Former Vanderbilt football player Brandon Vandenburg sentenced to 17 years in prison

On Friday, former Vanderbilt football player Brandon Vandenburg was sentenced to 17 years in prison for his role in the rape of an unconscious student in June 2013.

Vandenburg came to Vanderbilt as a transfer from College of the Desert but never played a game for the Commodores, as he and three others were dismissed from the team and expelled from school following the incident.

Under Tennessee law, Vandenburg was eligible for a sentence of 15 to 25 years. Co-defendant Cory Batey was sentenced to 15 years in prison this summer. Like Batey, Vandenburg will not be eligible for early release and must serve the entire 17-year sentence.

Two other defendants, Brandon Banks and Jaborian “Tip” McKenzie, have not been sentenced, though the Tennessean article says that both have plead guilty and are awaiting sentencing. McKenzie — who is currently playing football for FCS Alcorn State — was a prosecution witness in the trials of both Batey and Vandenburg.

With this saga coming to an end, hopefully the Vanderbilt community will finally have some closure from this ugly incident.