Vanderbilt AD Candice Storey Lee issues statement after game against Georgia was postponed
Saturday’s Vanderbilt-Georgia game has been postponed to Dec. 19 due to COVID-19 issues within the Commodores’ program. Bulldogs athletic director Greg McGarity has since voiced his frustration that the contest is no longer taking place.
However, Vanderbilt athletic director Candice Storey Lee later issued a statement on Twitter, expressing that she believes the right decision was made.
“I’m as competitive as anyone and we were all looking forward to getting back on the field to face Georgia,” Lee tweeted. “We will never compromise the health and safety of our student-athletes. We are already preparing for Tennessee and look forward to wrapping up the regular season at Georgia.”
It was the second time this season that Vandy has had a game postponed. The Commodores’ matchup at Missouri on Oct. 17 was pushed back to last Saturday (when the Tigers won, 41-0).
Georgia also has had one previous postponement, as its Nov. 14 game at Missouri was pushed back to Dec. 12.
If Georgia ends up finishing in first in the SEC East, then its game against Vanderbilt won’t end up happening, as the SEC Championship Game is also scheduled for Dec. 19.
Vandy isn’t the only SEC team this season that has been affected by positive COVID-19 tests and contact-tracing protocols, as several other programs have been in similar situations. The SEC has advised teams to have at least 53 active players for games, but the Commodores were in danger of dropping below that number due to COVID-19 testing, injuries and opt-outs.
Vanderbilt will return to action on Dec. 12 against Tennessee, a game that was originally supposed to take place last week.
They were in danger of dropping below the 53 player limit? Oh no, how terrible for them…
I recall a certain team saying to heck with the 53 and playing anyway…
So do I. I’m a UGA grad and ticket holder. Miss St earned a ton of respect just showing up at Ga game, much less almost beating us. I sit near where the visitors go into the locker room. I was one of the many Ga fans applauding Miss St as they left the field. The effort was appreciated by all.
Mizzou played usc below the 53 as well.
And MSU played a heck of a game vs. Georgia too. Some teams actually want to play…Vandy not so much.
What a loser school.
No way Ms Lee cancels this game if it was scheduled to play in Nashville.
There is a chance that Vanderbilt is now done for the season. It wasn’t just a few under 53. One person says 6 starters quit, and another believes it was 7. The person who says it was 7 says there are not enough linebackers or defensive backs left, unless they can convince some to come back.
Vandy went back to total virtual classes after the Thanksgiving break, and after Mason was fired, and after the pep talk at halftime last week, former Vanderbilt football player Bruno Reagan said that he would be shocked if the next game Vandy plays isn’t in late summer of 2021.
If it means anything, Tennessee is setting record Covid deaths nearly every day. Nashville had over 800 new positives yesterday, and the Generalissimo of the city, Mayor Cooperstalin, is contemplating doing what Santa Clara County just did. If so, then that would also 86 the basketball teams as well, unless they moved outside of the county and did what New Mexico’s teams are doing.
I’ve tried to comment on this twice and both comments are being moderated by SDS. But without getting into specifics, I have been told that the stated reason for the game cancellation is not true.
The word from some people at Vanderbilt is that there was no COVID issue. The team revolted because of the publicity stunt last week, and enough players refused to play that they could not field a team.
Need to stress that I have not confirmed this firsthand with any players or coaches.
The word from some people at Vanderbilt is that there was no COVID issue. The team refused to play because of the publicity stunt last week, and they didn’t have enough players to field a team.
Need to stress that I have not talked with with any players or coaches.
I hope we get all games in because seniors have chance at all time win record.
When they say awaiting moderation it is censorship
A loser school?? LOL One of the most prestigous schools in the world. It is a private school with what 13,000 students? Hardly any walk ons due to the cost.
Why would you want to play a game against a team that depleted? Why not set up a game with Ohio St the way C. Carolina did with BYU? Now that would be good TV.
Let’s clarify: A loser SEC football school. Vandy should go to D3 and play Washington University, Carnegie Mellon, etc.
They have no business at all playing footballin the SEC or any other FBS league.
There’s a glitch is the sds system. One of the writers apologized and said they were working on fixing it.
Vandy should fire this clown AD, hire Tom Herman and tell him he can hire his own boss.
While Tom Herman is likely to be available, he might get a better offer from maybe Kansas. The Southern Miss job has been filled. And anyone NOT looking at Coastal Carolina has been in a coma.
I bet Vandy doesn’t play another game
Vandy Ad issues this statement after the Georgia game was cancelled….WHEWWWWW ! THAT was close.
The under the 53 player limit is not the best way to call it. It is more like under 40 at the present time and not enough total defensive players to have 11 starters at the position they play. They would have to use multiple players playing on both sides of the ball, like it was before 1960.
Have any of you ever coached youth league football? When one of my children played at the 5ht & 6th grade level, there was a team that had all the players that were not from a specific lower middle school. They were called the co-op team, and they not only lost every game, I am not sure they ever scored a point. With two weeks left in the season, they had just 8 players remaining, forcing their next opponent to play 8 on 8. Then, in the final week, they were down to 6, and the league cancelled that game. That was the last year that co-op team was allowed in the league. A new middle school replaced them as the 8th team in the league.
Vandy is probably done for 2020…Why play any more games ?
Pathetic excuse for program. Bunch of liberal cowards. I hate them more than usual rivals. Whole school can go to hades. Bunch of sissies. They don’t want to compete. They won’t welfare checks from SEC.