Say hello to the only private school and a charter member of the SE Southeastern Conference: Vanderbilt. 

Vanderbilt University, founded in 1873, is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and is home to more than 13,000 students.

Despite its small size in comparison to other powerhouses in the SEC, the school runs many notable athletic programs. The Commodores have consistently demonstrated their prowess on the field, court and track, cementing their status as a formidable force in collegiate athletics and the SEC.

The Commodores claimed the College World Series titles in 2014 and 2019, solidifying their reputation as one of the nation’s top baseball teams. Additionally, the team secured both the SEC regular season and tournament titles in 2019.

The football program at Vanderbilt has a storied history, with 13 total conference championship wins, despite not winning any national championships. A significant aspect of the school’s  football tradition is its longstanding rivalry with the Tennessee Volunteers, located in the same state. The two schools have faced off 117 times.

The women’s basketball team has had much success, winning the SEC tournament in 1993, 1995, 2002, 2004, 2007 and 2009.  The bowling program has also excelled: women’s bowling has won three national championships in 2007, 2018 and 2023, although it is not a league-recognized sport. The women’s lacrosse program has also made its mark, winning ALC championships in 2002 and 2004. Vanderbilt has also won championships in women’s cross country, women’s golf, men’s golf and men’s and women’s soccer.

Vanderbilt’s men’s basketball team has collected three SEC regular season titles, with the last being in 1993, and has appeared in 15 NCAA tournaments.

Although the team has never won a NCAA championship, Andrew Maraniss, the sports special projects coordinator, said home basketball games in Memorial Gym are some of his favorite sporting events to watch. 

“I would say it’s ‘Memorial Magic,’ is the term they use,” Maraniss said. “And it’s just a feeling that Vanderbilt is capable of beating anybody in that gym and has done it in exciting ways.”

The Commodores finished their year with a total 410.25 points going towards the Learfield Directors’ Cup, which factors in the success of all the school’s sports. Vanderbilt ranked 57th overall and second to last in the SEC in front of Mississippi State. Texas clinched the award with 1,377 points. 

On top of its athletic accolades, Vanderbilt is also renowned for its academics, with a 7% acceptance rate. The previous spring 2024 semester was the 29th consecutive semester in which all athletes held a combined 3.0 GPA or higher.

One of the Commodores’ mottos is “the degree, the city, the SEC” which describes everything the school has to offer students and student athletes. Maraniss said there are many reasons why Vanderbilt is such a good school for student athletes.

“This is a small but mighty program,” Maraniss said. “There’s really strong leadership here, from the athletic director through the coaches on down. And so I think those are the reasons why Vanderbilt will stay competitive, and the league just got even more attractive.”