Commodore Nation, April 2012 by Vanderbilt Commodores

April 2012

the

DEVELOPMENT issue

what it will take to reach THE NEXT LEVEL

table of contents

2 Compliance Corner Send us your questions 5 National Commodore Club SEC Tournament in New Orleans 7 More from McGugin By the numbers 8 My Game Senior pole vaulter Meagan Martin

11 The Cost of Success Raising funds for rising stars 15 My Turn

Rod Williamson’s monthly column

17 Anatomy of the NCC Donors discuss their motivation

19 David Williams Q&A Vice chancellor’s take on development 21 Five Things with... Women’s tennis coach Geoff Macdonald 23 Spring Fix Student-athletes serve over break

24 Last Shots Men’s hoops wins SEC Tournament

To submit a letter to Commodore Nation, you can e-mail: commodorenation@vanderbilt.edu or write to Commodore Nation, 2601 Jess Neely Drive, Nashville, TN 37212. Letters should include the writer’s name and address and may be edited for clarity and space.

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C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

COMPLIANCE

COR NER

The Vanderbilt Athletic Compliance Office would like to thank everyone that reads Compliance Corner. We’re glad to be a resource for you. In order to better to serve, we’d like to extend the opportunity for you to submit topics to be covered in this section.

Editorial

Publisher: Vanderbilt University Editor-in-Chief: Chris Weinman

Please contact us via email at ncaacompliance@vanderbilt.edu or on our Twitter or Facebook pages. We look forward to hearing from you!

Director of Communications: Rod Williamson

Thank you again for your time and GO DORES!

Designers: Jeremy Teaford Chris Weinman

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Compliance questions? Please contact: Candice Lee George Midgett Director of Compliance Compliance Coordinator 615/322-7992 615/322-2083 candice.lee@vanderbilt.edu george.d.midgett@vanderbilt.edu John Peach Andrew Turner Compliance Coordinator Recruiting/Compliance Coordinator 615/343-1060 615/322-4543 john.w.peach@vanderbilt.edu andrew.turner@vanderbilt.edu

Digital Image Specialist: Julie Luckett Turner

VU Photography: Daniel Dubois Steve Green Joe Howell Jenny Mandeville Anne Rayner John Russell Susan Urmy Contributors: Brandon Barca Andy Boggs Ashley Crosby Sterling Frierson Larry Leathers George Midgett Kyle Parkinson Ryan Schulz Jennifer Stevens

Administrative

Chancellor: Nicholas S. Zeppos Vice Chancellor for University Affairs: David Williams II Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs: Beth Fortune

Vanderbilt University’s Mission, Goals and Values Vanderbilt University is a center for scholarly research, informed and creative teaching, and service to the community and society at large. Vanderbilt will uphold the highest standards and be a leader in the quest for new knowledge through scholarship, dissemination of knowledge through teaching and outreach, and creative experimentation of ideas and concepts. In pursuit of these goals, Vanderbilt values most highly intellectual freedom that supports open inquiry, and equality, compassion and excellence in all endeavors. Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity, affirmative-action university. ON THE COVER: Three student-athletes—Tim Fugger, Jessica Mooney and Festus Ezeli—on top of renderings of work currently underway at the McGugin Center. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to National Commodore Club, 2601 Jess Neely Drive, Nashville, TN 37212. SUBSCRIPTION: To subscribe, contact Chris Weinman by e-mail at commodorenation@vanderbilt.edu ADVERTISEMENT: To advertise with Commodore Nation, please contact Vanderbilt IMG Sports & Entertainment Properties. Jeff Miller, general manager 615/322-4468; jeff.miller@imgworld.com

Commodore Nation is printed using recycled paper.

APRIL 2012

Who Ya With? VU! The spirit is rising among the Commodore Nation, and we need you to rise up! Join the more than 325 student-athletes, coaches and athletic administrators who have committed to taking Vanderbilt Athletics to the next level.

Your Next Level Support Steps 1. Buy season tickets, wear your black and gold with pride, and come to games. 2. Make or increase your gift to the next level of the NCC unrestricted fund to support student-athlete scholarships. 3. Help take a specific team(s) to the next level by making a restricted gift to their sport(s). 4. Consider making a capital or endowment gift. 5. Include Vanderbilt Athletics in your estate plan. 6. Encourage your friends and family to do the same.

For more next level information, call the National Commodore Club at (615) 322-4114 or visit NationalCommodoreClub.com.

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C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

I would like to give an I would like unrestricted gift to give an to the NCC in unrestricted gift the amount of: to the NCC in the(For amount gifts orof:

Giving to the National Commodore Club Giving to the National Commodore Club

pledges of $25,000 (For gifts or and up, you will be pledges of $25,000 contacted for addiand up, you will be tional information.) contacted for additional information.)

Additional restricted Additional giving options restricted giving (Gifts inoptions this area do not count toward (Gifts in this area your giving levels do not count toward for tickets or your giving levels parking.) for tickets or parking.)

Ways to give Ways to give (For information on setting up an (For information electronic funds on setting up an transfer, please electronic funds see reverse side of transfer, please form.) see reverse side of form.)

My contact information My contact See reverse side information

for additional See reverse side contact information. for additional contact information.

q I would like to support the National Commodore Club with an unrestricted gift of $__________. By making your gift by May 31, 2012, you will enjoy NCC benefits during the 2012–13 academic year. q I would like to support the National Commodore Club with an unrestricted gift of $__________. By making giftindicate by May 31, you will enjoy NCC benefits during the 2012–13 academic year. Gift levels your (Please your2012, intended membership level below.) q McGugin (cost of membership student-athlete scholarship Gift levels (PleaseSociety indicate$57,863 your intended level below.) at Vanderbilt in 2011–2012) q McGugin Dudley Society $40,320 (cost ofof student-athlete tuitionin 2011–2012) q Society $57,863 (cost student-athlete scholarship at Vanderbilt in 2011–2012) q Fleet Admiral $20,000–$40,319 q Ensign $500–$999 q Dudley Society $40,320 (cost of student-athlete tuitionin 2011–2012) q Fleet Admiral $10,000–$19,999 q Ensign Master $500–$999 Chief $250–$499 q Admiral $20,000–$40,319 q q Admiral Vice Admiral $6,000–$9,999 q Master Lt. Chief $150–$249 q $10,000–$19,999 q Chief $250–$499 q Captain $3,000–$5,999 q Chief $100–$149 q Vice Admiral $6,000–$9,999 q Lt. Chief $150–$249 q Commander $1,000–$2,999 q Captain $3,000–$5,999 q Chief $100–$149 q Commander $1,000–$2,999 q I would like to make a restricted gift to the following sport(s) or area(s) of $__________: q Baseball $________ q Golf (Women) $________ q I would like to make a restricted gift to the following sport(s) or area(s) of $__________: q Basketball (Men) $________ q Lacrosse $________ q Baseball $________ q Golf (Women) $________ q Basketball (Women) $________ q Soccer $________ q Basketball (Men) $________ q Lacrosse $________ q Bowling $________ q Swimming $________ q Basketball (Women) $________ q Soccer $________ q Cross Country (Men) $________ q Tennis (Men) $________ q Bowling $________ q Swimming $________ q Football $________ q Tennis (Women) $________ q Cross Country (Men) $________ q Tennis (Men) $________ q Golf (Men) $________ q Track & Cross Country (Women) $________ q Football $________ q Tennis (Women) $________ q Other _______________________________________________________________ $________ q Golf (Men) $________ q Track & Cross Country (Women) $________ q Other _______________________________________________________________ $________ q Check: Make payable to Vanderbilt University and designate your gift to the NCC in the memo line. q Check: Credit card: q Visa toqVanderbilt MasterCard q American Expressyour q gift Discover q Make payable University and designate to the NCC in the memo line. q One-time charge ($_____________) q Monthly payment ($_____________ for _____ months) q Credit card: q Visa q MasterCard q American Express q Discover Card number: ____________________________________________ Exp. date: _________________ q One-time charge ($_____________) q Monthly payment ($_____________ for _____ months) Card number: holder’s ____________________________________________ name: _________________________________________________________________ Card Exp. date: _________________ q Card Stockholder’s transfer:name: Contact Janelle Wilson at (615) 322-4987 or stockgifts@vanderbilt.edu. _________________________________________________________________ q Stock I havetransfer: includedContact Vanderbilt in my estateatplans. q Janelle Wilson (615) 322-4987 or stockgifts@vanderbilt.edu. q Please send me information about including q I have included Vanderbilt in my estate plans.Vanderbilt in my estate plans. Matching gift provided by (company name) ________________________________________________ . q Please send me information about including Vanderbilt in my estate plans. You may also yourbygift online atname) www.NationalCommodoreClub.com. Matching gift make provided (company ________________________________________________ . You may also make your gift online at www.NationalCommodoreClub.com. Name: ________________________________________ NCC member number: __________________ Address (q Home q Business): ________________________________________________________ Name: ________________________________________ NCC member number: __________________ City/State/Zip: _______________________________________________________________________ Address (q Home q Business): ________________________________________________________ Email: __________________________________ Home phone: ________________________________ City/State/Zip: _______________________________________________________________________ Work phone: _____________________________ Cell phone: Email: __________________________________ Home phone:_________________________________ ________________________________

Work phone: _____________________________ Cell phone: _________________________________ Don’t forget Signature (required): ____________________________________________ Date: ________________ to sign Don’t forget Signature (required): ____________________________________________ Date: ________________ to sign q I wish to decline all tangible benefits associated with this gift (including parking, seating, SEC tournament tickets, etc.). q I wish to decline University, all tangibleGift benefits associated with this gift (including parking, seating, SEC Mail to: Vanderbilt Processing, PMB 407727, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TNtournament 37240-7727tickets, etc.). Questions regarding your gift? Contact the Gift Processing Office at (615) 322-2979. Mail to: Vanderbilt University, Gift Processing, PMB 407727, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37240-7727 Questions gift?your Contact the Gift Processing Office at (615) 322-2979. Thank youregarding for your your gift and commitment to Vanderbilt. Every gift in every amount makes a lasting impact. Thank you for your gift and your commitment to Vanderbilt. Every gift in every amount makes a lasting impact. *T12N99999999999* 4

APRIL 2012

*T12N99999999999*

C O M M O D O R E C LU B

COR N E R

PHONE: 615/322-4114 • ONLINE: NationalCommodoreClub.com 2012 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament — March 8-11 National Commodore Club members from across the country traveled to New Orleans to watch Vanderbilt compete in the 2012 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament. The ultimate highlight of their trip was watching the Commodores defeat the Kentucky Wildcats to win the SEC Tournament Championship. Congratulations to the 2011-12 Vanderbilt men’s basketball team.

NCC members Seth (DUS ’77) and Judy Eskind

NCC member Susie Day (BA ’65, right) with her daughter Mary Harmening (BS ’91) and grandsons Will and Campbell

NCC members Mary and David Toops

NCC members Roger and Debbie (BA ’84) Shelton

NCC member Logan Van Meter (BA ’10, MA ’11) and her mother Marianne

NCC member Austin Brown (’15, right) and his father Gary

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C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

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APRIL 2012

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More from McGugin

SEC announces 14-team schedules for 2012-13

he Southeastern Conference announced its 14-team conference schedules for the 2012-13 season last month in the sports of baseball, gymnastics, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. Missouri and Texas A&M enter the SEC on July 1. Missouri will participate in the Eastern Division and Texas A&M in the Western Division. The 2012-13 schedule is not based on any other previous or future scheduling formats. The SEC Athletics Directors are currently formulating scheduling principles for the 2013-14 season and beyond.

By The

NUMBERS 3

quarterbacks competing in Head Coach James Franklin’s second year of spring practice— incumbent senior Jordan Rodgers, transfer Austyn Carta-Samuels and freshman Patton Robinette.

2012 Women’s Soccer Schedule 2013 Men’s Tennis Schedule Date Opponent Date Opponent Fri., Sept. 14 at Georgia Fri., March 1 vs. LSU Sun., Sept. 16 at Tennessee Sun., March 3 vs. Arkansas Fri., Sept. 21 at Mississippi State Fri., March 8 at Texas A&M Sun., Sept. 23 at Missouri Fri., March 15 at Mississippi State Fri., Sept. 28 Alabama Sun., March 17 at Ole Miss Sun., Sept. 30 South Carolina Fri., March 22 vs. Georgia Fri., Oct. 5 at Arkansas Sun., March 24 at Tennessee Sun., Oct. 7 at LSU Fri., March 29 vs. Auburn Fri., Oct. 12 Ole Miss Sun., March 31 vs. Alabama Sun., Oct. 14 Texas A&M Fri., April 5 vs. Kentucky Fri., Oct. 19 Auburn Fri., April 12 at South Carolina Sun., Oct. 21 Florida Sun., April 14 at Florida Thurs., Oct. 25 at Kentucky 2013 Women’s Tennis Schedule 2013 Baseball Schedule Date Opponent Date Opponent Fri., March 1 at LSU March 15-17 at Auburn Sun., March 3 at Arkansas March 22-24 vs. Florida Fri., March 8 vs. Texas A&M March 29-31 vs. Tennessee Sun., March 10 vs. Missouri April 5-7 at Ole Miss Fri., March 15 vs. Mississippi State April 12-14 vs. Missouri Sun., March 17 vs. Ole Miss April 19-21 at Georgia Fri., March 22 at Georgia April 26-28 vs. Mississippi State Sun., March 24 at Tennessee May 3-5 at South Carolina Fri., March 29 at Auburn May 10-12 at Kentucky Sun., March 31 at Alabama May 16-18 vs. Alabama Fri., April 5 at Kentucky Fri., April 12 vs. South Carolina Sun., April 14 vs. Florida

Commodore football hosts annual Pro Day

ight former Commodore football players participated in Vanderbilt’s Pro Day in front of National Football League evaluators last month at the John Rich Practice Facility and the football weight room in McGugin Center. The event provided NFL scouts, coaches and administrators the opportunity to evaluate Vanderbilt seniors via a series of speed, strength and agility tests, measurements, and position drills.

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Two Vanderbilt players that impressed at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis—cornerback Casey Hayward and safety Sean Richardson—were joined by six other seniors from the 2011 Vanderbilt squad: • Tight end Brandon Barden • Offensive lineman Kyle Fischer • Defensive end Tim Fugger • Defensive tackle T.J. Greenstone • Quarterback Larry Smith • Wide receiver Udom Umoh

lacrosse seniors who will be honored during a pregame ceremony on Sunday, April 22, when the Commodores play host to Jacksonville.

schools whose men’s and women’s basketball teams both advanced past their first game in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, including Florida, Kentucky and Vanderbilt from the SEC.

former Commodores who took part in Major League Baseball Spring Training last month, including 2011 draftees Sonny Gray and Curt Casali.

155.5

inches cleared by pole vaulter Meagan Martin on Feb. 24 at the SEC Indoor Championships, breaking her own school record.

1,281

combined points scored by John Jenkins and Christina Foggie this season, as two players from the same SEC school led their respective leagues in scoring for just the fifth time since 1980.

3.172

million viewers that watched Vanderbilt defeat Kentucky for the 2012 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament title— representing a 17 percent increase in ratings from the previous year.

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

My Game Senior Meagan Martin is the Vanderbilt record holder in the pole vault, having cleared 3.95 meters at February’s SEC Inddor Championships. The Lake Mary, Fla., native hopes to build on that success and increase her personal best to more than 4.10 meters this spring. The oldest of three sisters, Martin has traveled the world competing with the U.S. Rock Climbing National Team in locations like Bulgaria and Scotland. Martin sat down with Commodore Nation last month to discuss her game: Family, friends, climbing and falling. On her circuitous route to pole vaulting: “Originally I was a gymnast. Both of my parents were gymnasts. My dad did college gymnastics and went to the Olympic trials, and my mom’s been a coach ever since I was a baby. I did that until I was 11 and then I kind of knew I didn’t want to do it anymore. So I played soccer for a season, and one of the girls that I played with took me to a rock-climbing gym. I started rock climbing and did that competitively for four years, then one of the girls who I competed against happened to pick up pole vaulting when she got to high school. My mom encouraged me to try it and I’m glad I did—you can’t get a college scholarship in rock climbing.”

DANIEL DUBOIS

Aaron Matheson Photography

Meagan Martin

APRIL 2012

On her first week as a pole vaulter: “When you first start out, you don’t get right at it. There are a lot of drills that you have to do. But I thought it was fun—jumping in a sand pit—and I was having a good time. I guess I liked it right away and I started progressing, and it becomes more and more fun when you start bending the pole and you’re jumping higher and falling farther; I like to fall, so that’s something that I enjoy.” On how often she rock climbs and where she goes: “There’s a gym 10 minutes away from campus. During the season I don’t get to go as much, but in the fall I go there two or three times a week and even get outside and go climbing on some weekends. We usually drive to Chattanooga to Little Rock City or to Monteagle—there’s a place called Foster Falls where you go rope climbing. There’s some good climbing in Alabama and Georgia, too. “I do two different kinds of climbing: I boulder and I sport climb. Bouldering is done without a rope, but you don’t really go higher than around 16 or 20 feet and you have crash pads. Sport climbing is with a rope and there are long routes that you go up. You’re clipping in with your rope all the way up—that’s called lead climbing. “My favorite place to sport climb would probably be the Red River Gorge, which is in Kentucky. For bouldering I would probably say, as of right now, while I really like Little Rock City, it’s a close second to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.” On her friendship with Commodore basketball player Jordan Coleman, who also attended Lake Mary High School: “Our senior year, we actually won state championships within minutes of each other. I had just won and then she won the triple jump. It was pretty awesome. “She committed before I did. I hadn’t visited yet but she had already gone and was telling me all about it. That was just another reason to come here. And we’re still really good friends.”

T h e O ffi ci a l Tra ve l Pa r tn e r of Va n d e r b i l t U n i ve r s i t y Ath l e ti c s

A Proud Supporter of Vanderbilt University Athletics and the National Commodore Club To contact a Vanderbilt sports travel representative call (888) 632-6951 or email Vanderbilt@AnthonyTravel.com

On her routine during competition: “I do the same body movements before every time I jump. I put my pole in my hand and look down at the tape measure. I rock back and forth a little bit and shake my pole, and then I put it up, step back and I go. If I feel weird about it, I do the whole thing over again. “I also pray before I jump—always. And I tend to wear the same socks—they’re washed, but I wear the same pair, usually on a season-by-season basis…. I also paint my nails the night before a meet. It might not be the same [color], but I always have fresh nails. “There are some people who have very long pre-run rituals that are kind of funny to watch. You notice them. Mine is just something small, but it is the same every time.” On her plans following her May graduation: “I’m not sure. I’m thinking of climbing again for a while and seeing what happens with that. Climbing is becoming more and more popular every year, so hopefully it will keep getting bigger. Climbing is supposed to be in the 2020 Olympics—that’s the buzz going around the climbing community right now.” n

Martin and her Commodore track and field teammates will compete on campus this month, hosting the Vanderbilt Invitational on April 21 and 22.

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C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

APRIL 2012

the

RISING COST SUCCESS of

by Rod Williamson

Clemson Athletics

n October 16, 1931, Clemson lost a disappointing 6-0 football game to The Citadel. Afterwards, former Vanderbilt captain and then-Tiger Head Coach Jess Neely lamented that if he just had a few scholarships he felt he could be successful. Dr. Rupert Fike decided to do something about it and, working with some other interested boosters, organized the IPTAY Club, the first collegiate athletic fundraising organization in the nation. IPTAY is an acronym for “I Pay Ten a Year,” a modest start to a club that would be raising in excess of $14 million per year by the turn of the century. While the number of zeros at the end of that annual fund goal has grown steadily over the decades, some things don’t change. Coaches and the administrators that oversee their programs still look wistfully to development as an important element in the winning formula. It can be a delicate dance. While some boosters grasp the need to contribute and loyally make donations that help collegiate athletic departments tick, others appear to have a deaf ear to the significance their potential gift could have on their school’s success. There was a time—certainly back in those formative days of Jess Neely, Dan McGugin and, to a large extent, even the Roy Skinner era in the 1960s and early 1970s— when a university was able to field competitive teams in its athletic department without needing to pass the hat. It would be wonderful if that were still the case but those days are gone with the wind. Jess Neely played football at Vanderbilt in the 1920s and would later become head coach of the Clemson football team.

As football and basketball programs began to flourish in the 1970s, universities began to realize that outside financial help was needed. The decision didn’t come easily on any college campus, however, since athletic directors feared that once their schools began accepting outside donations they would become beholden to these donors. Roy Kramer became Vanderbilt’s Director of Athletics in 1978 and it didn’t take the future Southeastern Conference Commissioner long to realize that to make the kind of headway alumni expected, he would need to find additional sources of revenue. Expenses were rising. Around the country, salaries and travel costs were escalating. In the Midwest, for example, Iowa State had just lured Michigan’s Johnny Orr to its basketball program for the then princely sum of $60,000, plus some perks. Football teams had long since abandoned train or bus travel to far-away games and some charter flights were costing $20,000 or more! Kramer saw the trends and turned, somewhat ironically, to the same Clemson/IPTAY Club that Jess Neely had spawned. Fortyeight years after that famous IPTAY formation, Kramer hired George Bennett to become the Executive Director of the National Commodore Club. Bennett had overseen IPTAY for eight years and the Tigers were generating significant gift income. He found a very different landscape at Vanderbilt.

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“We’ll occasionally run into a friend of our program that feels like his or her small gift doesn’t make a difference. We point out that every gift makes a difference…. [It] is really the rank-and-file donor that is our foundation and driving force.” — Mark Carter, executive director of the NCC and athletic development

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

Vanderbilt Athletics

Clemson Athletics

George Bennett (left) headed the Clemson/IPTAY Club until Roy Kramer (right) brought him to Vanderbilt to reorganize the National Commodore Club.

“When I arrived, the NCC had about 600 members with total giving around $200,000,” Bennett recalled recently. “There were quite a Inflation: A Tough Opponent few little quarterback clubs but it was not their purpose to raise significant dollars. I spent three weeks at the Holiday Inn forming a new That $2 million went into the athletic scholarship fund during a time plan for Vanderbilt based upon my Clemson experience and then when the scholarship was valued at approximately $10,000 per year. realized it was a big mistake because of the differences in alumni That meant that the gifts of alumni and friends nearly met the departbases. Vanderbilt alums were just too scattered.” ment’s total scholarship tab. Bennett told Kramer that the goal was “to become the best mail Times have changed. That same full scholarship—tuition, board order organization we could be.” They decided to disband the exist- and books—costs $58,000 in 2011-12, making the athletic departing Commodore Club and start over. ment’s total scholarship obligation for about 205 scholarships $12 It wasn’t easy. While some Vanderbilt alumni promised that “when million for the year. It would take a contribution of $600 today to equal you get athletics straightened out to where we can be proud of it, the impact of that $100 gift back in the Kramer-Bennett days. we’ll start donating money,” there were skeptics on nearly every While the scholarship expenses have steadily increased over the corner. Those doubters included some members in the media, who years, annual giving unfortunately has not kept pace. Over the past wondered just what was happening on West End and why it was five fiscal years, annual giving to the National Commodore Club has necessary. not cracked $3 million a single time, hovering between $2.7 and “We asked people if they wanted us to have women’s athletics,” $2.9 million. Bennett remembers. “We asked them if they’d prefer to watch the The downside of this flat-line giving has been mitigated to some Sigma Nu’s play the Sigma Chi’s or if they’d rather watch Vanderbilt degree by the department’s success in building up its athletic enplay Kentucky head-to-head. Some dowment. While Vanderbilt ranks last people got on board quickly, others in the Southeastern Conference in anVANDERBILT vs. SEC SCHOOLS took much more time.” nual giving by a wide margin, it has Bennett remembers the big hill the second largest athletic endow Annual Kramer and Company had to climb ment in the league, one that spins off Athletic to get the Commodores back in the about $2 million per year. Endowment Funds Giving Southeastern Conference mix. Vanderbilt’s athletic endowment— $55.2M 1. $37.3M “We had the worst weight room in a subset of the university’s much bigAmerica at the time,” Bennett recalled. ger endowment—has been bolstered $45.0M 2. $28.0M by generous friends of the depart“We didn’t even take our recruits there $29.0M 3. $27.1M on their visit. We worked hard to build ment and a disciplined philosophy $20.0M 4. $25.0M and recognition that a bigger “sava new stadium where old Dudley Field ings account” would pay dividends had stood since 1922. We used men’s $19.0M 5. $23.5M basketball as our hub because those throughout the future. $16.3M 6. $18.8M tickets were a hot item. If you lived in Adding the endowment income $10.0M 7. $14.0M Nashville and didn’t vacation in Florwith annual gifts still leaves a $7 ida or attend Commodore games you million gap toward that $12 million $11.7M 8. $13.1M were out of the social order. We tried scholarship tab, which means that $7.0M 9. $12.3M monies that theoretically could have to clean up our priority ticket policy.” $6.1M been allocated for improvements Within a year or two, Vanderbilt was 10. $11.1M elsewhere must be funneled into raising $1 million for its athletic schol$4.5M 11. $8.6M scholarships to make up the differarships, thus freeing up other dollars $2.7M 12. $2.9M ence. That has restricted what can to make much needed advancements be done to improve the Commodore elsewhere in the department. Before 2010 SEC Figures Bennett would leave in 1986, Vanderathletic brand. * SEC members agreed not to identify institutions bilt would be raising approximately $2 million per year.

APRIL 2012

Bold Plans to Meet Tough Challenges Vanderbilt Athletics has a wide array of capital projects in motion, so in addition to annual giving and endowment, there is an urgency to identify major gifts. In recent months, a number of impressive enhancements have been finalized and are expected to be in place by summer’s end; they include: • New lights for Vanderbilt Stadium • New Jumbotron for Vanderbilt Stadium and Memorial Gym • Sports turf on Vanderbilt Stadium • Sports turf on Hawkins Field • Phase II renovation to McGugin Center These are big-ticket items totaling around $35 million. In addition to this list there are several other projects that will impact our golf and cross country programs that also require external financial assistance. Aside from these major projects that are necessary to keep us competitive in the nation’s most challenging athletic conference, there are other burning financial needs. Expenses have soared over the years. That “expensive” $20,000 football charter flight in 1975—the one that carried a traveling party of 125 people halfway across the United States—now costs $120,000! Short basketball season charter trips now cost $20,000, often more. Big-time coaches are no longer paid $60,000 a year. The cost for scholarships has tripled since the days of President Nixon.

6 SIX STEPS of NEXT LEVEL SUPPORT 1. Buy season tickets, wear black and gold with pride and attend games 2. Make or increase your gift to the next level of the NCC unrestricted fund to support scholarships 3. Help take a specific team to the next level by making a restricted gift to that sport 4. Consider making a capital or endowment gift 5. Include Vanderbilt Athletics in your estate planning 6. Encourage others to do the same

JOHN RUSSELL

Next Level Offers New Options, New Solutions

Renovations are currently in progress at the McGugin Center, updating a number of locker rooms and meeting areas.

Annual gift peer comparison 13.0 M

Duke 8.3 M

Stanford

6.5 M

Wake Forest

5.0 M

Baylor 2.9 M

Vanderbilt

2.5 M

Northwestern

Members at top two giving levels 29

Duke

Wake Forest Vanderbilt

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Under the direction of Mark Carter, executive director of the National Commodore Club and athletic development, new initiatives have recently been introduced as Commodore athletics strives for the “Next Level.” While the NCC encourages unrestricted gifts that can be applied for tuition, fees and board, one new giving opportunity recently rolled out allows fans to make restricted gifts earmarked for a specific varsity team. “We realized that some people feel very good about giving to a particular team,” Carter says. “A tennis letter winner, for example, probably wants to support the tennis program. Now for the first time through the National Commodore Club, we have created an attractive way for that to happen.” Carter, who is in his second year at Vanderbilt after coming from a highly successful tenure at Duke in a similar capacity, says that there is plenty of room for everyone to participate. “We’ll occasionally run into a friend of our program that feels like his or her small gift doesn’t make a difference,” he says. “We point out that every gift makes a difference. While it may appear that we are only seeking major gifts, it is really the rank and file donor that is our foundation and driving force. We have plenty of room inside our tent and we are eager to expand our base.” The National Commodore Club has two relatively new, upper levels of giving. The McGugin Society is designed to cover the costs of one full scholarship for a year; this year that was $58,863. The Dudley Society covers the cost of one year of tuition ($40,315). If Vanderbilt was to add just five new members to each Society, the resulting $497,840 would have a real impact. In the end, the decision to donate is a personal choice, one that as a reader of this magazine you have already made. There are others, some friends and neighbors, who to this point have chosen not to participate and wonder why they should. When one makes a charitable contribution, that gift tends to make the relationship more permanent. That gift transfers a form of psychological ownership, an ownership of the heart and soul. That is a rock solid foundation for success. n

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

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APRIL 2012

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his month’s topic is fund-raising. Don’t stop reading! If you care about Vanderbilt athletics this is important. We know, we know. It seems we always have our hand out and you would much prefer to read about the magical moments on the field of play. Our point, one we’ve mentioned before, is that without strong financial support we will have fewer magical moments. That’s not a scare tactic, it’s a fact. We know some scoff at the idea that mighty Vanderbilt, whose very name evokes wealth, would need an outside nickel to thrive. The pot-of-gold theory has existed for decades, allowing that the school’s enormous endowment could pay for absolutely anything and everything if only the university brass so chose. That theory is urban legend. Endowment monies are earmarked for a specific purpose by the donor at the time of gift and therefore are not discretionary funds to dole out to pet causes. If you or your grandmother created an endowment for, say, a faculty chair in the College of Arts and Sciences, would you be happy to find out the income was being used for another purpose? Of course not. Then there are those who reason, “why should I contribute to the scholarship fund when they are going to offer those scholarships whether I give or not?” It’s true that our coaches don’t check the NCC account balance before they offer some high school hot-shot a scholarship. Your gift doesn’t affect that. But as the feature article points out, we have a $7 million gap between our scholarship need ($12 million per year) and the scholarship income we receive. That big shortfall must come from other pockets, which diminishes our ability to make investments in programs that you enjoy. You are our choir and therefore you have demonstrated your Commodore commitment. About all you can do more is to consider increasing your contribution—if you are in position to do so—or, even more helpful, help find others to start participating. They are out there. There are die-hards who hop on chat lines or rave about our ups and downs at the coffee shop, yet don’t chip in a dime to help us advance. We’re not talking about giving beyond one’s means; some giving $50 or $100 have dug deep while at the same time there are members of the famous 1% very content to simply pass the plate to the next guy on the bleachers, seemingly oblivious to the impact they could make. We’ve been a member of this wonderful department for nearly three decades and we’ve become accustomed to watching many of our programs compete using a form of guerrilla warfare as we strive to slay Gators and Tigers with half their budget. Together we could help end that! We’re making headway in so many other ways. We’re a proud bunch, us Commodores, and it should hurt our pride to see how far we lag behind our competition in charitable giving. Yes, our athletic endowment ranks second in the SEC but we could double our annual giving and still be last. Think about that. And lest you think we simply can’t match the alumni population of state schools, check out how we stack up with peer schools. It’s one thing to trail state schools with huge alumni and fan bases and quite another to see peers also put us in the distance. We have thousands of friends and alumni across the globe that care about the Commodores. In our sports-crazy society, some fanatics even equate how the university as a whole is doing with the score of Saturday’s ballgame. Athletics provides a platform for a common bond, community, esprit de corps. Here’s hoping that more members of Commodore Nation will begin to understand our challenges and do what they can to help. That will be appreciated. n

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

April 3O, 2O12.

APRIL 2012

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rowing up in Nashville, Jim McKee (BA ’60) lived with his mother and grandmother in a two-room apartment without air conditioning. Jim slept on the couch. A two-sport standout in high school, he passed on an appointment to West Point and instead chose to stay closer to home by accepting a scholarship to play football and baseball at Vanderbilt. McKee’s dormitory on West End was the first time he remembers having his own bed. More than 50 years later, he has many fond memories of his time at Vanderbilt. As a sophomore pitcher, McKee started both games of a doubleheader at Ole Miss— completing the first seven-inning contest and staying on to pitch the first five innings of game two. McKee quarterbacked the 1958 and 1959 football teams to a combined record of 10-5-5. He capped his collegiate career with a 14-0 win over Tennessee in Knoxville. When he looks back at his college days, what he remembers most is the tremendous opportunity afforded to him by his athletic scholarship. “Vanderbilt meant a lot to me,” McKee said. “I got a good eduction and made lifelong friends. There was no way I could have gone to Vanderbilt without my scholarship.” Having made the connection between his experience as a student-athlete and the funding that made it possible, it is no surprise that McKee has chosen to support the Vanderbilt athletic department by including the National Commodore Club in his estate planning. Who better to know the importance of giving to the department than someone who has directly reaped its benefits? Such is also the case for Jill Kispert (BA ’89). The former Jill Goldberg played basketball and soccer at Vanderbilt in the late 1980s, and is believed to have been the first female on an athletic scholarship to study abroad. She rates that experience on par with being part of the Commodores’ first NCAA Tournament squad as a freshman. “As a former athlete, I have a huge amount of pride in being able to give back some of the opportunities that were given to me,” Kispert said. “It’s my way to stay connected and say ‘thank you.’ I’m grateful to everyone there. They were truly like a family.” Former student-athletes are not the only alumni who make deep connections with the athletic department. A second generation Vanderbilt graduate, Bracton Thoma (BA ’96) fondly remembers the 1993 men’s basketball team knocking off top-ranked Kentucky en route to an SEC regular season championship. Thoma came up from his home in Birmingham to attend baseball’s NCAA Regional and Super Regional victories last spring. He gives to the NCC annually.

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“It’s pride in the college I attended,” Thoma said. “With the size of Vanderbilt compared to the size of its competition, I’m just trying to do anything I can to help.” Many NCC supporters never attended Vanderbilt. Oklahoma native Pat Emery married into the Commodore family. When Emery moved to Nashville, his in-laws, Dr. and Hazel Moon, were already long-time Vanderbilt supporters. Emery’s love of local athletics led him to begin attending games and he was quickly hooked. “The university is clearly invested in the student-athletes,” Emery said. “And [the student-athletes] are fine young people—what you want to see in society. [They are] welleducated, care about their community and their team. They are great role models.” A University of Kentucky graduate, Joel Gordon cannot recall missing a home football game in the 40 years that he has had the same seats at Dudley Field. Gordon is a former board member at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center and his wife, Bernice, graduated from Peabody College. There are two endowed scholarships at Vanderbilt that have been named in Gordon’s honor—one at Peabody that is awarded to a student with a focus on healthcare business or services, and one for a men’s basketball student-athlete. Josh Henderson is the current recipient of the latter. “What I most appreciate is the emphasis that Vanderbilt has placed on athletic and academic success,” Gordon said. The reasons people feel compelled to give are countless, and the ways that they can contribute are growing as well. From annual giving and capital campaigns to planned giving, the athletic endowment, and the newest option, restricted giving—whereby funds can be earmarked to go to a specific sport—the NCC is helping meet the needs of student-athletes by finding more ways to connect fans with Vanderbilt athletics. n

Above: A two-sport athlete at Vanderbilt, Jim McKee (’60) has included the National Commodore Club in his estate planning. Below: Jill Kispert (’89) chose to support one of the NCC’s capital giving campaigns. Kispert (center) is pictured with June Stewart, Karen Booker, Jeannie Carol, Wendy Scholtens Wood, Renae Sallquist, Julie Gibbs Tahmoush, Sarah Mannes Homstad and Pat Moran.

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

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APRIL 2012

2/8/12 5:14 PM

Vice Chancellor Williams on development

David Williams

Commodore Nation: What are the primary sources of income for Student Athletics? David Williams: Our income comes roughly in thirds. We self-generate about $17 million through ticket sales, gifts, concessions and so forth. We receive approximately the same amount of money as an investment by the university, and the Southeastern Conference membership split is somewhere in the $20-$21 million range. Our budget is about $55 million.

CN: How would another million dollars of annual fund income affect our athletic budget? DW: If we could raise an additional million dollars it would allow us to pull our operations closer in line with our competitors. To be truthful, we are so far behind our competitors here that while $1 million would help, we actually need much more! For example, an additional $1 million could pay for a new Jumbotron in Memorial Gym; or it would allow us to award maximum scholarships in swimming and bowling and better fund men’s cross country; or it could offset expensive travel to Columbia, Missouri and College Station, Texas for games with our new SEC members. There are lots of practical ways we could use additional income.”

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CN: The budget seems so big. Do smaller gifts make a difference? DW: Yes! Those smaller gifts can add up. And any gift, regardless of size, shows a commitment that someone is vested in the program. People can grow into larger gifts, too. Most of us have to work our way up in what is comfortable. CN: How do you respond to those that think the university should essentially pay for its athletic department and its projects? DW: What other great program does that? No other member of the Southeastern Conference pays its entire athletic budget. Everyone generates income through outside resources. Our university is very generous in its investment with athletics, but if you want a first-class program, alumni and friends also have to participate. The university, as wealthy as it may seem, has many needs and not all of these needs have the resources to be self-sufficient. I would offer the divinity school or law school as but two such examples. When we won the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament, everybody was excited about “their” team, but typically our important academic centers receive less fanfare. I hope our fans are beginning to understand that we know what we are doing, that we can and have been successful in athletics; but make no mistake, it costs money. There has to be more than a handful of generous donors making our athletics tick. And very soon others will have a chance to step up and help as we push forward with exciting new facility projects. n

C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

2012 BLACK AND GOLD SPRING GAME

APRIL 2012

SATURDAY, APRIL 14

The dean of Vanderbilt coaches, Geoff Macdonald is his 18th season leading the women’s tennis team. A two-time Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year, Macdonald is a regular contributor to the Straight Sets tennis blog on NewYorkTimes.com. Macdonald sat down with Commodore Nation last month to discuss a few books that have piqued his interest lately.

LAST TRAIN TO MEMPHIS by Peter Garulnick: “Peter is probably the best writer on music in the United States and he teaches here. He’s also a tennis player. This is his first volume on Elvis Presley. The follow-up, Careless Love, is about how he became big and how he fell apart. Both really interesting.”

Pulphead by John Jeremiah Sullivan: “This collection of essays that came out in November is fantastic. He’s a Sewanee grad that’s written about living with (Southern scholar) Andrew Lytle, but he’s also got an incredible essay on Michael Jackson and wrote another really good one on Axl Rose.”

3 4 5

Never drank the Kool-aid by Touré: “He’s another very interesting writer. His profiles are featured in the New Yorker a lot. They range from Eminem and 50 Cent to some that are sports-related like Dale Earnhardt, Jr.”

WITH...

GEOFF MACDONALD

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Night of the Gun by David Carr: “David is a columnist on the business page of the New York Times, usually on Mondays. He was a drug addict and this book is about how he overcame that.” The CATCHER WAS A SPY by Nicholas Dawidoff: “This is the story of Moe Berg, who was a catcher in the Major Leagues before becoming a spy for the Office of Strategic Services in World War II.” n

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APRIL 2012

Student-athletes give back on spring break

hanks in large part to the good folks at MTV, today’s spring break is a giant brand fueled by wild parties in exotic-but-cost-effective locales (think Panama City Beach). College students flock to beaches across the southeast for a week of revelry in the sun. Or not. At least for Vanderbilt students, there is another option. An alternative, if you will. Vanderbilt’s Alternative Spring Break celebrated its 25th anniversary last month. The student-run community service organization’s mission is “to promote critical thinking, social action and continued community involvement by combining education, reflection and direct service on the local, regional, national and international levels.” Freshman swimmer Celeste Jones was one of 12 Vanderbilt students that spent Spring Break 2012 in Douglasville, Ga., volunteering at the Youth Villages Inner Harbour Campus—one of Georgia’s largest psychiatric residential treatment programs for seriously emotionally disturbed children and youth. Jones aspires to be a teacher and thought the experience of working with a wide range of children would be rewarding. She was right. “It was amazing, a very emotional experience,” Jones said. “It got a lot of people on the trip to view themselves and the world differently. It was the kind of situ-

ation that you wouldn’t expect to change your viewpoint so much, but once you’re actually placed in that situation it was eye-opening.” Jones’ ASB group worked directly with mentorship director Katrina Word, shadowing classes and performing physical labor throughout the 1200-acre wooded campus. Word invited the Vanderbilt group to the facility in part to help spread the word about the good work done there. Inner Harbour tries to find mentors for each young person that comes to Soccer sophomore Grace Stumb with swimmer Alyx Vernon in Haiti. campus, with one-onone attention for each child showing the most positive results. the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Asked if she plans to participate in the The group consisted of swimmer Alyx ASB program against next year, Jones Vernon; football players Carey Spear, quickly affirms. “I don’t even think it’s an Ryan Fowler and Robby Barbieri; soccer option to not do it, for me. It was definitely players CJ Rhoades, Amanda Essay, Abby more than worth the time.” Carr, Grace Stumb and Bridget Lohmuller; Outside of ASB, there are still other op- and cheerleader Meryl McVicker. tions for student-athletes who want to use A sophomore from Fair Oaks, Calif., their week off from school to give back. Vernon got right to the point when asked Ten student-athletes spent the first week about the experience: “It was unreal. of March in Haiti on a trip sponsored by Amazing. Literally life-changing.” All clichés, yes. But one could see how seven days spent working at an orphanage in Jérémie, Haiti, might be difficult to sum up in words. One thing Vernon knows for sure is that the journey has reinforced her desire to serve in the Peace Corps after she graduates. “Devoting two years of your life to go to another country and be completely isolated from your other life is a little daunting,” Vernon said. “I didn’t know if that was something I definitely wanted to do. Now after I was in Haiti, I can’t imagine not doing it.” While student-athletes at Vanderbilt are playing a vital role in their campus community, they also are reaching across the country and the world to serve those in need. And that's a pretty good alternative to the average spring break. n

Celeste Jones (front right) with her ASB group in Douglasville, Ga.

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C O M M O D O R E N AT I O N

last shots TYLER KAUFMAN FOR VANDERBILT ATHLETICS

hampions! Freshman Kedren Johnson (top) made the play of the game in the SEC Tournament finals, completing a traditional three-point play to give the Commodores a late lead they would not relinquish against No. 1 Kentucky. Junior John Jenkins was named the Most Valuable Player for averaging more than 18 points per game.

APRIL 2012