What is Vanderbilt basketball's Memorial Magic? When did it start?

What is Vanderbilt basketball’s Memorial Magic? When did it start?

Posted by author February 11, 2025 Basketball

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Memorial Magic is a familiar term associated with the Vanderbilt men’s basketball team and its homecourt.

Memorial Gym was built on the western side of Vanderbilt campus in 1952 with a seating capacity of 6,583. The building’s capacity now is 14,316 after expansion projects.

The facility was named to honor the 144 Vanderbilt students who lost their lives during World War II.

In the first game played at Memorial Gym on Dec. 6, 1952, Vanderbilt defeated Virginia 90-83.

Vanderbilt plays AP No. 1-ranked Auburn at 6 p.m., Tuesday

The meaning of Memorial Magic

Memorial Gym is unique with the team benches located behind the goals on either side of the court instead of traditional sideline seating.

Vanderbilt coaches and players get used to the odd configuration by playing so many games at Memorial Gym. Opponents, meanwhile, often find it awkward with coaches struggling to communicate with their players while the players are on the opposite end of the court.

Vanderbilt established a knack early on for beating higher-ranked teams at Memorial Gym.

Nick Nicholas, a sports writer from the University of Kentucky, once wrote, “What the phone booth is to Clark Kent, Memorial Gym is to Vanderbilt.”

When did Vanderbilt’s Memorial Gym first become magical

From 1964-68 Vanderbilt posted four straight 20-win seasons, which included claiming the SEC championship in 1964-65 under coach Roy Skinner.

Skinner led the Commodores to the SEC championship again in 1973-74. He was named the SEC coach of the year.

It was in the early 1970s when sports writers and sportscasters started using the literation magic with Memorial Gym.

When Vanderbilt failed to beat Mississippi State in a key SEC matchup late in the 1977-78 season, longtime Tennessean sports editor John Bibb wrote, “It was one of those nights when even the ol’ magic of Memorial Gymnasium wasn’t strong enough …”

Memorial Magic became popular in the 1980s

By the 1980s, “Memorial Magic” became a popular term connected to Memorial Gym. By then Memorial Gym was widely know for being a nightmare for opposing teams.

The Commodores were still upsetting favored teams at home and doing so more often in dramatic fashion. From 1986-89 Barry Goheen became known for his incredible buzzer-beating shots, which included half-court bombs to win games.

Goheen became known as “The Man with the Magic Touch.”

At this time, “Memorial Magic” was being used in Vanderbilt ticket promotions, in television ads, on billboards and was more popular than ever in newspaper and television stories.

What Rick Pitino thought about Memorial Magic

In 1993, after losing back-to-back road games at Memphis State and Florida, Vanderbilt beat No. 1-ranked Kentucky 101-86 at Memorial Gym.

The following season, Vanderbilt students showed up wearing “Memorial Magic” T-shirts for the game against the Wildcats.

After Kentucky beat the Commodores, Wildcats coach Rick Pitino was seen outside the locker room taking one of the shirts, throwing it on the floor and stomping on it.

Memorial Magic is alive and well at Vanderbilt

When Vanderbilt’s basketball team has struggled over the years, most recently during Jerry Stackhouse’s five years (2019-24) as the Commodores coach, it was often said the “magic” is gone in Memorial Gym.

This season, however, new coach Mark Byington has definitely brought the magic back. Byington led the Commodores to two top-10 wins at Memorial Gym over seven days, beating No. 6 Tennessee and No. 9 Kentucky. It led to Vanderbilt cracking the top 25.

The victories marked the first time Vanderbilt has defeated two top 10 teams in a single season since 2006-07 and the first time with multiple top 10 wins at home since 1992-93.

Fans stormed the Memorial Gym court after both wins.

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.