Vanderbilt’s Scotty Pippen Jr. Signs Summer League Deal With LA Lakers

/in , /by

Scotty Pippen Jr. Photo: Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

Former Vanderbilt superstar Scotty Pippen Jr. has signed a two-way, Summer League deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Pippen wasn’t selected in the NBA Draft on Thursday night (June 23), so we has signed as an un-drafted free agent. He was drafted along with Shareef O’Neal, son of NBA Champion Shaquille O’Neal.

The Los Angeles native had one of the most successful seasons in Commodore history in 2021-22. He scored 736 points in 36 games played–the most points ever scored by a Vanderbilt basketball player. He led the SEC in points per game with 20.4 ppg, 162 assists and 70 steals.

Pippen was named to the All-SEC First Team and helped lead the Commodores to the NIT quarterfinals, beating Belmont and Dayton along the way. During his time at Vandy, Pippen scored 1,577 career points, standing 12th on the Commodores scoring list. His 17.5 points per game during his three seasons at Vanderbilt are fifth best in school history.

The NBA Summer League will kickoff on July 7.

OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche Named To NCAA Board Of Governors

/in /by

OVC Commissioner Beth DeBauche. Photo: Courtesy of the OVC

Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner Beth DeBauche has been named as one of nine voting members on the new NCAA Board of Governors.

The Board of Governors was outlined by the new NCAA constitution adopted in January by member schools and conferences. The Board of Governors is the highest governance body for the NCAA. The board has several responsibilities, including oversight of the finances of the Association, employment and evaluation of the NCAA president, and media rights and revenue-producing contracts.

“I am honored and humbled by this opportunity to serve on the new NCAA Board of Governance and work with tremendous leaders who care dearly about intercollegiate athletics’ role in higher education,” says DeBauche. “The NCAA and intercollegiate athletics as a whole are in a period of significant transformation, and I appreciate the responsibility associated with helping the Association chart its future course.”

DeBauche was named the seventh full-time Commissioner in OVC history on July 29, 2009. During her tenure, the OVC has had tremendous NCAA postseason success, including placing multiple teams in the NCAA Championship fields for the sports of baseball, men’s basketball, football and rifle, and earning NCAA Tournament victories in baseball (including a Super Regional appearance), men’s basketball (six total victories), women’s basketball, football (including a FCS Championship game appearance), soccer, softball and volleyball.

Under her leadership, the OVC secured its largest television contract in league history, with its multi-year media rights agreements with ESPN.

DeBauche is a former chair of the Collegiate Commissioner Association (CAA), chair of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Commissioners and the commissioners’ representative to the FCS Athletics Directors Association (FCS ADA).

The new board includes four members from Division I (at least one school president and one conference commissioner), one from the Division II Presidents Council, one from the Division III Presidents Council, two independent members and one graduated student-athlete.

The new board will assume its duties Aug. 1. Over the next several weeks, the current and new boards will meet to facilitate the transition.

In addition to DeBauche, the other new voting Board of Governors members are:
Mary-Beth Cooper, President, Springfield College.
John J. DeGioia, President, Georgetown University.
Grant Hill, independent member, co-owner of the Atlanta Hawks.
Linda Livingstone, President, Baylor University.
Jere Morehead, President, University of Georgia.
Steven Shirley, President, Minot State University.
Nadja West, independent member, 44th Surgeon General of the U.S. Army.
TBD, student-athlete.

Board terms are generally for two years, renewable for an additional two years. DeGioia, the current chair, will serve on the board for one year to assist with the transition. After that, Division I will select a replacement representing its division. The new chair will be chosen by the board at its August meeting.

Vandy United Stadium Upgrades To Begin Construction

/in , /by

Vandy United rendering. Courtesy of Vanderbilt Athletics

The work has begun on the initial phase of upgrades to the suite level and bridge seating at Vanderbilt Stadium as part of the Vandy United campaign.

The bridge level, which includes premium seating located under the press box, will undergo significant enhancements. New heating units and cooling fans will be installed, as well as new seating. The standing area behind the seats will include a drink rail, and the concessions area will also be upgraded. The entire space will receive new flooring, paint and graphics.

The suite level of the press box at Vanderbilt Stadium will have new windows installed. The windows can be opened and closed to bring a new level of game day experience to patrons. All suites will receive new seating, carpet and paint.

These projects, along with the 2021 addition of premium seating in the north end zone, give Vanderbilt Stadium a complete upgrade of existing premium seating offerings over the past two seasons.

The upgrades will be finished before the Commodores open the home portion of their season on Sept. 3 versus Elon.

Fans interested in purchasing bridge or north end zone seating can contact the ticket office at 615-322-4653. For suite availability, fans can contact the National Commodore Club at 615-322-4114.

Paciolan To Become Vanderbilt Athletic’s Main Ticket Provider Starting July 1

/in /by

After finalizing its partnerships earlier this year, Vanderbilt Athletics has announced it will transition to Paciolan as its ticket provider starting July 1.

Paciolan is a leading provider of ticketing, fundraising and marketing solutions for college athletics, and will now provide Commodore fans with industry-leading ticketing features to help provide a first-class customer experience.

Vanderbilt fans will notice a new ticket site and purchase flow for buying tickets, and will gain insight into their athletics giving and priority point rankings. Paciolan’s e-mail platform will allow ticket purchasers to update their interests to ensure they directly receive relevant information. Fans will continue to be able to transfer tickets with various account tools, making it possible to share unused tickets with other Vanderbilt fans.

“We are looking forward to working with Paciolan to provide elite ticketing services to Commodore Nation,” says Candice Lee, Vanderbilt’s Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs and Athletic Director. “This is another important step in our commitment to improving the overall experience for our fans.”

The relationship with Paciolan also includes a new visual technology tool for season ticket holder seat selections. Season ticket holders who renew or purchase tickets by the designated deadline will be able to view, move or select available seats and locations during assigned times. Fans can view 360-degree panoramas of select sections.

Season tickets for basketball are on sale now and fans are encouraged to renew or purchase before June 30. This ticket option will be available in July within the new platform during a shortened renewal timeframe. Seat selections will occur in August.

Football season tickets and mini-plans are on sale now. Single-game tickets will go on sale in July.

Tennessee Drops Game 3 To Notre Dame, Falls Short Of College World Series

/in , /by

Photo: Courtesy of Tennessee Athletics/Andrew Ferguson

After being the best team in college baseball all season, No. 1 Tennessee fell to Notre Dame 7-3 in Game 3 of the Knoxville Super Regionals, ending its historic season.

The Fighting Irish scored three runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to turn a 3-1 Volunteer lead into a 7-3 Notre Dame lead. The Vols weren’t able to recover in the eighth and ninth innings.

“Overall, I thought our guys had good vibes all weekend long for a majority of the time. And we played a really good opponent,” said head coach Tony Vitello in a postgame press conference. “You kind of knew that today was going to come down to the ninth.”

Tennessee started off very well, taking a 2-1 lead into the third inning. Luc Lipcius kicked things off with a solo home run in the first and Seth Stephenson drove in a run in the second inning.

Starting pitcher Chase Burns was near perfect through the first six innings before running into trouble in the seventh. The true freshman allowed just one run on two hits entering the seventh and was one out away from escaping before giving up back-to-back homers to David LaManna and Jack Brannigan.

Freshman left-hander Jack Findlay was the star for Notre Dame, throwing five shutout innings in relief to pick up the win. Findlay gave up just one hit and allowed two walks while striking out four batters.

Notre Dame is headed to Omaha and will face Texas in the first round of the College Baseball World Series.

MTSU Daniels Center, Nashville Superspeedway Team Up To Honor Veterans

/in , /by

Nashville Superspeedway and the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center at Middle Tennessee State University announced a partnership to honor active-duty troops and assist student veterans as they seek educational and employment opportunities.

The partnership will kick off with the 2022 NASCAR race weekend, beginning Friday, June 24, with the Rackley Roofing 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, and will extend throughout the year through joint events and activities.

“It was important to us that we establish a true win-win relationship, benefitting not only the Daniels Center, but also providing support, visibility and opportunities for academic programs that connect with the needs of the Superspeedway,” MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee says. “In turn, we hope to support Erik’s efforts to expand the Superspeedway as a venue, not only for these premiere NASCAR races, but for other events beyond race weekend.”

Rackley Roofing, one of Tennessee’s leading industrial and commercial roofing contractors and title sponsor of the June 24 truck race, will also be lending support and visibility to the Daniels Center’s efforts to connect graduating student veterans with employment opportunities in its company.

“It is only natural that Nashville Superspeedway and Middle Tennessee State University would forge a strong partnership,” says Nashville Superspeedway President Erik Moses. “We share the goal of building up Middle Tennessee as a regional destination, whether it’s through racing and entertainment options or via educational programs.”

Additionally, Nashville Superspeedway will allow MTSU’s students, faculty, staff, alumni and supporters to purchase discounted tickets to the Rackley Roofing 200, with a portion of the ticket proceeds to support the Daniels Center. Curtis Sutton, owner and CEO of Rackley Roofing, said they will also match the donation total generated by the sale of the discounted tickets. Tickets can be purchased at www.mtsu.edu/superspeedway.com.

Both Moses and Sutton have visited the MTSU campus and toured the Daniels Center at the invitation of retired Army Lt. Gen. Keith Huber, MTSU’s senior adviser for veterans and leadership initiatives. Huber founded the center in 2015 and led the drive to name it after its lead patrons, country music legend Charlie Daniels and his wife, Hazel. Daniels remained an avid support of the center up until his death in the summer of 2020.

“I was fortunate to tour MTSU recently and was excited to learn about its recent growth, both through new projects and planned upgrades for students and faculty,” says Moses. “It reminded me of the renewal and growth that we’ve seen at Nashville Superspeedway as we get set to welcome the best and brightest of NASCAR back to the Superspeedway in a few days.”

He continues, “Our team was particularly impressed by the Daniels Center’s mission of helping veterans and their causes. Our company, Speedway Motorsports, has a rich history of supporting our military, and we are confident that this partnership will provide us with additional ways to strengthen the Superspeedway’s relationship with our military families across the state.”

MTSU’s Army ROTC Color Guard will present the colors before the start of the nationally televised Ally 400 on Sunday, June 26, and the Daniels Center will have a presence in the Superspeedway’s FanZone throughout the racing weekend. Huber will advise Moses on ways the Superspeedway can honor veterans and active-duty troops during the race weekend.

Kris Freeman Named New PA Announcer For Middle Tennessee Football

/in , /by

Kris Freeman will be joining the Middle Tennessee State University family, serving as the new PA announcer for Blue Raiders football.

He will take over from long-time MTSU PA announcer Larry Tolbert beginning Sept. 17 at Johnny “Red” Floyd Stadium, when the Blue Raiders open the 2022 home season against Tennessee State.

“Anytime you replace a legend, that’s always really difficult to do,” Director of Athletics Chris Massaro says. “But Kris has filled in for us in the past and been great. We’ve had a lot of fan feedback on what a great job he did. We’re excited that he’s going to be our football PA announcer. He’s not a rookie, we know exactly what we’re getting. And we’re getting an excellent PA announcer. I think our fans are going to really enjoy his skills from the PA booth. We will miss Larry and look forward to seeing him in the stands as a fan.”

Freeman has been in the PA announcing world for a number of years, taking on the Vanderbilt basketball job in 2015. He currently announces for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as the lacrosse team at Vanderbilt, and is also the voice of the TSSAA basketball championships, along with several other TSSAA events.

“I’m very thankful that Middle Tennessee State would give me the opportunity to be able to do this,” Freeman says. “I want to bring excellence and professionalism to everything that I do, and I hope that at the end of the season they can look back and be thankful for the investment they made in me.”

Freeman will be taking over for Tolbert, who retired after 52 seasons in the role, starting with the 1970 season, the fall after he graduated from Murfreesboro Central High School.

“I’m extremely honored to be able to sit in the seat of someone as legendary as Mr. Tolbert,” adds Freeman. “Because there’s nothing else that needs to be said for all the incredible work that he’s done. This is a tremendous honor to have that opportunity.”

Atlantic Records Partners With INFLCR, Joining The World Of NIL & College Athletics

/in /by

 

Atlantic Records is partnering with INFLCR, the leading brand building & name, image, and likeness (NIL) business management app for elite athletics.

With the partnership, Atlantic will use INFLCR’s Global Exchange to connect with over 64,000 student-athletes to promote upcoming music. Atlantic Records will be the first ever label to participate in this NIL program.

“Our original partnership with Atlantic Records has given our clients a competitive edge when it comes to content,” says INFLCR Founder Jim Cavale. “With Atlantic now going into the Global Exchange, that edge gets passed to our student-athletes. It’s an exciting way to connect the sports and entertainment industry in this new NIL era.”

INFLCR’s Global Exchange will allow for direct communication between Atlantic and student-athletes through our messaging system, which allows Atlantic to propose specific records for specific INFLCR student-athlete users to promote. Through their INFLCR app, student-athletes will learn details on requirements for promotion, and gain access to share files.

Atlantic using INFLCR opens the door for more connection between the collegiate sports and entertainment industry. A new wave of musicians are looking to athletes to help promote new songs. In the fall of 2021, Atlantic’s VP of Digital Marketing and Sports Partnerships, Justin Grant, reached out to INFLCR with the idea to promote some of the label’s priority releases. The need helped shape the Global Exchange to what it is today, and now Atlantic can use a turnkey system to promote their artists.

“I’m thrilled for us to be joining the INFLCR Global Exchange program,” says Grant. “There’s such a strong natural connection between our music world, and the sports world, and this will help us further that connection. This partnership will be majorly beneficial for our artists, and I’m excited for us to dive in and get to work together.”