VANDERBILT

[ERA]

Gordon Gee's vice chancellor today on 104.5 The Zone, when asked if Vandy would ever have a softball team since middle Tennessee is such a hotbed for the sport? He replied..."Presently, Vanderbilt plans to add another women's sport. We have looked at softball, volleyball and swimming. We do not have the facilities for softball on our campus nor do we have the room."

 

For those that have been holding your breath about this subject, you can pass out or go ahead and vent. Vandy will be without Fastpitch for the forseeable future according to the administration. It's a shame but not a surprise. Fastpitch probably does not fit the image that they want for their U.

[VTEC]

Vanderbilt could not have a softball team. There are no official rules for" Flag Fastpitch"

[deadeye]

I have been looking around at various traditional big colleges to see if they have a softball program. I was amazed to see that many did not. I am not surprised about Vandy. I am surprised that schools such as Clemson and West Virginia did not as well.

[FPFanatic]

From information published by the National Fastpitch

Coaches Association, for the most part, very many,

many schools of all sizes do have fastpitch. It is the

exception, rather than the rule, when you see a Vandy,

or a Clemson, or a UWV, that do not have softball,

especially when they belong to a major conference whose

other members have it. Even, many of the Ivy League

schools have it.

[fpjunkie]

I know that Vanderbilt does not have a great deal of unused space on campus, but that alone should not rule out softball. Many schools (including the University of Tennessee) play softball in off-campus facilities. The strong community interest in fastpitch would not only give Vanderbilt a big advantage in recruiting, but I believe that softball would also enjoy much more community support than volleyball or swimming. I don't know if they have tried to make arrangements to play off-campus, but if not, it would certainly make a lot of sense!

[ladyadmiral]

Where does Belmont play? They are right down the street with a much smaller school. In fact, doesn't David Lipscomb have a team? It is a shame that these schools do not have teams. How can smaller schools fund fastpitch teams when the bigger ones can't?

[EzellSoftball04]

I think both Belmont and Lipscomb are looking at putting very nice fields on their campus'. Lipscomb already has one, but is looking to get a better one, and Belmont has one at Aquanis. I think Vandy could make the space. They have a lot of intermural fields that they could renovate to get a decent field.

Edited November 25, 2003 by EzellSoftball04

[VTEC]

It's a matter of priorities. Maryville College has a softball field, we have practiced there, so I would think Vanderbilt could work something out. Is it the chancellor's agenda on education or an opportunity to make a name for himself?