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Vanderbilt will never have consistently respectable programs unless the administration gives much greater support. College sports is no longer, and hasn’t been for quite a while, an extracurricular activity, it is for the most part a full-fledged entertainment business. This is not the fault of the Vanderbilt administration per se, but of weak college administrators, who fear their fan bases, and the so-called accreditation community’s analysis of academic institutions performance with proverbial blinders. There is a myth that colleges and universities are getting rich from athletics, such is a myth. True, there are those getting rich, coaching staffs and athletic administrators, but last noticed, the only two programs in the country showing a profit were Alabama and Texas; I now doubt Texas. Maintaining sports programs is an expensive endeavor as pertains to financing and academic abandonment. Even though I hate it, I doubt the adulteration of college sports for the benefits of vicarious identity will ever be reversed. Bottom line, if Vanderbilt stays in the S.E.C. then they need to get all in or do one of two things, either get in another conference or drop sports altogether!

I will never give into the theory that it is impossible. I am more of the thought process that the people running Vanderbilt have no idea how to fix it. Simply a crapshoot of luck if their choice pans out. At our school we need to swing for the fences with our hires in an outside the box fashion. How do you compete with Amazon? Those board members need to understand that we are the small business that needs to beat amazon. They don't think properly. Many of my friends and others have beaten the pants of Amazon selling goods but they do it outside the box. You can't beat them on price or scale, it's creativity. There is simply no creativity at Vanderbilt which is why we are the dumbest smart school in the country. And I am an alum I can see the forest through the trees though.

Vanderbilt will never be a football powerhouse. Only two coaches have brought them up to a level of other SEC schools Steve Sloan and James Franklin. We where not good back in the days when we just had a few MBA an BGA kids that could come in and carry the study load. Now most of these schools don't care how much of a student these kids are, it is even harder.

I disagree. Vanderbilt can be good at football. I think the guy we just hired has a good chance.

Buffy is right that we can play decent football with the right coach and SEC money. There is ample evidence of that fact. What I question is whether we can actually provide the support necessary to sustain an SEC program. That means filling the stands with black and gold and giving football emphasis on par with other SEC programs. I just don’t see it. I don’t think it is in the university’s long term interest either to continue with the current half measures or go all in. The university has bigger fish to fry. There are a huge number of places that play football well. There are far fewer that can do what VU does well.

Dorewithaflare wrote: ↑Tue Sep 07, 2021 8:14 am Vanderbilt will never be a football powerhouse. Only two coaches have brought them up to a level of other SEC schools Steve Sloan and James Franklin. We where not good back in the days when we just had a few MBA an BGA kids that could come in and carry the study load. Now most of these schools don't care how much of a student these kids are, it is even harder.

I was a big fan of Steve Sloan at the time, but realistically, he got most of the wins with players recruited by the previous coach (Bill Pace)... and ... went 1-5 in the SEC his first season and 2-3-1 the next. Plus some of his wins included: Chattanooga (barely), William & Mary, Tampa (barely - who was about to drop football), Chattanooga again, VMI, Army, Tulane. Sloan also went 8-23 in the SEC at Ole Miss and 8-20 in the ACC at Duke, proving he indeed was no Vince Lombardi. But he seemed like a really good guy.

I think Vanderbilt can be good too. It takes the right chemistry: Recruiting, coaching, and conditioning. James Franklin proved it could be done. Our guys will be better this weekend.

One thing that could help. Franklin had that assistant coach who was a real fire breather do the halftime team address. He got them energized and believing. Lea needs to identify that guy on his staff and turn him loose. Get someone energizing the sidelines, too.

Bring back the girl kicker to improve morale.

buffy wrote: ↑Tue Sep 07, 2021 8:24 am I disagree. Vanderbilt can be good at football. I think the guy we just hired has a good chance.

I agree Buffy is correct that Clark Lea has a good chance of success at Vandy and predict that before long Coach Lea will have some positive things happen. However, I believe if the administration does not make serious changes, Lea will take his success and leave Vanderbilt, using it as the proverbial ladder to much more lucrative employment! Money pressure to entertain fans has never been greater and concern for academics has never been less! This is not only about one humiliating loss to East Tennessee but how sports on the college level has and is steadily abandoning its values!

thefan wrote: ↑Mon Sep 06, 2021 5:44 pm There is a myth that colleges and universities are getting rich from athletics.....

Maintaining sports programs is an expensive endeavor as pertains to financing and academic abandonment. !

Yes and Yes