Last year, the Vanderbilt fans stormed the field, carried the goal post through the heart of Nashville, Tennessee. The win against Alabama, 40-35, was a moment unlike any other. This season, as GameDay comes to Music City for the first time since 2008, one more fan’s day could become more memorable. It took some time, but ESPN’s Alyssa Lang has come forward to help fulfill his wish.

The story caught traction as a tweet from the young fan’s father asking for help to get his son near the GameDay set. “So this dude turns 18 this weekend. Do any of my @espn Folks have a connection to get him (and his wheelchair) reasonably close to the @CollegeGameDay set Saturday morning? Wheelchair access seems to always be an issue.” The X user, Phillip J Sloan, put out a tweet, tagged Alyssa Lang and a few other ESPN analysts, asking for help. Lang replied with a positive update.

“Vandy alum @BrooksAD is on it!!,” said the tweet from the ESPN analyst. If you are wondering who the tagged account is, don’t worry. Amanda Brooks is the Senior Director of Communications at ESPN. She is an Award-winning PR professional with 18+ years of experience working in the sports, entertainment & television industry. Most importantly, she is a Vanderbilt alum, so she made sure that the GameDay experience for Commodore fans does not end in disappointment.

Directly replying to the tweet, Brooks wrote, “Hi Phillip! I’m going to see what we can do here. Can you please follow and DM me? Thanks!” Even though on social media we can’t see the resolution that was provided for now, the prompt reply from Brooks and Lang decreased the worries of the father. This incident also sheds light on the fact that a lot of stadiums in the nation lack amenities. That is necessary for the mobility of someone in a wheelchair.

ESPN’s own 2024 survey revealed that many sports venues still fall short in accommodating wheelchair users, making accessibility a persistent challenge.​ “People think, ‘Hey, let’s just do the minimum, we have X number of wheelchair seats, that’s good enough.'” Sherri Privitera, senior principal and senior architect at leading sports architecture firm Populous, told ESPN. 

Inclusion in sports, fan experience, or any other activity is not a checklist option. But a way to bridge the gap between people. That’s when another fan on X asked Brooks to help Phillip J Sloan and his son, but the ESPN employee did not change her stance. “Going to see what I can do!” The GameDay experience will only get better as Saturday’s matchup is between No. 10 Vanderbilt and #15 Missouri. One of the most anticipated and crucial fixtures with SEC implications.

Vanderbilt’s historic season reaches new heights

Both programs enter the game, 6-1 up. Vanderbilt is #10 in the AP polls as they defeated the LSU Tigers 31-24 last week. A fitting revenge for their defeat last year. With this, they have the best start in 78 years and their highest ranking in a long time. This historic rise is a result of Coach Clark Lea’s squad defeating bigger opponents even after consistently entering as underdogs this season. All while they surpass preseason expectations and predictions.

They have grown to become giant killers this season. Diego Pavia has led the Commodores’ offense with exceptional dual-threat production through seven games. The senior QB completed 129 of 183 passes for 1,569 yards with 15 touchdowns and just four interceptions. All this has helped him reach a 165.19 passer rating and a QBR of 84.9, the 7th best in the league. Since last year, Pavia has been taking his team to new heights; it’s either breaking their 40-year drought against Alabama last year by winning against them or taking them to 7 wins.

Against LSU, Diego Pavia struck a Heisman pose, giving tribute to Johnny Manziel. No Vanderbilt player has ever won the Heisman Trophy. For the QB to rewrite history, he will have to perform against the #15 Missouri Tigers.