If you’re trying to make a walk of shame near frat row or Morgan & Lewis on Saturday morning, avoid doing so before 7AM.
Because from 5 to 7 AM on February 11th, a solid majority of Vanderbilt sports fans will be lined up outside Memorial Gym getting pumped for ESPN College GameDay. This is quite possibly the biggest event for Vanderbilt athletics all year, and while the Kentucky game is historically well-attended, it is sure to be even crazier on Saturday. I mean… it’s ESPN, for heaven’s sake.
Perhaps I’m getting a little ahead of myself. For those of you who don’t know, Vanderbilt men’s basketball will be playing the University of Kentucky this Saturday. And while basketball is traditionally one of our better sports, we have struggled significantly this season, due especially to starting center Festus Ezeli’s injury, which benched him for the first six weeks of the season. As such, Vanderbilt has completely dropped out of the AP Poll’s top 25, while Kentucky is currently ranked number one.
Basically, it’s going to be one heck of a game.
While I can’t predict the future, I can tell you that the Vanderbilt basketball boys have been stepping up their game significantly since the return of Ezeli. It’s also a home game for the Commodores, though this season, Vanderbilt’s history at home is mediocre at best. But if nothing else, ESPN will be in Memorial, as will most of the student body. And if that doesn’t give us a boost, nothing will.
If you’re a girl trying to step up her sports knowledge, I highly recommend that you make the effort to go to this game. It will at least impress most of your guy friends, and perhaps even that one you see as more than a friend. You might even discover a love for basketball while you’re at it!
Not to dissuade you, but this event WILL be insane in terms of getting in, so if you really want to secure your spot for Saturday, it’s recommended that you attend the women’s basketball game on Thursday against Tennessee. Read the procedures through the following link to find out how to attend College GameDay, because it’s definitely more complicated than you think: http://studentorgs.vanderbilt.edu/vpb/uncategorized/espns-college-gameday-weekend-procedures
This will be the first time College GameDay invades Memorial, and their trip to Vanderbilt is the only SEC matchup on schedule for this year. It’s going to be huge, and you can bet you’ll feel severely left out if you don’t at least watch the game on TV. So make an effort, become a sports fan this Saturday morning, and GO DORES!