Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Vanderbilt University has received an unprecedented philanthropic gift from Vanderbilt trustee Jennifer R. Frist (BS’93) and William R. (Billy) Frist to support Vandy United and establish the new athletic compound, named the Frist Athletics Village, honoring one of the largest gifts in Vanderbilt Athletics history.

The complex encompasses the entirety of the campus neighborhood that is currently home to Vanderbilt Athletics. The area includes FirstBank Stadium, Memorial Gymnasium, Hawkins Field, the Lummis Family Tennis Center, the McGugin Center and Ingram Center for Student-Athlete Success. By reinforcing Vandy United’s investment in student-athletes and programs through major facilities and operational enhancements, the Frists, who are longtime Vanderbilt supporters and parents of a current Vanderbilt student, hope to inspire other members of the university community to continue building on the campaign’s unparalleled success.

“The Frist Athletics Village ensures that our alumni, current and future student-athletes and supporters experience what is great about Vanderbilt Athletics,” says Candice Lee, Vice Chancellor for Athletics & University Affairs and Athletic Director. “Two years after launching Vandy United as a vision for what is possible for Vanderbilt Athletics, we have shovels in the ground because so many people believed in what we could accomplish together. But as we mark National Student-Athlete Day, delivering on our commitment to creating the best student-athlete and fan experience in college athletics requires transformational acts built on a foundation of trust. I’m grateful to Billy and Jennifer Frist for their trust. In the classroom, on the court and field and in the community, we are dedicated to the lifelong realization of human potential. Thanks to the generosity of so many, and, in particular, Billy and Jennifer, we are delivering on that promise.”

Launched in March 2021 as the largest undertaking of its kind in university history, Vandy United is already reimagining Vanderbilt Athletics’ campus footprint. Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and Lee recently joined the Frists and other generous supporters to break ground on the multi-story basketball operations center and north end zone construction. Work has also begun in the south end zone, a multi-faceted project that includes a new building spanning more than 130,000 square feet—home to a new football locker room, training table and dining facilities for all Vanderbilt student-athletes.

“We believe in the administration and staff and the direction that Vanderbilt is headed,” Jennifer Frist says. “Vanderbilt is headed in such an upward trend in every area, it’s hard not to want to get behind and help push that momentum going forward. We are proud to be a small part of the truly groundbreaking ideas and direction that Vanderbilt has embarked upon.

“Sport, no matter which one, is a common unifier. It is a common cause for all to get behind and root for your team. It builds alliances and allegiances. We could all use a little of that in our polarized world right now.”

The Frists are longtime supporters of Vanderbilt and Vanderbilt Athletics. Their generosity made possible the 2011 dedication of the William R. Frist Family Gate at FirstBank Stadium. As part of Vandy United’s overall vision for Vanderbilt Athletics, their new gift will help fund projects that include a new football operations center and indoor practice facility, the latter encompassing more than 100,000 square feet and featuring a 120-yard artificial turf practice field.

“I can still picture myself as a young boy sitting in the rain when Vanderbilt beat Tennessee in 1982—and the joy and excitement I felt surrounded by people cheering for our team,” Billy Frist says. “Vanderbilt has such a huge presence in Nashville, and there should be great excitement about what is going on with this unprecedented commitment to facilities and the student-athlete experience. It’s an opportunity for people to get behind the school and support the student-athletes. I didn’t even go to Vanderbilt, but as a lifelong fan I understand that athletics bring us together as a community united by the university. When your team goes out there and wins a game, you feel part of it. I think the community is yearning for this opportunity and ready to get behind it.”

Inspired by Vanderbilt’s tradition of campus neighborhoods and the model of goodwill familiar to sports fans from the Olympic Village, dedication of the Frist Athletics Village represents a unique opportunity to celebrate the community uniting Vanderbilt Athletics. Encompassing many of Vandy United’s cornerstone projects, including the Ingram Center for Student-Athlete Success and the transformation of Jess Neely Drive into a pedestrian and bicycle-friendly greenway, the Frist Athletics Village will shape the day-to-day experience of Vanderbilt student-athletes and provide a welcoming environment as fans come together to watch the Commodores compete.