Vanderbilt Kicks Off “Commodore Pride” Campaign For Marketing of 2002 Football Ticket Packages 7/29/02

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Vanderbilt Athletic Department’s recently unveiled 2002 Football Marketing Campaign, Commodore Pride, focuses on the renewed sense of pride and dedication that Head Coach Bobby Johnson and his staff have brought to the football program.

"There is a sense of pride in the players, coaches and staff in the athletic department that we want our fans to see and feel," says Vanderbilt Marketing Director Owen Shull. "Our fans haven’t seen how dedicated this coaching staff is; they aren’t able to see them breaking down film until 2:00 a.m., or our players working out at 5 in the morning. There is a definite sense of unity and pride in the McGugin Center, and we need to convey that sense of pride to the public."

While season tickets have been available to the public since June 1, the media campaign began in full last week. The first phase of the public campaign - a drive for season ticket sales - lasts until Sept. 7 when the Commodores host Coach Johnson’s former team, the Furman Paladins.

Sideline season tickets are available for $162 while season tickets in the south zone can be purchased for $115 (packages include UT game at the Coliseum in downtown Nashville. The Family Zone, located in the north end zone, allows a family of four (2 adults/2 youth) to catch all the action for only $215.

"Our goal is to open up the doors at Vanderbilt," Commodore Marketing Coordinator Jessica Kane says. "We want the entire Nashville community to take pride in all that the University offers, and part of that is the game-day experience on seven Saturdays this fall."

The second phase of the campaign - the push for single game tickets - begins this Thursday, Aug. 1 when tickets go on sale. The Alabama and Tennessee games are expected to be sellouts, and the best way to get good seats for those games is through a season ticket package, Shull said.

"With the UT game at The Coliseum this year, the only way to be reasonably assured of a sideline ticket in the lower bowl is to purchase a season ticket", says Commodore Ticket Manager Marty McGinty. “We learned from our last experience at the Coliseum that the difference in seating configurations between our stadium and The Coliseum restricts seat allocation in certain ways. Once the lower sideline seats are gone, season ticket buyers must choose either lower end zone or upper deck."

For ticket info, call 322-GOLD or go online at vucommodores.com.