Vanderbilt Athletics dedicated the brand-new south end zone at FirstBank Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 25, marking a historic moment for the Frist Athletic Village. The facility spans more than 130,000 square feet, including a new football locker room, six new premium seating areas and a renovated concourse that fully encloses the stadium.
Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, athletic director Candice Lee and head coach Clark Lea all spoke at the event, and Vandy United donor Jennifer Frist also gave remarks.
The opening of the south end zone represents a key milestone for Vandy United as it marks the completion of all construction at FirstBank Stadium. The north end zone was completed in August 2024, but it was the smaller of the two projects.
“Today we celebrate a cornerstone of Vandy United,” Diermeier said. “This remarkable facility transforms the game-day experience for our supporters and positions our student-athletes to succeed.”
The facility’s new amenities elevate both the player and fan experience. A state-of-the-art locker room is found on the field level, just outside the team’s tunnel to the field.
Frist spoke on behalf of the thousands of donors who made the south end zone project possible. A Nashville native, she said she believes this is just the beginning for Vanderbilt Athletics.
“To stand here today and see what has already been accomplished by uplifting student-athletes and uniting the community is thrilling,” Frist said. “Now we have an elevated game day experience that we are proud to show the SEC and a university we are proud to show the world. The response speaks for itself — people now believe in Vanderbilt Athletics. Today is a celebration of what happens when we all participate and pay it forward.”
Lea also expressed excitement for his student athletes. Players like Richie Hoskins, Miles Capers and more were at Vanderbilt when construction on FirstBank Stadium began. To see the end product come to life for those players was special for Lea and one which evoked an emotional response from longtime team members.
“All the players were so excited [when they toured the new locker rooms]; they were just living in the moment,” Lea said. “There were a handful of guys that have been here since 2021 or had joined us in 2022 — we celebrate so much of what is new in our program. But the core and the nucleus of our team was with us in those days before anyone could see in result what we knew was going to happen in our belief. These older players in particular, there were tears in their eyes.”
The fan experience at FirstBank Stadium is certainly elevated, too. The new stadium features multiple levels of premier seating options, including the “Commodore Suites,” “Living Room Boxes,” “Loge Seats” and “Field Club Seating.”
“In this amazing facility, we’re celebrating a game-day experience like our fans have never before enjoyed — but certainly deserve,” Lee said.
With the completion of the Huber Center and north end zone facilities, much progress has been made since the Vandy United campaign was announced in 2021. This completion, however, is just the closing of a single chapter in Vanderbilt’s vision of sustained excellence in college athletics, according to Lea.
“As the Chancellor said, thus may be the close of one chapter, but it is not the end. The challenge I have for the room is, is this going to be where we stop? Or can we continue to reach for more?” Lea said. “I have belief because I have the leadership ahead of me that is clearing the path.”
The completion of these facilities did not come without challenges, though, as the Vandy United campaign was launched right before the explosion of NIL in collegiate athletics.
“When you think about the disruptive nature of college athletics, NIL comes onto the scene, and a lot of people are pointing their attention and resources to that. [When] at the same time we’re trying to change the physical plan,” Lee said. “While I always had faith because I knew that we could execute, some days were very challenging.”
This challenge was quickly met by donors who stepped in and answered the call — ensuring that Vanderbilt could have funds for both new facilities and NIL simultaneously.
“One of the things we’ve learned is that you have to be agile and you can’t pick one lane,” Lee said. “We have to be good in multiple lanes — we needed both. Thankfully, people answered the call. I think just the generosity is a big thing that we’re celebrating as much as this beautiful building.”
As the Commodores continue their campaign, Vandy United pushes on with more work on the Frist Athletics Village and the renovations to Hawkins Field. Simultaneously, the Ingram Center for Student-Athlete Success and other efforts fund scholarships and support programs.
“This is the end of a chapter, but I expect this to be a very, very big book,” Lee said. “So, we take a moment, we pause, we celebrate today, but we get back to work tomorrow, because we’re trying to make up for something that is long overdue.”
Vanderbilt Football has now improved to 4-0 after earning wins over then-No. 11 South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Charleston Southern and Georgia State. The team will look to improve its record on Saturday, Sept. 27, as it takes on Utah State in FirstBank Stadium.
