Vanderbilt football’s Diego Pavia was named the Male Amateur Athlete of the Year by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, while athletic director Candice Lee was named Tennessean of the Year and the women’s basketball team was named the Female Amateur Team of the Year.
Those recognized with be honored at a ceremony July 11 in Nashville.
Lee is the first athletic administrator at Vanderbilt to receive the award, which according to the hall of fame’s website, “honors an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to our society through sports or other methods, demonstrating strong character and high profile leadership.”
Lee also won the Fred Russell Distinguished American award and in 2025 was named the NACDA Athletic Director of the Year. In 2025-26, Vanderbilt football and men’s and women’s basketball experienced historic success. The women’s soccer team also reached the Elite Eight and the school revived the women’s volleyball team after a 45-year hiatus.
Pavia, the Heisman runner-up, was also named SEC Offensive Player of the Year and the quarterback helped lead the Commodores to their first 10-win season in program history. He recently signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Baltimore Ravens.
Pavia in 2025 went 267-for-378 passing for 3,539 yards, 29 passing touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also ran 167 times for 862 yards and 10 touchdowns. He set a school record for single-game passing yards against Kentucky and twice tied the school record for passing touchdowns in a game, with five.
The women’s basketball team made it to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009 behind SEC Player of the Year Mikayla Blakes and SEC Freshman of the Year Aubrey Galvan. The Commodores went undefeated at home for the first time in program history and defeated Texas, Oklahoma, LSU and Tennessee. Shea Ralph was also named SEC Coach of the Year as well as the Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year. Blakes led the country in scoring at 27 points per game.
Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at [email protected] or on X @aria_gerson.
