Green Wave Club Donor of the Game: Nick Vlahos

Green Wave Club Donor of the Game (Sponsored by Tabasco) — Nick Vlahos
Tulane University ('00), Tulane University Law School ('03)
Men's Tennis Student-Athlete (1996-99)

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
"I was born and raised along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I grew up in a Tulane family -- my father and uncle both attended Tulane -- and always went to Tulane games as a kid. I attended Tulane for undergrad, where I majored in finance (graduated in 2000) and played on the men's tennis team. After graduating, I stayed at Tulane for law school (graduated in 2003). I currently live in Sandestin, Florida, along the Emerald Coast, with my wife, Candace, and children, three-year-old Kosta and one-year-old Wynnie. I work in real estate development, consulting and brokerage and I own my own company, Vlahos Solutions (www.vlahossolutions.com)."

What did you enjoy most about being a student-athlete at Tulane?
"The friendships I made with all of my teammates. College tennis is so unique in the sense that tennis is usually such an individual sport, but the college game really develops a team atmosphere. It was evident last year with Dominik Koepfer's run at the US Open. The Green Wave chants took over the stadium with so many of his old teammates and Tulane tennis fans that traveled to see him play! The bond you create training and competing together lasts a lifetime."

What's your favorite memory from your time competing for the Green Wave?
"There were so many. Tulane has a rich tennis history but had been through a down period for a while. Coach Robert Klein came in and completely changed the program. Our 1996-97 team was the first team to make the NCAA tournament in decades, I believe, and it started a string of NCAA appearances that was only snapped by Hurricane Katrina. Each season was special. Coach Mark Booras has done a great job getting the program back to being a consistent NCAA tournament team and I think has his best team ever this upcoming year. But my favorite memory was when Robert Samuelsson was in the finals of NCAA Indoors in Dallas. We actually played the day before in New Orleans without him and then half the team road tripped it through the night to make it for the finals to surprise him and cheer him on. Those type of memories with my teammates are always my favorite."

What do you love most about the city of New Orleans?
"When I think of New Orleans I always think of food, family, friends and fun! Growing up along the Gulf Coast, I always considered New Orleans as a second home. It will always hold a special place for my family and me."

What does being a Tulane fan mean to you?
"Now that I have children of my own, it reminds me of my childhood and going to games with my parents. I remember when we went to the Independence Bowl in 1987, my sister asked my dad why there was no roof on the stadium. We were all used to the Superdome! My son attended his first game in 2017 (a win against Houston) and I look forward to my children having the same found memories of Tulane games that I do."

How have you seen Tulane change in the years since you were a student-athlete?
"The biggest change to me is Yulman Stadium. A close second is getting into the American Athletic Conference. Those two moves have completely changed the trajectory of the program in my opinion. Having football on campus, being able to tailgate before games, seeing the students so involved, everything just fits with what big time football feels like. It's a lot of fun to go to games and feel the energy on campus."

What makes you proud to be a Tulanian?
"The positive reaction you get from people when you tell them you went to Tulane. Whether it's, 'That's a great school!' or 'How was it going to school in New Orleans? I bet that was fun!' or more recently 'Tulane is playing good football!,' saying you went to Tulane always garners a great reaction!"

What are you looking forward to most about this upcoming season?
"That we are playing! I'm really proud of the entire university and athletic department for how they've prioritized the safety of all our student-athletes while putting them in the best position to play. Not every school, or conference, has done that and in typical Tulane fashion, we've excelled in that regard. For on the field, I'll jump on the "Good to Great" bandwagon! Coach Willie Fritz has laid the foundation to build Tulane into the program it always had the potential to be. He's assembled a great staff, recruiting has been at levels not seen around Tulane in a long time and after back-to-back bowl wins, I believe this team is ready to take the next step and compete for a conference championship."

To learn more or make a gift to the Green Wave Club, visit GreenWaveClub.com.

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WE ARE NOLA BUILT

Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.

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Green Wave Club Donor of the Game: Nick Vlahos

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