POLL: Football Moving Off Campus?

As Tom has recently reported, Vanderbilt is apparently serious about the idea to move Vanderbilt football games to the Major League Soccer (MLS) stadium. The stadium would be constructed should Nashville win its current bid for a MLS team, with the preferred location being the Nashville Fairgrounds, three miles off campus.

Vanderbilt wants to know how we feel about the idea of football moving to this new stadium. Keep in mind the question isn’t just about wanting a new stadium, but what your interest is in an off-campus stadium. Many of you have already gotten surveys in the mail, but I am pleading with you to register your feelings here as well. Believe it or not, Vanderbilt does pay some attention to us, and support/objection of this idea will be considered. Here is your writing prompt, straight from Vandy itself:

Vanderbilt University is launching a survey of its athletics fans to determine interest in holding some future athletics events in a new stadium that has been proposed for a potential Major League Soccer franchise in Nashville.

The stadium discussion stems from a proposal submitted Feb. 1 by a local ownership group, the Nashville MLS Steering Committee, for an MLS expansion team. The Nashville proposal is one of 12 currently being considered by the league. Mayor Megan Barry has identified the Nashville Fairgrounds as the preferred stadium location should the franchise be approved.

Vanderbilt has been approached by the steering committee to determine if the university is interested in using the new stadium for some of its athletic events, including football games. David Williams, vice chancellor for university affairs and athletics and athletics director, and Brett Sweet, vice chancellor for finance and chief financial officer, are co-chairing a committee comprising Vanderbilt Athletics leaders, students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the Board of Trust to consider the issue.

The survey will be conducted April 25-May 5 and will poll Vanderbilt undergraduates, season ticket holders, single ticket buyers and other members of the public who may be interested in attending Vanderbilt athletics events. It is designed to gauge how much demand there is for a hypothetical new stadium and game day and fan experience factors that will make fans more or less likely to attend games there.

Please register your opinions in one of two ways:

1) Comment below. This is the preferred method, because that way popular posts will get “rec”d by other readers.

2) Email me at VandyTigerPhD@gmail.com, which you may prefer if you don’t have an account on SBN. I will not identify you unless you request it.

I plan to put together an article in a few days from your responses. This may be our only chance to voice our opinion on an off-campus stadium, so please make it count. While there is a poll below, please consider writing some thoughts so that Vanderbilt can see it. Also feel free to call/write Vanderbilt itself to register your thoughts.