NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It’s been five years and one month since Dr. Candice Storey Lee was promoted to the role of athletic director at Vanderbilt and went to work. Coming off a banner year in 2024-25, Vandy athletics appears to be in as good a position as it has been in some time.
Credit much of that success to Storey Lee. She has overseen more than $300 million in fundraising associated with the Vandy United campaign that is reimagining the athletic footprint on campus. The school has further emphasized its commitment to its athletic programs, and that paid off last year with football’s first bowl trip in six years, both basketball programs reaching the NCAA Tournament and baseball winning another SEC Tournament title.
“We’re more comfortable talking about our desire to compete and to win,” Storey Lee told Newschannel 5 this week. “It certainly feels good when the results back up what you’re verbalizing. I just think that over time, you’re starting to see those things come together. You know, we never take winning for granted because it’s hard to win, but we do expect to win.”
Vanderbilt football finished 7-6 in 2024 to capture its first winning season in 11 years. Among the victories was a 40-35 shocker over then No. 1 Alabama that set off a massive celebration that saw the Vanderbilt Stadium goalpost marched down Broadway and tossed into the Cumberland River.
It was the Commodores' first-ever victory over a top-ranked team in football and the marquee win of Clark Lea’s four years on campus. Lea’s third team faltered, slipping back to just 2-10, but Storey Lee stuck with her vision and behind Lea and it paid dividends.
Now with the return of All-SEC quarterback Diego Pavia, Vandy looks to turn heads again this fall.
“Last year was such a fun year for so many reasons,” Storey Lee said. “But it wasn’t a first step, right? We took those first steps actually some time ago, and so it’s a snapshot of what progress looks like, but we’re continuing to take steps. My expectation is that we continue to lean in and reach our potential. If we do that, I think good things will happen."
Good things continue to happen for Vanderbilt baseball. Despite being upset in a regional as the No. 1 overall seed, the Commodores returned to the top of the SEC, blitzing through four games in five days at the conference tournament in Hoover, capped by a win over Ole Miss in the final.
It was Vanderbilt’s third title over the past six tournaments, and it came at a time when some wondered if the current trends of offense-focused baseball had passed Tim Corbin by.
The Vandy Boys made it clear they haven’t gone anywhere, beating rival Tennessee three of four games this season and punching their tickets to a NCAA-best 19th consecutive regional. In total, Corbin’s teams have now won eight combined (regular season and tournament) SEC titles, reached the College World Series five times and captured two national championships. It’s a two-decade run that would stand up against anyone in the country.
“There’s no question that the baseball program set the bar and set the bar very high,” Storey Lee said. “I am so thankful and grateful that Tim Corbin is our coach. I love the brand he’s built with Vandy Boys. I love the culture. I love the competitiveness. We won a lot of games this year, and we will continue to do that. I feel very confident in that.”
Storey Lee also saw two of her newer hires join the train of success with Shea Ralph leading Vanderbilt women’s basketball to a second straight NCAA Tournament while first-year coach Mark Byington returned the men to the Big Dance for the first time since 2017.
Storey Lee hired Byington after a successful run at James Madison, and he put his stamp on the program immediately, turning over the roster through the transfer portal with the help of an increased NIL budget. The Commodores went 20-13 and returned the magic to Memorial Gym with thrilling victories over rivals Tennessee and Kentucky, the first time Vandy had beaten two top 15 opponents at home in the same season.
Ralph’s Commodores finished 22-11 behind the play of national freshman of the year Mikayla Blakes, who etched her name in the NCAA record books with a single-game record 55 points in an overtime win at Auburn.
Like Corbin and Lea, Byington and Ralph fit the culture of what Storey Lee wants Vanderbilt athletics to be all about.
“This is not a toot your own horn moment, but I do feel confident in the choices that I’ve made for the coaches that are leading our programs,” Storey Lee said. “I think Mark and Shea are phenomenal leaders, they’re great coaches, they’re great people. I feel very confident in what they’re doing, but I tell our (staff) all the time that you’re here because you chose Vanderbilt. We chose you; you chose us. And I think when we choose each other really good things happen.”
The growth of Vanderbilt is evident by the cranes, bulldozers, and construction equipment all over campus. The university continues to be at the forefront of higher education, and Storey Lee wants to make sure athletics is on the cutting edge as well when it comes to facilities.
The south end zone project at Vanderbilt Stadium is scheduled to be done for the start of football season, completing the remake of First Bank Stadium that saw the north end zone project along with the basketball operations center completed last summer. Future upgrades to Hawkins Field, the school’s outdoor tennis facility and other facilities are on the way as well.
“As the footprint is growing and changing and evolving, so is our program,” Storey Lee said. “We are here to stay. In my mind, there was never a question about the viability (of our programs) and the long-term commitment, but what I hope people will see is that we now have the physical plant to back up what we say we’re here to do.”
It’s that commitment to growth and a better future that has Storey Lee excited for the future. She believes Vanderbilt is well-positioned to continue to compete and succeed in the SEC with the implementation of new rules and guidelines stemming from the recent approval of the House Settlement.
Vanderbilt will fully opt in to the new revenue-sharing model, which will allow it to distribute $20.5 million directly to athletes next year. The department will also be adding scholarships across its 16 varsity sports teams and formed a new group called Vanderbilt Enterprises, led by CEO Markus Schreyer, to try to raise more strategic funds for athletics.
All to bring more success to West End and build off what was a banner year for the Commodores in 2024-25.
“It feels good that the results are starting to catch up with the efforts and the vision that we had,” Storey Lee said. “So now our next step is to try to build on the experiences we had this year, but there is no doubt that for that moment in time it was so very special.”
