ball State experienced a lackluster turnout. 

I usually make excuses for fans because Vanderbilt is an academic school with busy students — I get it, I’m one of them — but this was a Sunday afternoon during a three-day weekend. The free time to attend the game was there. The beauty of college sports is that anything can happen during any given game. You don’t want to miss these incredible moments, no matter the team or the sport.

This is especially true for Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball, which has become more than worthy of our attention over the last two years. This team is coming off a 23-10 season last year with an NCAA Tournament berth and is having arguably one of its best seasons in history this year. Khamil Pierre is one of the best players in this country, ranking sixth in the country in points per game (22.2), and is getting national attention for her efforts. Iyana Moore, as well, is one of this program’s most loyal, hardworking and memorable players and her senior year should be properly celebrated for her commitment to the Black and Gold.

Then there’s Mikayla Blakes. A top-10 player in her recruiting class, the first-year from New Jersey has the potential to have her No. 1 in the rafters of Memorial Gymnasium. She not only leads all the first years in the country in points, but she is a frontrunner for SEC Freshman of the Year and National Freshman of the Year. Even Ralph, who recruited her, has reiterated how lucky we are to have her around.

“Mikayla Blakes could’ve gone anywhere she wanted to go,” Ralph said. “[But] she chose Vanderbilt because she wanted to do something that’s never been done before…. She has all the makings of a generational kind of player.”

Yet Blakes — and the rest of the team’s accomplishments — have fallen upon deaf ears, only reaching the most committed Vanderbilt fans. This is a team that, night in and night out, is going to put on a show, as it has over the last few months. The team has now recorded six 100-point games this season and will need all the fans on its side as it tackles the season’s home stretch with the SEC and NCAA Tournaments drawing near. 

But most importantly, whether it’s women’s basketball or any other sport — especially the non-revenue teams — you as a student and a fan have an opportunity to create a core memory at these games. Thinking back on some of the best moments of recent Vanderbilt Athletics memory, where were you last Sunday? Where were you when soccer knocked off No. 1 Florida State? Where were you when the VandyBoys won the SEC championship? Did you even know that Vanderbilt Bowling won a national championship two years ago?

You only get four years in college. After that, you’ll never have an experience like this, with access to both live and televised events like these, again. Moments like last weekend only happen once in a person’s college career. When I watched the Tennessee game two years ago, I thought I lost that moment, but I was fortunate enough to get a second chance this time around. Not many others get that same luck; the Class of 2024 surely didn’t. 

So I ask you, with every bit of love for Vanderbilt and its fans, to show up and get loud for every opportunity; and most importantly, to celebrate every success, regardless of the sport.