Vanderbilt’s “Outside-the-Box” Play for Athletic Revenue: Enter Vanderbilt Enterprises
In an era where college athletic departments are scrambling to unlock new revenue streams, Vanderbilt is taking a decidedly different path. Instead of following the well-worn playbook of raising ticket prices or chasing bigger media rights deals, the Commodores are leaning into their greatest competitive advantages: their location, their university-wide ambition, and a bold, business-minded approach to growth.
Introducing Vanderbilt Enterprises
In June, Vanderbilt University announced the launch of Vanderbilt Enterprises, a newly created entity designed to develop mission-aligned ventures that generate sustainable revenue across the institution, but especially for its athletic department. The move is part of a broader, university-wide push to modernize and innovate around funding models.
At the helm of this new effort is Markus Schreyer, a seasoned executive from the hospitality world with a global résumé. Starting in June 2025, Schreyer’s first major focus will be on athletic department revenue, helping transform Vanderbilt’s sports programs from underfunded competitors to self-sustaining assets.
So What Exactly Is Vanderbilt Enterprises?
Think of Vanderbilt Enterprises as an internal innovation lab and business development arm, but for the whole university, with athletics as its test kitchen. It’s not simply a marketing agency or a licensing partner. It’s a cross-functional entity designed to create new partnerships, activate underutilized assets, and monetize the university’s growing national and global footprint.
What sets Vanderbilt’s approach apart is that it’s not trying to mimic Georgia or Alabama. As Athletics Director Candice Storey Lee put it, “We can’t afford to follow the exact same strategy,” referring to the massive alumni bases, historical football success, and state funding those schools enjoy.
Instead, Vanderbilt is aiming to play to its strengths:
A top-tier academic institution with global name recognition.
A location in the heart of booming, tourism-rich Nashville.
Strong graduate programs in business, law, and medicine.
Ambitions that extend well beyond the SEC footprint, including expansions into New York and West Palm Beach.
Learning from Pro Sports—and Nashville’s Growth
Inspiration for Vanderbilt Enterprises partly comes from an unlikely source: Manchester City. University Chancellor Daniel Diermeier cited the Premier League club’s model of building commercial infrastructure around the stadium - hotels, museums, and event spaces - that keep fans engaged (and spending) beyond the 90 minutes of gameplay.
But as Diermeier noted, Vanderbilt doesn’t need to build a concert venue. “We’re in Nashville.” Instead, the school wants to activate its existing facilities to drive year-round use, appeal to tourists, and serve the university community.
With massive renovations already underway near the football stadium, and Schreyer’s hospitality experience, Vanderbilt sees potential in making its athletic footprint more than just game-day focused. It could become a destination - a hub for entertainment, business events, and branded experiences.
An Ecosystem, Not a Silo
Unlike schools that have pulled everything in-house (like Clemson moving all MMR operations under one roof), Vanderbilt isn’t cutting ties with its long-time partners. Instead, Storey Lee describes Vanderbilt Enterprises as an “ecosystem,” one that includes existing relationships with companies like Learfield and overlaps with development, alumni relations, and campus-wide fundraising efforts.
That’s by design. Vanderbilt Enterprises isn’t an athletic department moonlighting as a business venture. It’s a university-wide effort to build something that lasts, with athletics as a key pillar.
Early Days, Bold Vision
To be clear, Vanderbilt Enterprises is still in its infancy. The structure, leadership, and operational scope will likely continue to evolve over the next year. But what makes this strategy stand out is its willingness to embrace a different model entirely. One that blends sports, entertainment, hospitality, and higher education.
Vanderbilt knows it can’t out-spend or out-history some of its SEC rivals. But with creativity, location, and institutional alignment, it’s betting that it doesn’t have to.
If Vanderbilt can pull this off, it might not just change its own athletic fortunes - it could offer a new blueprint for how private, academically elite schools compete in the modern era of college sports.
