CoolJCPA

I was at the game last night and something struck me about the coaching box. What struck me is wondering what purpose does it serve. The GT coach was literally 2 feet from the mid court line during play and on the court several times during play. Mike Young does the exact same thing and is on the court and way out of the box. It seems to me the refs have decided that isn't something they want to enforce. Also, those at the game can attest that the dark haired ref probably called 80% of the fouls last night including the ghost foul that disqualified Tobi Lawal.

However, once you realize Mercedes and Lexus aren't making a truck, you learn to really love the Toyota. I have a feeling that will be true of Franklin as well. Also, if we have to get the F-10 Chesney model we will also be good.

I would say that Clemson is about as close to a blue blood as you can get without being in the SEC or BIG 10. They won their first football national championship in 1981 and then two more recently. Back when I was a freshman at VT in 1989, we were just amazed at all the fans that showed up from Clemson wearing orange and had school spirit. None of that existed at VT back then to that level. So I would be hard pressed to say that Clemson isn't playing at a different level than VT. We need to worry more about Georgia Tech and NC State passing us at the moment than even getting close to Clemson.

Paul Finebaum had a segment on this yesterday and noting how many stud athletes in HS are not even getting recruited anymore. As schools with limited budgets are trying to fill needs via the portal. This is where schools like JMU and Liberty could really shine and get some good young players out of HS for a couple of years before they move on to bigger schools. Heck an argument could be made that VT might also benefit from some HS kids as well. I had a friend whose son was set to go to a school and pitch and they pulled his scholarship at the last minute to give to a kid in the portal.

I am with your thoughts and truly have quit caring if VT goes 8-4, 9-3, 6-6, or 5-7. Yeah, it's more fun if they win, but there is still something about a cool Blacksburg morning in the fall with a tail gate and all our friends and children who are current VT students coming to hang out with you for the day. I think as I have gotten older, I take more joy in that than the actual game. Yeah, I miss the days of being in college in Blacksburg watching the Saturday morning football show on CNN or whatever it was well before game day in 1989. But the landscape has changed so much, I have learned to enjoy that which I can control and just enjoy the game for what it is, a game.

Might as well just get the band back together. ** Edited by CoolJCPA at 2/5/2025, 3:26:27 PM

This gives 100% validity to Jim Phillip's idea that the regular season winner skip the championship game. This makes the ACC championship game of 2 vs 3 a play-in game. That might actually garner a little more excitement for a fan base thinking they may be able to win in a matchup of 2 vs 3. I'm not saying I like it all, it just makes you think JP is just taking the scraps and smiling right now.

That is what is baffling to me. You are in a premiere school that will set you up for life and you leave mid-way through. I see there are also some IVY league players in the portal, but most of them have graduated and will just head down to Charlottesville to get an MBA and play for the HOOS.

I have two of my children who are current students at VT and another who is a recent graduate. The sports programs were a vital component of their college experience.

Completely higher caliber of student is attracted to the school, which took off when VT found football success. When I started VT in 1989 it was fairly easy to gain admission. Now, its extremely competitive to get into the school. In fact, in 1989 JMU was much harder to get into than VT, but that has done a 180. You can't say there isn't a direct correlation between the two.

So, if the portal closes on December 28, could a team, such as the Hokies, that have a bowl on January 3 use that player if they have enrolled in spring '25 classes at the university. That would be a great way to get someone acclimated to the team early on. I mean their reps would be limited, but they could possibly get some action to help as they go into the spring.

Although we are losing some good players, we are also losing some players that probably wouldn't see the field next year. We need to just let this thing play out because you don't know what we are going to get via the portal. Who would have thought this time last year we would have landed the ACC defensive player of the year the previous year from Duke. Needless to say, everyone needs to enjoy the Christmas season and realize it's probably all going to work out. However, it also doesn't change the fact we need to look at changes to our defensive coordinator position.

Best of luck in retirement.

That guys entire body was past the line and they did a review and said there wasn't enough to over turn it. I was glad they made the FG because I was afraid that was going to cost NIU the upset bid.

That beating was so bad I was worried that I lost some value on my home as we live in the HV school district.

I can see where schools will have football, men's basketball, and maybe baseball and women's basketball, softball, and soccer. The rest will be club sports, which you already have at many schools.

They are the first team to ever be 17th in the ACC football standings

The Big 12 cheerleaders fail to realize that they have no baseline without the bell cows of Texas and OU. It's not a terrible conference by any stretch, but it's no better than a parallel move at best to an ACC without FSU or Clemson. ** Edited by CoolJCPA at 8/2/2024, 1:51:21 PM

One of the main drivers of PE is to infuse cash into a business entity and get it operating more efficiently and do things it couldn't without the funds. Here's the big rub, in most cases the businesses will end up making less money in the short term while the PE recoups some of their investment. The business then makes money in theory 5 years down the road when it is sold. Ask yourself, what is the market for a college sports conference. The answer, no one really knows, other than current TV contracts. Also, who is going to get that money the business (conference) or PE, when it is packaged and sold. Rest assured, the PE firms wouldn't do this for philanthropic reasons. This is a huge gamble and could be a stroke of genius or a colossal failure. The other problem is, college sports is a house built on sand right now. Who even knows what it may look like in 5 years and that big pay day you are hoping for may never come.

There is no way Missouri would leave the $EC to go to the Big XII. I could see them wanting to be in the Big 10, but the Big XII would be career suicide for anyone approving such a move.

Does anyone else think this will ever end? Today we are talking about NIL and pay for play being equitable under the rules of Title IX. I could see a scenario where schools end up just fielding a men's football team, men's basketball, and maybe men's baseball. Then add in about 4 women's sports and call it a day. There will only be club wrestling, soccer, swimming, track, etc. for men.

They don't need any more private schools. Having Vanderbilt is plenty for the SEC. As far as overall sports UVA just came in 5th place in the Director's cup standings for all sports, while Duke was 17th. Both good, but UVA gives the SEC another state that would touch North Carolina assuming UNC gets in as well. Our Hokies came in 50th in the same Director's cup standings.

I think you are correct on this year being huge for VT. However, think about the $EC for example. They are without question the best football conference, top to bottom. They don't need to get better at football, so why add more football schools. They are on the fringe of being one of the top 2 basketball conferences. Adding UVA to that mix would give them a recent national championship team and boost that basketball narrative. It would also give them a national championship baseball team. Unfortunately, I think that is the main driver. Put yourself in this spot, assuming the $EC didn't have Ole Miss or Mississippi State in its conference. All other 49 states were looking on at what the SEC would do. Although Mississippi State has a much more passionate fan base, the vast majority of the 49 states would say pick Ole Miss because they are the flagship school of the state. I think we have some of that going on with UVA as compared to VT. Meanwhile, you have a conference like the Big XII who doesn't care about all the other things, but wants to create excitement and a buzz around football primarily since they already have one of the best basketball conferences. VT fits their model perfectly.

I agree with your assessment that athletics should serve to enhance the overall student experience at a school. It's a bond for students and alumni and you can do that with a stadium having a capacity of 3k at Washington and Lee or Tennessee's 100k+. It definitely serves to add enjoyment to college. I despise what has become of college football and look forward to watching Roanoke College this year start their first season and then officially join the ODAC next year. However, there is no arguing that VT's academics took off when the football team rose in prominence. If you take the average student that came to VT in the mid to late 80s and compare them to the students arriving today, they are a completely different caliber. Back in 1989 when I rolled onto campus, you could get in with a 2.7 GPA. That would be laughed at today. We actually have students choosing VT over UVA now in fields other than engineering. Maybe it's a coincidence, but I would argue the two go hand in hand. Oh and the Towns of Christiansburg and Blacksburg and Montgomery County have benefited greatly from athletics as well. The only way we will be able to tell is if VT drops into an "academic ACC" and see how that affects enrollment and caliber of the students we get. I hope it has no effect, but only time will tell. ** Edited by CoolJCPA at 6/25/2024, 5:16:47 PM

This would actually be a lot of fun. Have relegation like soccer in your own league. The bottom two drop each year and top two in lower league rise up. Do a 75% vs 25% revenue split. That way the schools like BC who don't want to invest in football can still get rewarded and play competitive football with like minded schools. Can you imagine how much interest there would be in a league where the final regular season game between Duke and UNC has $20 Million on the line for the winner based on upper vs bottom tier payouts.

GT gives them Atlanta and more of a footprint in the southeast. UNC is clearly the biggest get because of name and academics behind FSU and Clemson. UVA is more akin to UNC and a natural match and it colors in the map of contiguous states. Miami is just bonus to round it out unless ND joins.

The idea that this was about fans, regionalism, etc. is long gone. This is about the $. This deal makes more financial sense for the BIG to take FSU and Clemson. Then grab Miami and UNC, and then possibly GT and UVA. Both Miami and GT are in easy cities to travel to for a large national conference. Their academics are very good, etc. There is no package of teams the SEC could put together that would match that group. As VT fans we can just hope at that time, VT and NC State get a seat at the SEC table because they would definitely be the prettiest girls left at the dance. Also, I see no scenario where FSU leaves the ACC to go into the Big 12 for a temporary fix. That would not go over well with their fanbase.

It sure seems like they are intent at ticking off the ACC and ESPN, which is in bed with the $EC. To me, they could be involved in one of the better slight of hand tactics of all time to take focus off of potential $EC move if that were the case. However, in my opinion they are laying their cards on the table and saying it's BIG or bust. Both FSU and Clemson would take their recruiting to an even more national level with the BIG as they go coast to coast, and unlike the new ACC get paid a heck of a lot more money to expand that recruiting footprint. The $EC would just be one more feeder in the region. Also, from the $EC point a view they would take FSU and Clemson from purely a strategic move to keep the BIG out. And if that were the case, the BIG could look to UNC, UVA, or Miami to get into southern markets.

I have been a VT fan my entire life, attended the school, Wife is a graduate, one kid is a graduate, and currently have two students there. I love sports, but in good conscious cannot understand why I would want to contribute money to make sure Sally or Steve will come and shoot basketball for my school for one year. Next year we do it all again and throw money and hope Bill and Tina will come shoot hoops for VT. But the question is WHY? In what world is that logical. You can give money to the SPCA, church, wounded warriors, etc. to actually help someone or something. How does throwing money at NIL make any sense? Your name is not going to be on the trophy, etc. It simply makes no logical sense. Your team may win a game or two and you can brag, but seriously who cares. I think my sentiment is consistent with a lot of fans who were once die-hards, but have moved on to pro-sports or D-3. At least with those you know what the rules are and they are somewhat consistent and enforced in a league like the NFL.

This is a fascinating watch. The attorney has established a very strong case to challenge the Grant of Rights. They are going at the GOR, from breech of contract, antitrust, breech of fiduciary duty, and egregious penalties. They are filing the complaint today. ** Edited by CoolJCPA at 12/22/2023, 10:28:29 AM

We now have Ultimate Irish ads. Hopefully the Sham-wow will be next weeks main sponsor

As a life long Hokie, former student, dad to 3 Hokie students, husband to a Hokie alumni wife, I think this is exactly where we are headed. UVA is kind of the wild card, but they bring a ton of academic street cred as well as a an endowment that is one of the tops in the country. If they got them a coach and recruited well, they could probably be successful in the BIG10 football. There is no way they want to be in the cess-pool of the $EC. I do think when all is said and done, we end up in some mash up of ACC/BIG 12 and have solid rivalries with NC State and WVU. Heck, we may even get to play NC State more than we have recently. It could be fun and enjoyable. I guess i am a realist and think that we will never devote the resources to keep up with the Tennessee’s and Georgia’s of the world. And I am sure I am in the minority, but that’s ok with me. I’m so old I remember back when Bruce Smith played at VT, they had rec football day and church day, where large groups of people could get in the stadium for like $10 a ticket. And the place was still only 60% full. So even as bad as we stink now, compared to where we have been this feels like the big time, even if we may end up competing to be the tallest midget.

I get it, football is floundering right now and he has made two questionable hires. However, at the time Fuente was one of the top "hot" candidates. That one was simply a swing and miss. Pry on the other hand was a reach and only time will tell, but the optics are not looking great. I also get that football drives the bus, but we compete in a bunch of other sports. Virtually every other sport, not named football, is better under Whit than it ever has been at VT. So, are we happy that we are much better and can actually enjoy watching other VT sports for the other part of the year, knowing they will be competitive, or just in a funk because football is "everything" and we happen to look more like the Washington Generals now rather than the 85 Bears.