Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner Beth DeBauche has announced the hirings of Katie Risewick and Jahmil Taylor. Risewick will serve as the Director of Compliance and Championships, while Taylor will be the Director of Creative Content. Both begin their roles next week.

“Jahmil and Katie will be terrific additions to our dedicated OVC staff, given their passion for intercollegiate athletics, commitment to service, and reputation for hard work,” says DeBauche. “I am delighted they have joined our team as we strive to provide an exemplary experience for our OVC student-athletes.”

Risewick worked as a Special Projects Manager at the Evansville Sports Corporation from May 2018 until August 2021, which included working with the Ohio Valley Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships held at the Ford Center. She was also involved with the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Elite Eight and National Championship, the NCAA Division II Cross Country Regionals & Championships and the High School Basketball Showcase. In August 2022, she graduated with a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Louisville. While in graduate school she interned with the University of Louisville Athletic Department.

Taylor graduated from The University of Mount Union in May 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in Integrated Media and with a minor in Sport Business. While there, her worked with the sports information department where he planned and created engaging content for Mount Union’s athletic social media platforms. Additionally, he worked with Raider Student Media, a student-led media apparatus that produced feature stories and short films, as well as planning and covering school events.

As part of its Vandy United campaign, Vanderbilt has dropped artists’ renderings of the upgrades for the Lummis Family Tennis Center.

Fred and Claudia Lummis, both graduates of the class of 1976, and their sons have made the lead gift with the goal of inspiring and facilitating gifts from other alumni and donors to champion state-of-the-art tennis facilities for both the Vanderbilt and greater Nashville communities.

“The Lummis Family Tennis Center will ensure that our tennis programs have the facilities necessary to meet the standard of excellence we have all come to expect,” says Candice Lee, Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs and Athletic Director. “Thanks to the generosity of Fred and Claudia Lummis and their family, our student-athletes will enjoy the best experience in collegiate tennis. The center will also offer improved fan and game day experiences to bring Nashville’s tennis community and Commodore Nation even closer to our programs.”

Award-winning architectural design firm Populous, master architect for Vandy United’s signature projects and for notable tennis structures such as Wimbledon AELTC and the Hengqin International Tennis Center in China, is spearheading design of the on-campus complex.

“Vanderbilt’s alumni and supporters know that their gifts will not only benefit current students, but generations to come,” says Chancellor Daniel Diermeier. “This generous gift by the Lummis family will long enable student-athletes to realize more of their potential, while providing a destination for Nashville tennis fans. It is representative of Vanderbilt’s signature collaborative spirit and the all-in attitude that will make Vandy United a success.”

The five current courts in the indoor portion of the existing tennis complex will be renovated into a more generous and playable four courts with additional circulation space, and five new indoor courts will be added. Other additions include new seating options to provide unobstructed viewing of all courts, air conditioning, new upward-facing LED lighting, and upgraded and insulated interior walls with a ball-resistant covering. All existing student-athlete and coaches’ facilities will also be renovated and upgraded.

The expanded and renovated tennis center will exceed all requirements needed to host all levels of NCAA postseason competition.

“Claudia and I are thrilled to help Vanderbilt tennis write the next chapter in a storied history,” says Fred Lummis, founder and chairman of Platform Partners LLC. “Captaining the men’s tennis team was one of the great privileges of my years at Vanderbilt. My experiences as a student-athlete provided some of the best memories and most valuable lessons of my life.” He continues, “Our goal is to help create a center of tennis excellence not only for Vanderbilt to compete for championships, but to serve the Nashville tennis community. We hope that our gift inspires others to contribute to this transformative project, and Claudia and I look forward to seeing current and future Commodores create their own lasting memories.”

Two outdoor courts will be added to the current layout, the entirety of which will be resurfaced under new lights. New interior court fences and ornamental perimeter fences and gates will also be installed. Fan amenities, such as more fixed chair-back seating options, wheelchair-accessible observation areas, additional patio space and shaded areas, will complement circulation improvements, and viewing spines between courts will enhance spectator engagement.

The Lummis family’s gift builds upon the foundation laid by Brownlee O. Currey Jr., whose contributions to Vanderbilt’s existing tennis center will continue to be honored through the Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Tennis Pavilion.

“We are incredibly grateful for the Lummis family’s lead gift to our tennis facility project,” Vanderbilt women’s tennis head coach Aleke Tsoubanos adds. “This project will provide our student-athletes the opportunity to train, develop and compete at one of the premier tennis facilities in the country. We are thrilled to begin building a home for the future of our programs that supports our mission of providing the best student-athlete experience in all of college tennis. We look forward to welcoming fans to the new facility to cheer on the Dores in our pursuit of more SEC and national championships.

The Vandy United campaign has raised $300 million to invest in the upgrade and growth in Commodores athletics.

Tennessee State University has announced a partnership with The Zone, a mobile app designed to monitor and improve the mental health of student-athletes.

The partnership will promote the physical and mental wellness of TSU student-athletes as a continued priority for the University. Tennessee State joins seven universities around the US currently using The Zone’s software within their athletic program.

“I’m thrilled to have The Zone at TSU,” says head football coach Eddie George. “The well-being and mental health of our student-athletes is something that’s very important to me as a Head Coach.”

Created by former student-athletes, The Zone’s technology allows student-athletes to access wellness resources, easily communicate with campus staff, and track their mood. School administrators can access aggregate data and insights surrounding student-athlete wellness through a personalized dashboard, giving teams a unique understanding of what is happening within the athletic program while maintaining student privacy.

“We are so excited about our partnership with The Zone!” says Sash-Sha Collier, Executive Assistant AD for Student-Athlete Wellness. “Our student-athletes will have an opportunity to access a library of resources that will help them to manage everyday stressors. As a Division I student-athlete, it’s so important to be able to take care of yourself, both physically and mentally. The Zone is a great opportunity to provide that to our athletes and improve our overall standard of care!”

Last year, 51 percent of student transfers were due to mental health-related issues. By using The Zone, TSU can continue its commitment to using innovation to drive high performance and allow players to feel their best on and off the field.

“We are thrilled to partner with Tennessee State Athletics for the upcoming school year,” says Erik Poldroo, co-Founder of The Zone. “Tennessee State has continuously shown the importance of mental health and how it impacts physical performance on and off the field. By bringing a personalized solution to their players and staff, we couldn’t be more excited to grow this partnership and help them achieve their program goals.”