football

The Regulations of the Southeastern Conference 

The Regulations of the Southeastern Conference 

Mike Powell via iStockPhoto Every year, college football thrills and delights millions of Americans with its wild tales of underdogs and excellence, and yet this year seems especially special. With the legalization of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness), college football has become more equalized allowing smaller programs to more fairly compete with powerhouses. That has never been more apparent than in the last month. Vanderbilt’s historic upset over Alabama, Arkansas’s enormous victory over Tennessee, and to balance it out, Tennessee’s victory over Alabama as well. The last month of college football has been filled with continuous weekends of high-quality entertainment.…
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Vanderbilt Beat Alabama… Now What?

Vanderbilt Beat Alabama… Now What?

Photo taken by Ezra Wang “This is a whole new team. We got a team full of dogs who prepare every week like they wanna play on Sundays … the only person that knows who’s gonna win on Saturday is God.” That’s what Diego Pavia said in a press conference, just days before Vanderbilt shocked the world.  Before Saturday October 5th, Vanderbilt was 0-60 against AP top 5 opponents (which are the top 5 performers in a weekly vote taken by 62 broadcasters and sportswriters). Next on their schedule was number one ranked Alabama, which many analysts called the best…
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We’re Going to Build a New Stadium, and You’re Going to Pay For It!

We’re Going to Build a New Stadium, and You’re Going to Pay For It!

Image generated by ChatGPT 4o The Tennessee Titans are building a new, $2.1 billion dollar home and you’re going to pay for it. No, Vanderbilt students are not going to have to take out their, or their parent’s check book and write out an eye watering figure, but Nashville and Tennessee taxpayers are going to bear a record breaking financial burden to the tune of $1.2 billion dollars, the largest ever stadium subsidy in the nation.  Large public subsidies for the stadiums of major sports teams have been somewhat of a trend in recent years, and with that has come…
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Why Vanderbilt Will Play Texas for the First Time in Nearly a Century: A New Era of Commercialized College Sports

Why Vanderbilt Will Play Texas for the First Time in Nearly a Century: A New Era of Commercialized College Sports

Art Wager via iStock In October 1928, the Vanderbilt Commodores football team edged the University of Texas Longhorns 13-12 for what would be the last time they played each other in nearly 100 years. They are finally slated to cross paths again on Oct. 26, 2024. While this matchup may seem strange, there’s a reason why the two teams are now playing again after nearly a century spent apart - money. In 2021, the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma stunned the college sports world by announcing their intentions to leave the Big 12 and join the SEC.…
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How Do Students Value Vanderbilt Football Tickets?

How Do Students Value Vanderbilt Football Tickets?

Photo taken by Eva Sinelnikov At Vanderbilt, student section tickets for athletic games are free for undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral students. During the first football game of the season, Vanderbilt's student section was packed. The demand of spirited Commodores greatly exceeded the supply of student seating, therefore sections P and Q had to be closed off. However, as the season goes on, the demand for student seats at football games tends to dwindle. To access student tickets, Vanderbilt students simply go online and download a free ticket to their phone, but what would happen if Vanderbilt began charging for student…
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College Football as a Business: Has Commercialization Gone Too Far?

College Football as a Business: Has Commercialization Gone Too Far?

Image via iStock By Madison Keezer It’s a Saturday morning in October. The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and college students all over the country are dunking their heads in ice water and drinking alcohol for breakfast. College football is an American phenomenon. Even at Vanderbilt, home of the Commodores, the stadium is packed on Saturdays (even with our 2-10 record for the 2023 season). Whether you’re spending your Saturday afternoon in front of the TV, joining the hordes of fans taking over college towns, or are one of the lucky students cheering on your team from the…
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A Business Perspective on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Relationship: A Merger of Worlds

A Business Perspective on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Relationship: A Merger of Worlds

Eva Rinaldi and All-Pro Reels via Flickr By Brian Zhao The whirlwind craze that is Taylor Swift’s and Travis Kelce’s relationship continues to sweep America, generating endless media attention from NFL fans and Swifties alike. Although many have been following the developments of the Swift-Kelce relationship with rapt attention, it is no question that the NFL, sports broadcasting networks, and local businesses around the nation have begun to capitalize on the burgeoning attention that the global superstar’s relationship with the Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end has attracted, especially in regard to football.  First, local businesses are aware of the growing…
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