NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee coach Josh Heupel talked about what's at stake in the regular-season finale for his No. 7 Volunteers.

Junior running back Dylan Sampson isn't quite as reticent.

"It basically is a playoff game," Sampson said.

2. Final week shows expanded Southeastern Conference just means more chaos - Friday, November 29, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — One thing is sure as the newly expanded Southeastern Conference wraps up its regular season: Two new teams has just meant more chaos in a league that seemingly had settled in formation behind Georgia and Alabama.

3. No. 10 Tennessee eager to rebound from loss in home finale against UTEP - Friday, November 22, 2024

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The 10th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers have lots to celebrate as they play their final home game of the season. They also have some serious questions to answer.

The Vols (8-2, No. 11 CFP ) can wrap up a second 7-0 slate at Neyland Stadium in three seasons, and a victory Saturday over the UTEP Miners would give them at least nine victories for a third consecutive season under coach Josh Heupel. This program hasn't had such a string of success since winning at least nine games in five straight seasons between 1995 and 1999.

4. No. 24 Vanderbilt being bowl eligible not enough with South Carolina up next - Friday, November 8, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — Being bowl eligible to start off November isn't enough for No. 24 Vanderbilt. No, coach Clark Lea wants much more for his 24th-ranked Commodores.

They can take yet another step toward even bigger goals Saturday by ending a a 15-game skid to South Carolina (5-3, 3-3 SEC) in a season where the Commodores (6-3, 3-2) already have ended even bigger droughts. Lea and his Commodores are eager to see just what they can accomplish now that they're closer to the top of the SEC than the cellar where this program has usually been come November.

5. South Carolina off to another late surge after convincing win over Top 10 Texas A&M - Friday, November 1, 2024

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Another November and another late surge for South Carolina and coach Shane Beamer.

The Gamecocks (5-3, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) have made it a habit to finish with flash in most of Beamer's four seasons.

6. Out with old gold, in with the new - Friday, November 8, 2024

The biggest challenge on the biggest stage. That was the immense task Mark Byington accepted in late March when Vanderbilt hired the Virginia native as the new Commodore basketball coach.

Byington, 48, successfully rebuilt struggling basketball programs at mid-major powers Georgia Southern and James Madison, but now he’s being asked to revive a tradition-rich Southeastern Conference basketball program that has been to the NCAA Tournament 15 times but since 2017.

7. McGlockton perfect from field and Vanderbilt dumps Maryland Eastern Shore 102-63 in opener - Friday, November 1, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — Devin McGlockton had 24 points and 13 rebounds and Vanderbilt won its season opener 102-63 over Maryland Eastern Shore on Monday night.

McGlockton mad all 10 of his field-goal attempts, including three dunks. He was good on 4 of 5 free throws.

8. Revised SEC penalties for field invasions haven't ended them yet. But officials say they're safer - Friday, November 1, 2024

If 16th-ranked LSU defeats No. 14 Alabama on an approaching Saturday night in November, and fans at Death Valley respond by rushing the field again, the Tigers' athletic program would have to pay up to $500,000 to the Crimson Tide.

9. DOJ names Midstate district election officer - Friday, November 1, 2024

Acting United States Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski for the Middle District of Tennessee announced that Criminal Chief Ben Schrader will lead the United States Attorney’s Office’s efforts in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming general election.

10. Both No. 5 Texas and No. 25 Vanderbilt have big SEC stakes and more on line - Friday, October 25, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Texas Longhorns and Vanderbilt Commodores finally are playing each other in football for the first time in nearly a century.

The stakes have never been higher.

The No. 5 Longhorns (6-1, 2-1 SEC) visit Music City on Saturday trying to avoid consecutive losses in their new league. They come in tied with No. 25 Vanderbilt (5-2, 2-1) in the SEC standings and needing a win to keep pace in the chase for a berth in the league title game and the 12-team College Football Playoff.

11. College football picks: No. 25 Vanderbilt, No. 24 Navy get chances to punch above their weights - Friday, October 18, 2024

Opportunity comes knocking Saturday for two of the surprise teams in college football.

No. 25 Vanderbilt, in an Associated Press regular-season poll for the first time since 2008 and coming off 10 consecutive losing seasons, hosts No. 5 Texas three weeks after it shocked the nation with its upset of then-No. 1 Alabama.

12. SEC quarterbacks fade from Heisman front-runners to Heisman afterthoughts during league play - Friday, October 18, 2024

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Southeastern Conference quarterbacks may have played themselves out of the Heisman Trophy race for now.

Well, maybe not Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia. But he could be next.

13. Vanderbilt counting on new coach Mark Byington to revive the Commodores - Friday, October 18, 2024

The Vanderbilt Commodores start a new era with Mark Byington hoping to tap into the magic he showed taking James Madison to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 12 seed that knocked off Wisconsin.

He replaces Jerry Stackhouse, who went 70-92 over five seasons. Byington has to lure fans back to Memorial Gym in a season where the competition only gets tougher in the expanded Southeastern Conference. Nine of the 16 SEC teams are ranked to start the season. Byington had to build a schedule from scratch along with much of the roster with 10 transfers.

14. AP Top 25: Oregon is No. 1, Vanderbilt in at No. 25, UT goes from 11 to 7 - Friday, October 18, 2024

Oregon became the fourth team this season to hold the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press college football poll, moving into the top spot on Sunday for the first time in 12 years after Texas lost at home to Georgia.

15. No. 7 Alabama and No. 11 Vols try to keep playoff hopes alive on Third Saturday in October - Friday, October 18, 2024

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Who wins the latest game in the historic rivalry known as the Third Saturday of October may matter more than ever for Alabama and Tennessee.

On Saturday, the seventh-ranked Crimson Tide and No. 11 Tennessee are playing for separation with the winner facing an easier path to a College Football Playoff berth in the first year of the 12-team bracket while also getting a game up in the Southeastern Conference race. Both teams are part of a four-way tie in the expanded SEC with one loss apiece.

16. Vanderbilt's Lea, Alabama QB Jalen Milroe, South Carolina DE Kennard nab AP midseason SEC honors - Friday, October 11, 2024

The first half of the Southeastern Conference season has featured a stunner from Vanderbilt, with three teams rising to No. 1 and Texas now the only unbeaten team.

Clark Lea, who led the Commodores to a win over then-No. 1 Alabama, has turned in the top coaching performance at the midpoint of the season, according to voting from 10 reporters who cover the SEC for The Associated Press.

17. VU poll: More than 50% in US say democracy is 'under attack' - Friday, October 11, 2024

More than 50% of Americans say they believe democracy is “under attack,” while only 10% say U.S. democracy is jot in danger, the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy survey finds.

The rest of those queried said our system was being “tested.” When asked, instead, about “personal freedom,” a similar pattern emerged. In short, there is widespread concern about the state of democracy and personal freedom – themes that have certainly played out on the campaign trail for Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.

18. Alabama safety Malachi Moore apologizes for his outburst late in loss to Vanderbilt - Friday, October 4, 2024

Alabama safety Malachi Moore apologized Monday for his late-game outburst during a weekend loss to Vanderbilt.

The two-time team captain shoved Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia's head toward the ground at the end of a play, threw his mouthguard and drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for kicking the football in the 40-35 upset that cost the Crimson Tide the No. 1 ranking. Moore also appeared to refuse coaches' orders to come off the field when they tried to replace him.

19. Vanderbilt and Arkansas fined for fans storming the field after upset wins - Friday, October 4, 2024

The Southeastern Conference has fined Vanderbilt and Arkansas after their fans stormed the field following upset wins on Saturday.

Arkansas was fined $250,000 after its 19-14 win over then-No. 4 Tennessee because it is a second offense. Future offenses will cost the school $500,000. It was Arkansas' first home win over a top-five opponent since beating No. 3 Tennessee in 1999.

20. Coach Clark Lea promises Vanderbilt's historic win over No. 1 Alabama is only the start - Friday, October 4, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Vanderbilt Commodores have beaten a No. 1 team in football. That's a first, and the biggest win in program history.

The Commodores never trailed in upsetting top-ranked Alabama 40-35 on Saturday, handing coach Clark Lea a victory to finally match some of those posted by his alma mater in men's basketball, women's basketball and two national championships in baseball.

21. AP Top 25: Texas returns to No. 1, Tennessee falls to No. 8 - Friday, October 4, 2024

It was a week of upheaval in The Associated Press college football poll, with Texas returning to No. 1 on Sunday after a one-week absence following Vanderbilt's monumental upset of Alabama.

The Commodores' win as more than three-touchdown underdogs caused the Crimson Tide to drop from No. 1 to No. 7. The last top-ranked team to fall so far was Ohio State, which plunged to No. 11 in 2010 following an October loss to Wisconsin.

22. Texas takes over as top seed in college football playoffs projection; Tennessee No. 9 - Friday, October 4, 2024

Texas' return to No. 1 in the AP Top 25 on Sunday also gave the Longhorns the top seed in The Associated Press College Football Playoff bracket projection, which now features two SEC head-to-head meetings in the first round.

23. Alabama determined not to trip up at Vanderbilt after returning to No. 1 - Friday, October 4, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Alabama Crimson Tide have lots of experience being ranked No. 1 and staying focused on what matters most.

That's lifting the national championship trophy at season's end. So last week's emotional victory over then-No. 2 Georgia is not going to linger enough for Alabama to trip up Saturday in a rare visit to Vanderbilt.

24. Alabama overtakes Texas for No. 1, Tennessee rises to No. 4 after open date - Friday, September 27, 2024

Alabama returned to No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll for the first time in two years on Sunday following its dizzying victory over Georgia, making this 16 of 17 seasons the Crimson Tide has held the top spot at some point.

25. No. 1 Texas, No. 5 Tennessee and No. 6 Ole Miss poised to challenge usual SEC powers - Friday, September 20, 2024

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Georgia, Alabama and LSU have combined to win every Southeastern Conference championship game for the past decade.

The trio's reign of dominance is far from a sure thing this season.

26. AP Top 25: No. 5 Tennessee continues to climb - Friday, September 20, 2024

Tennessee moved up to No. 5 in The Associated Press college football poll Sunday as the Volunteers continued to surge up the rankings, and No. 25 Boise State returned to the AP Top 25 for the first time in four years.

27. No. 7 Missouri, fresh off win over Boston College, opens SEC play against Vanderbilt - Friday, September 20, 2024

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Vanderbilt and Missouri both got wake-up calls last week, albeit much different ones.

The Commodores got the worst kind: one that ended with a loss on a last-minute touchdown by Georgia State, preventing them from getting off to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2017, long before coach Clark Lea arrived.

28. SEC, Big Ten grab 16 spots in poll, monopolizing rankings like never before - Friday, September 13, 2024

The Southeastern Conference and Big Ten occupy 64% of this week's AP Top 25, with 16 ranked teams combined, the most ever by two conferences in one poll.

The third Top 25 of the regular season had a new No. 1 in Texas on Sunday, one of nine SEC teams in the poll. That's one short of the record 10 the SEC had in the first regular-season poll of 2015. For the second straight week, the SEC has six of the top seven teams.

29. AP Top 25 Reality Check: SEC takeover could last a while with few nonconference challenges left - Friday, September 6, 2024

The Southeastern Conference has taken over The Associated Press college football poll, grabbing six of the first seven spots.

The 16-team SEC set a new standard for hoarding high AP Top 25 rankings, with Georgia at No. 1, No. 2 Texas, No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Mississippi, No. 6 Missouri and No. 7 Tennessee. Half of the top 16 comes from the SEC.

30. No. 15 Tennessee ready to build on coach Heupel's success in his 4th season - Friday, August 16, 2024

It's time for coach Josh Heupel and No. 15 Tennessee to prove they can keep up.

Not just the bigger and even more powerful Southeastern Conference. Heupel and his Vols have to measure up to the other programs on campus.

31. Coach Lea, Vanderbilt trying to play catchup in bigger, tougher SEC - Friday, August 16, 2024

Clark Lea realized he had to make some serious changes to give his Vanderbilt Commodores a chance to compete in a bigger and even tougher Southeastern Conference.

The coach going into his fourth season put his alma mater through a makeover. He admitted the program had fallen behind when it came to the transfer portal and help for athletes eager to cash in with endorsement deals.

32. Having bid farewell to Saban, powerful SEC welcomes Oklahoma and Texas to the mix - Friday, August 9, 2024

Goodbye, Nick Saban. Hello, Oklahoma and Texas. For the first time in 17 years, Alabama's iconic coach won't be prowling the sidelines in the Southeastern Conference. With one longtime juggernaut headed to an ESPN gig and semi-retirement, two others enter the fray.

33. Transit plan starts path toward November ballot - Friday, June 14, 2024

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell and his team filed an ordinance last week with Metro Council which would allow them to recommend the transportation improvement program’s inclusion on the Nov. 5 ballot.

34. Wright transfers to Vanderbilt from Southern California - Friday, May 24, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington has added Kijani Wright as a transfer from Southern California, giving him a 6-foot-9 former McDonald's All-American for his first roster.

Byington announced the addition Tuesday.

35. VU poll: Most TN voters now pro-choice, gender gap findings on key issues - Friday, May 17, 2024

Slightly more than half of the state’s voters support a woman’s right to an abortion, the semiannual, statewide Vanderbilt Poll showed in its most recent survey.

Significant findings include:

36. Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington brings Jaylen Carey with him from James Madison - Friday, May 10, 2024

Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington has landed a second portal transfer in as many days, this time forward Jaylen Carey following him from James Madison to his new job.

37. VU poll: Nashville ‘back on the right track,’ residents largely unified - Friday, April 5, 2024

A majority (53%) of Nashvillians say the city is on the right track, which represents a nine-point increase from last year, the 2024 Vanderbilt Poll–Nashville poll has found. It is the first time in four years the measure has increased.

38. Nashville is getting major league baseball - Friday, March 29, 2024

Baseball fans in 30 major league markets are celebrating this week’s start of another baseball season. Nashvillians could be joining them, though it might take a while for the city to have a team of its own.

39. Vanderbilt fires coach Jerry Stackhouse after 5 seasons and a 70-92 record - Friday, March 15, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt fired coach Jerry Stackhouse on Thursday after a big drop-off in his fifth season with the Commodores, going 9-23 with fans showing their apathy by staying away from historic Memorial Gym.

40. Arkansas outlasts Vanderbilt 90-85 in OT in first round of SEC tourney - Friday, March 15, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — Khalif Battle scored seven of his 24 points in overtime and Arkansas defeated Vanderbilt 90-85 in the first round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament on Wednesday night.

Arkansas, the 12th seed, will play No. 5 seed South Carolina in Thursday's quarterfinals.

41. No. 5 Vols can earn first NCAA No. 1 seed by adding SEC Tournament title - Friday, March 8, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — Fifth-ranked Tennessee and coach Rick Barnes have a lot at stake at the Southeastern Conference Tournament.

42. No. 15 Kentucky pulls away from Vanderbilt 93-77 for 4th consecutive win - Friday, March 8, 2024

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Rob Dillingham scored 23 points, including consecutive 3-pointers just before halftime, Antonio Reeves added 20 in his home finale and No. 15 Kentucky rode 56% second-half shooting to pull away from Vanderbilt 93-77 on Wednesday night for its fourth victory in a row.

43. New law eliminates small biz tax requirement - Friday, March 8, 2024

More than 100,000 small businesses with annual gross sales of less than $100,000 within a county and/or city will no longer be required to file a return with the passage of the Tennessee Works Tax Act. This change applies to tax periods ending on or after Dec. 31, 2023.

44. Knecht shoots up NBA draft boards, helping No. 5 Vols chase Final Four - Friday, February 23, 2024

Dalton Knecht's decision to transfer to Tennessee and hopefully improve his NBA draft stock sure seems poised to pay off. Both for him and the fifth-ranked Volunteers.

The 6-foot-6 forward leads the Southeastern Conference with 24.4 points per game since league play started in January — best for any high-major conference. His ability to knock down layups, dunks and 3-pointers has skyrocketed Knecht to a potential lottery pick this June.

45. Football assistant Lustig leaves Vanderbilt for Penn State - Friday, January 12, 2024

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Justin Lustig has been hired to coach Penn State's special teams and two other positions, the school announced Wednesday.

Lustig was associate head coach and special teams coordinator at Vanderbilt the past two seasons. He takes over for Stacy Collins, who took an assistant's job at Boise State last week.

46. Poll: More Americans focusing on foreign policy - Friday, January 5, 2024

In this time of war overseas, more Americans think foreign policy should be a top focus for the U.S. government in 2024, with a new poll showing international concerns and immigration rising in importance with the public.

47. No Taulia Tagovailoa for Maryland as Terps face Auburn in Music City Bowl - Friday, December 29, 2023

By The Associated Press undefined

Auburn can cap coach Hugh Freeze's first season back in the Southeastern Conference with a winning record by beating Maryland in the Music City Bowl. That might ease the pain of that Iron Bowl loss to Alabama on a fourth-and-31 touchdown pass. The Tigers also can snap a three-bowl skid since routing Purdue in this bowl in 2018. Maryland is trying to win at least eight games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2002 and 2003. The Terrapins are trying to win three straight bowls for the first time in program history.

48. UT's Milton opts out of Citrus Bowl for NFL draft, leaving Iamaleava to start - Friday, December 29, 2023

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton has opted out to prepare for the 2024 NFL draft, leaving freshman Nico Iamaleava to make his first career start for the 25th-ranked Volunteers in Monday's Citrus Bowl.

49. Middle Tennessee hires former Vandy coach Derek Mason as football coach - Friday, December 1, 2023

MURFREESBORO (AP) — Middle Tennessee has hired former Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason as the 15th head coach in the Blue Raiders' history.

50. Vanderbilt coach fires offensive coordinator, will coordinate defense himself - Friday, December 1, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea has fired offensive coordinator Joey Lynch and will be his own defensive coordinator for his fourth season.

51. Vanderbilt suspends forward Dort after arrest for felony aggravated assault - Friday, November 24, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt has suspended Lee Dort after the forward was charged with felony aggravated assault Sunday and released on a $10,000 bond.

"We are aware of the matter and have suspended student-athlete Lee Dort from the basketball team pending the outcomes of the university's and the legal system's processes," Vanderbilt spokesman Jacob Bell said in a university statement.

52. No. 25 Tennessee Vols have some business to finish as they host skidding Vanderbilt - Friday, November 24, 2023

KNOXVILLE (AP) — The No. 25 Tennessee Volunteers have some business to finish in their regular-season finale against Vanderbilt.

First, they want to avoid losing three straight for the first time under coach Josh Heupel. Second, they can extend their winning streak to five straight in this in-state rivalry after losing three consecutive games to Vanderbilt.

53. James scores 11 points in 2 minutes to help spark Presbyterian past Vanderbilt 68-62 - Friday, November 3, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Crosby James scored all 11 of his points in about two minutes midway through the second half to help spark Presbyterian to a 68-62 victory over Vanderbilt on Tuesday night in a season opener for both teams.

54. Milton, No. 19 Vols hope to build on momentum with a homecoming game against UConn - Friday, November 3, 2023

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Joe Milton III is coming off possibly his best game this season, and now the Tennessee quarterback has a chance to prove he can carry that progress into November ahead of the games that will decide the 19th-ranked Volunteers' postseason future.

55. No. 12 Ole Miss faces yet another SEC team looking for its first league win. This time it's Vandy - Friday, October 27, 2023

Mississippi will spend yet another Saturday trying not to become an opponent's first Southeastern Conference victim.

For the third straight week, the 12th-ranked Rebels face a team still desperate for its first SEC win. This time it's Vanderbilt (2-6, 0-4 SEC), which visits Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday night.

56. Stackhouse targeting bigger wins to end Vanderbilt's NCAA Tournament dating to 2017 - Friday, October 20, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Ending Vanderbilt's NCAA Tournament drought is the top goal for coach Jerry Stackhouse and his Commodores — even if that means leaving his best players on the court to pile up wins. The bigger the margin the better.

57. No. 23 Missouri finally leaves state to open SEC slate at Vanderbilt, loser of 3 straight - Friday, September 29, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz hasn't spent much time thinking about getting the Tigers back into the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2019.

"Rankings only matter what you do this week, so our goal was not to be ranked in Week Four," Drinkwitz said. "Our goal is to figure out where we're at by the end of the season. ... We're more focused on what we can control this week, which is playing at Vandy."

58. Kentucky Wildcats visit skidding Vanderbilt looking to stay undefeated - Friday, September 22, 2023

Kentucky (3-0, 0-0 SEC) at Vanderbilt (2-2, 0-0), Saturday, 12 p.m. ET (SEC Network)

Line: Kentucky by 13 1/2 according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Series: Kentucky leads 48-43-4.

What's at stake?

This is the Southeastern Conference opener for both teams with Kentucky on the road after three non-conference home games. Kentucky is looking to avenge last year's 24-22 home loss to Vanderbilt. That win by the Commodores snapped a 26-game SEC skid for Vanderbilt and a six-game skid to Kentucky. Now Vanderbilt comes in trying to snap a skid after losing back-to-back road games.

59. ‘We’re looking to do big things this year’ - Friday, September 1, 2023

The University of Tennessee football team begins the 2023 season with something the Vols haven’t dealt with for a while – outside expectations.

Coming off an 11-win season and an Orange Bowl win, the Vols are trending upward on their attempted rise back into national prominence.

60. Trying to build a winner - Friday, August 25, 2023

Sounds of construction have been everywhere in and around Vanderbilt’s FirstBank Stadium this summer, distinct and separate.

The first are typical of what you’d expect during the ongoing $300 million Vandy United renovation project that has included removing end zone seats and the giant video board – jackhammering, pounding, trucks beeping and bulldozers digging as a mixture of machines and men in hard hats go about their business.

61. No. 12 Tennessee sets its sights high, targeting SEC East title and maybe more after breakthrough - Friday, August 11, 2023

Josh Heupel and his 12th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers have their sights set high for his third season.

The NCAA investigation that hung over the program since January 2021 has been resolved, leaving the Vols ready to build on the program's best season since 2001.

62. Lea targets bowl game for Vanderbilt knowing the Dores' have only a thin margin for error - Friday, August 11, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Clark Lea makes his goals for Vanderbilt very clear. He wants his Commodores playing in the postseason no matter how tough that is in the mighty Southeastern Conference.

"The margins remain razor thin for our program, and the difference between achieving our goal and being left in the wake of disappointment likely comes down to a handful of snaps this season," Lea said.

63. Georgia media's pick to win SEC title by wide margin over Alabama, LSU - Friday, July 21, 2023

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Two-time defending national champion Georgia is the overwhelming preseason pick to win the 2023 Southeastern Conference title.

Media covering the SEC's media days that concluded Thursday in Nashvill, gave coach Kirby Smart and his Bulldogs 181 points to win the title Dec. 2 in the poll released Friday. Alabama received 62 while LSU, which lost the title to Georgia last December, was third (31).

64. Vanderbilt adds John Calipari's son, Brad, to basketball staff - Friday, July 14, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — John Calipari's son is joining a Southeastern Conference staff, just not at Kentucky.

Brad Calipari, 26, has been hired as Vanderbilt's director of on-court player development, Commodores coach Jerry Stackhouse announced on Monday.

65. We love to gripe but can’t be bothered to vote - Friday, June 2, 2023

Turnout numbers for Metro General Elections going back almost 60 years reveal an unflattering truth about Nashville voters: We suck.

It’s not that we routinely elect bad candidates. In fact, compared with the rest of Tennessee, our officeholders tend to be measures of magnitude superior. (Even a casual acquaintance with the General Assembly will confirm that.)

66. State unemployment rate ticks down to 3.3% - Friday, May 26, 2023

The state of Tennessee experienced lower unemployment in April, according to newly released data from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. It is the second consecutive month the statewide jobless rate has dropped.

67. Talwar: Mental health crisis a ‘failure from all sides’ - Friday, May 26, 2023

Mental health is one issue that weighs heavily on Nashvillians. Gun violence is another, separate and distinct. But when the first leads to the latter, the result is both deadly and tragic.

Such was the case with the Covenant School mass shooting in the Green Hills suburb that left six dead, including three 9-year-old children.

68. VU poll: Most TN Republicans, Democrats support gun laws, abortion access - Friday, April 28, 2023

The Vanderbilt Poll has found measured significant bipartisan support for various gun regulations, basic protections for abortion access as well as health care access for the LGBTQ community in its semiannual poll.

69. VU poll: Nashvillians still say city on wrong track; Cooper at 59% approval - Friday, April 14, 2023

For the second consecutive year, the Vanderbilt Poll-Nashville shows more than half of respondents believe the city is on the wrong track.

From the start of the Nashville poll, in 2015, until 2021, Nashvillians viewed the city as on the right track. The current trend is amplified by a plurality of respondents indicating the growth of the city is making their quality of life worse, rather than better or having no effect.

70. Metro releases potential redistricting maps - Friday, March 31, 2023

Nashville’s Planning Department has released two maps of potential new representation maps, a process brought about by new state law that could slice the size of the Metro Council in half.

The department used the same methods and principles that drove a 2021 redistricting process and generated the current 40-member (35 districts and five at-large members) map to create the two new initial maps, based on the state law that caps the council’s size at 20 members.

71. UAB sets program record for wins with NIT win vs. Vanderbilt - Friday, March 24, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Jordan Walker had 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, Trey Jemison added 17 points and 12 rebounds and UAB beat Vanderbilt 67-59 on Wednesday night to advance to the NIT semifinals in Las Vegas.

72. Lawrence scores 25, Vanderbilt beats Yale 71-62 in NIT - Friday, March 10, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tyrin Lawrence scored a career-high 25 points, Ezra Manjon added 18 points and Vanderbilt beat Yale 71-62 on Tuesday night in the NIT.

Vanderbilt has won 11 of its last 13 games to move into the second round of the NIT for the second season in a row. The Commodores will face Michigan, which topped Toledo earlier.

73. Lawrence leads Vanderbilt over LSU 77-68 in SEC Tournament - Friday, March 10, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tyrin Lawrence had 22 points, Jordan Wright scored 15 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and Vanderbilt rolled to a 77-68 victory over LSU on Thursday night in the second round of the Southeastern Conference Tournament.

74. AP: Alabama's Brandon Miller SEC player, newcomer of year - Friday, March 3, 2023

Alabama freshman Brandon Miller, whose tremendous season on the court has been clouded by controversy off it, is The Associated Press player of the year and newcomer of the year in the Southeastern Conference.

75. Vanderbilt center Robbins out for the season with leg injury - Friday, March 3, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt has announced on social media that scoring leader Liam Robbins will miss the rest of the season with a leg injury sustained early in Wednesday's 68-66 victory at No. 23 Kentucky.

76. Vanderbilt wins 4th straight SEC game, 75-64 over Gamecocks - Friday, February 10, 2023

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Liam Robbins scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds, Ezra Manjon added 15 points and Vanderbilt beat South Carolina 75-64 on Tuesday night for its fourth straight conference victory.

77. Vandy stuns No. 6 Tennessee on Lawrence's buzzer-beating 3 - Friday, February 10, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Vanderbilt Commodores and coach Jerry Stackhouse finally experienced the thrill of a big upset inside the Southeastern Conference's oldest gym.

The Commodores had struggled for so long with crowds dwindling that the old Memorial Gym magic seemed gone.

78. Tshiebwe posts double-double as Kentucky beats Vandy 69-53 - Friday, January 20, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Oscar Tshiebwe scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as Kentucky beat Vanderbilt 69-53 Tuesday night for the Wildcats' longest winning streak this season at four straight.

Kentucky (14-6, 5-3 Southeastern Conference) also won its 14th consecutive game in this series with coach John Calipari improving to 25-4 against the Commodores.

79. Vescovi helps No. 5 Tennessee recover against Vandy 77-68 - Friday, January 6, 2023

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Santiago Vescovi and Julian Phillips each scored 15 points as No. 5 Tennessee recovered from a halftime deficit to pull out a 77-68 victory over Vanderbilt on Tuesday night.

Vescovi scored 12 of his points in the second half to lead the recovery for the Volunteers (14-2, 4-0 Southeastern Conference), who won their 25th straight game at Thompson-Boling Arena. Uros Plavsic contributed 11 points.

80. Tennesseans misunderstand abortion law, want exceptions - Friday, December 9, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Most registered voters in Tennessee want exceptions for rape or incest in the state's sweeping abortion ban, but they largely don't know the specifics of what's in the law as it stands today, according to new Vanderbilt University polling.

81. VU poll: Tennessee Republicans favor DeSantis vs. Trump by 13% - Friday, December 9, 2022

Tennessee Republicans favor Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over former President Donald Trump to be the party’s presidential nominee in 2024 by double digits, the latest statewide Vanderbilt Poll reports.

82. Twende accelerator opens ’23 applications - Friday, December 2, 2022

The Nashville Entrepreneur Center announced that Twende, its nine-month statewide accelerator program with world-class B2B curriculum, coaching, community and supplier diversity connections launched by the EC specifically for entrepreneurs that identify as Black and Latine, has officially opened its 2023 cohort for applications.

83. Williams leads Memphis with 17 in 76-67 win over Vanderbilt - Friday, November 4, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Penny Hardaway wants to prepare his Memphis Tigers for March by starting off the season with a tough road game.

84. Column: Welcome back, Rocky Top, from a 15-year exile - Friday, November 4, 2022

Welcome back, Rocky Top. How long have you been away? Fifteen years! Has it really be that long?

In some ways, it seems like only yesterday Tennessee was a Southeastern Conference powerhouse — the program of Johnny Majors and Phillips Fulmer, of Peyton Manning and Reggie White, of major bowls and national titles.

85. Heupel, Anderson, Hooker headline AP's SEC midseason awards - Friday, October 7, 2022

Will Anderson is one of the nation's top pass rushers. Hendon Hooker has been among the hottest passers.

The Alabama linebacker and Tennessee quarterback headline the midseason Southeastern Conference awards released Wednesday by The Associated Press. Anderson is the top defensive player so far and Hooker grrabbed the offensive honors as the two players head into Saturday's showdown between No. 3 Alabama and No. 6 Tennessee at Neyland Stadium.

86. Nashville SC starts playoffs at LA Galaxy - Friday, October 14, 2022

Nashville Soccer Club begins its MLS Cup playoff push on the road against LA Galaxy, after finishing the regular season in Los Angeles with a win against Western Conference leader LAFC.

The Galaxy and NSC both finished the regular season with 50 points, but the Galaxy locked down the 4-seed and an opening round home game by notching an April 23 win at Dignity Health Sports Park against the Nashville club. The teams also played to a Sept. 10 draw at GEODIS Park.

87. Playoff expansion increases heat for domed stadium in Nashville - Friday, September 23, 2022

While Nashville city leaders continue to debate what the East Bank along the Cumberland River might someday look like, the city’s sports leaders think they have a clearer picture of what the future could hold if a new enclosed stadium is built.

88. End of abortion in Tennessee prompts new questions - Friday, August 19, 2022

Even though the Supreme Court has spoken on abortion in June in the Dobbs case – holding that there’s no U.S. constitutional right to abortion and it’s up to each state to regulate access to the procedure – the battle is far from over.

89. Duplicate Kansas? Won’t happen in Tennessee - Friday, August 19, 2022

Could enough Tennesseans rise up to demand a Kansas-like referendum to reverse the Legislature’s banning of all abortions? Highly unlikely.

Tennessee voters cannot call a referendum or place an initiative on the ballot. The Tennessee Legislature could approve a vote on an amendment to the state Constitution, but only in a general election in which a governor is elected.

90. After 1st term, Gov. Lee unopposed in GOP primary election - Friday, July 8, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Nearly four years ago, Bill Lee startled political insiders when the first-time political candidate survived a bruising and crowded $45 million GOP primary for Tennessee governor. He cruised to win the top elected state seat a few months later.

91. Nashville headed in the wrong direction or going too fast? - Friday, May 20, 2022

In 2015, the first year of the Vanderbilt Poll, 72% of respondents said Nashville was headed in the right direction. “Millennials are the most optimistic but the positive feelings stretch across income levels, race and age categories,” Vanderbilt reported at the time.

92. VU poll: Nashvillians say city headed in wrong direction - Friday, April 29, 2022

For the first time since the Vanderbilt Poll–Nashville was established in 2015, more than half of respondents say they believe the city is headed in the wrong direction.

Fifty-three percent of those who took the survey, which gauges people’s perception of their local government, said that Nashville is off track—a significant swing from last year, when 59 percent of residents polled said they believed the city was “generally headed in the right direction.”

93. Scotty Pippen Jr. signing with agent, heading to NBA draft - Friday, April 15, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt guard Scotty Pippen Jr. is entering the NBA draft, and the Southeastern Conference's leading scorer is signing with an agent.

Pippen announced his decision Monday in a social media post. He thanked Nashville and Vanderbilt fans for making him feel at home and shaping him into the person and player he is today. Pippen also thanked coach Jerry Stackhouse, his other coaches and teammates and professors.

94. No. 24 Tennessee scores final 8, beating Vanderbilt 68-60 - Friday, January 14, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Uros Plavsic's short jumper with 55 seconds left broke a tie at 60, and 24th-ranked Tennessee scored the final eight points holding off in-state rival Vanderbilt 68-60 Tuesday night for the Vols' ninth straight win in this series.

95. Vanderbilt extends baseball coach Corbin's contract - Friday, December 17, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt has signed Tim Corbin to a contract extension going into his 20th season running the Commodores' baseball program.

96. Poll: Americans agree misinformation is a problem - Friday, October 8, 2021

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly all Americans agree that the rampant spread of misinformation is a problem.

Most also think social media companies, and the people that use them, bear a good deal of blame for the situation. But few are very concerned that they themselves might be responsible, according to a new poll from The Pearson Institute and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

97. Are sports fans tuning out? - Friday, June 25, 2021

Remember the panic of 2020 when live sports disappeared from our TV screens? March Madness? Gone. NBA? Multiple delays, game played in a “bubble” and a season that ended four months later than normal. Major league baseball? Reduced to 60 games beginning in late July and then played with cardboard cutouts of fans filling otherwise empty seats.

98. Openings begin March 4 at Fifth + Broadway - Friday, February 19, 2021

Brookfield Properties’ mixed-use project Fifth + Broadway in downtown Nashville will begin its first tenant openings March 4.

The event culminates a multiyear effort by the company and local developer Pat Emery on the former site of the Nashville Convention Center.

99. VU poll: Partisanship shapes Tennesseans’ coronavirus views - Friday, June 5, 2020

The partisanship of Tennesseans strongly influences their views on COVID-19, the latest Vanderbilt Poll-Tennessee reports. The poll also found that economic worries abound as Tennesseans feel the financial effect of the safer-at-home order.

100. Poll: Nashvillians show broad approval for mayor, precautions - Friday, May 15, 2020

Nashvillians have given high marks to the city’s institutions and elected officials for their response to the COVID-19 crisis, but residents’ economic anxiety levels are high as the city faces hard times and tough financial decisions, the latest Vanderbilt poll finds.