Why does vanderbilt have a star logo

Vanderbilt's helmets will get a new look this fall thanks to a design that emphasizes the school's famed "anchor of gold. Vanderbilt will roll into with more than just the traditional star-V on their helmets. The Commodores' new kits will emphasize the "Anchor Down" motto by putting the school's famed anchor of gold on the back of at least two sets of helmets this fall and replacing the sometimes-used center stripes with a chain.

Commodore Defensive Quality Control Coach Rod Chance tweeted out a picture of the new hats on Wednesday night, sparking a quick maelstrom of reactions:. Just a sneak preview of what's to come Derek Mason must be happy to have found a way to convey the "anchor down" message without being penalized for wearing improper jerseys.

While most of the negative reaction came from trolling Tennessee detritus, at least one member of the national media spoke out against the big anchors. What, exactly, was Vanderbilt thinking with its new helmets? In a world where Oregon can roll out a locker room of EPA disasters and bring five-star recruits to campus, the big logo and anchor combination should be good enough to lure a few more three-star players to Nashville. Nothing on this helmet is a departure from Commodore tradition; the Star-V is bigger, sure, and the anchor is making it's first significant appearance on the Vanderbilt uniform, but both are key pieces of this team's identity.

More than anything, that anchor is the key identifier to a Brand New Vandy. It's a step forward for a program that is still tied to the thrashings of the past rather than three bowl-eligible seasons in the past four years. Aesthetically, I do have a problem with the black helmets.

There's so little contrast between the logo, the chain, and the anchor that nothing stands out. A limited white drop shadow could help this logo really pop - like it does on the white helmet. There, you can see a gold undercurrent separating the the Commodores' anchor from the helmet. For whatever reason, that depth isn't present on the matte black helmet, where a black shadow blends directly into a helmet with the same color.

If Vandy is going for the all-black Death Star look in , that's fine - but there's still plenty of room in a light-swallowing outfit for the contrast that will allow the highlights of the uniform to actually stand out. In , head football coach Bobby Johnson began using an anchor as a symbol of strength and unity. Ships use an anchor to prevent further movement while on the water, and an anchor can also be a person who can be depended upon for support, stability or security.

Football coach James Franklin had a special display case built for the anchor in and placed it in the football locker room.

At each home game, the anchor is taken from its case and transported onto the field by two selected players. It also accompanies the team on all road games.

Vanderbilt, like all colleges, has its own athletic traditions. The star V logo, the Commodore nickname and the anchor are unique in college athletics and immediately identifiable with Vanderbilt sports teams. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. The Sports Historian sports history by Jim Weathersby.