Poultrygeist

There are 2-3 Notre Dame fan boys that are always pushing their Notre Dame propaganda along with the aid of another individual that claims Big12 allegiance. They have completely hijacked this board along with 3 or 4 others that claim VT allegiance. This has gone on day and day out as far back as I can remember at this point. There is very little legitimate conference realignment conversation. If you go through the logs of posts you will be able to confirm this. Please convert this board to a “subscribers only” access as soon as possible. Thank you.

State will be politically tied to UNC. The policies put in place by the NC State controlled UNC Board of Governors will prevent that from happening. Duke has too much money and is too big a basketball brand/power. I believe the SEC knows this and is prepared to take all 3. The exploding population and economic growth of North Carolina makes that an economic no brainer in my opinion. They will also take UVA who like Duke has a ton of money and relatively large athletic budget. UVA for all their inept futility has the money to compete if they decide they really want to. VT is not tied to UVA the way State is tied to Carolina from an administrative standpoint. We also lack the infrastructure, the aptitude, the budget or the will to seriously pursue any p2 inclusion which is why you hear absolutely nothing about this coming out of Burruss or Merryman/Jamerson. You don’t even hear any media speculation that includes VT. The only silver lining in any of this that when the 7 or 8 schools that want to compete at the highest level of collegiate athletics leave, thenVirginia Tech will be in a better competitive position with the schools that remain in the ACC both on the field and financially (assuming 2/3 of our fanbase doesn’t check out). ** Edited by Poultrygeist at 7/25/2025, 1:33:26 PM ** Edited by Poultrygeist at 7/25/2025, 1:35:03 PM ** Edited by Poultrygeist at 7/25/2025, 1:38:00 PM ** Edited by Poultrygeist at 7/25/2025, 1:39:04 PM

If you dig into what has leaked out concerning the likes of UNC, Clemson and Florida State you will find one common theme. They are doing a lot of background preparation, not only to be viable in the new college pay for play environment but they are preparing to leave the conference; commissioning studies, hiring consultants, etc. Unless Virginia Tech has some super secret background channels that cannot be accessed by freedom of information act by any news media then it is very apparent that Virginia Tech is doing absolutely nothing. In fact, everything they’ve done just to prepare for this upcoming year has been a slog. Just listening to Whit Babcock in one of his only recent interviews, it was apparently quite the struggle just to come up with the money to pay players this first year of the settlement. Whit Babcock has been running this athletic department like it was more of a G5 program than a power 4 program. They simply lack the infrastructure, the aptitude or the will to do much more than they’re doing right now which means they are not going to be a target of the power 2. And I don’t think the administration cares to be quite frankly, regardless of what the donor/fanbase thinks or wants. Perhaps it boils down to a simple funding problem that no one is willing or capable of fixing. I know it sucks, but that is what it is. You don’t hear a peep out of VT administration about any of this which is quite telling. ** Edited by Poultrygeist at 7/25/2025, 12:54:42 PM ** Edited by Poultrygeist at 7/25/2025, 12:57:49 PM ** Edited by Poultrygeist at 7/25/2025, 1:05:40 PM

Whit hopes the ACC officially falls back to G5 sooner than later so he doesn’t have to come up with the $20k to pay the players. ** Edited by Poultrygeist at 3/15/2025, 9:23:51 AM

increased over the years? Does VT have a cap on the numbers of students it can accept from out of state or a requirement on the percentage of in state students it must take? What is so attractive about Virginia Tech for the students from the northeast?

They have a lot of smaller givers that give consistently. We have numerous advantages over a school like Clemson. We greatly underperform based on those advantages. Our fan and donor base demographics are superior to those of Clemson. That is what weak and feckless leadership gets you. I have no idea why you want to argue against that point other than you enjoy playing the role of contrarian. Tech’s underachievement has been pointed out numerous times by Techsideline staff as well and national sports writers including Josh Pate on his show. He’s mentioned it several times. I hope you enjoy our G5 status. I for one will not.

viewership payout structure you will have a hard time explaining it with your out of date numbers you’re showing.

what is being done not what we might be hearing from our “sources”. You should be angry at how the VT administration has mismanaged VT’s athletic program and squandered and greatly under achieved our potential. And we’ve put up with it for 15+ years. I always like to compare Virginia Tech to Clemson. By every measure a peer institution. However, they are a smaller school, with a smaller living alumni population in a smaller and less affluent state whose graduates makes significantly less money on average than VT graduates. Yet their athletic budget and revenue is far more than ours and as a result they have been far more successful on the field and over many decades. The difference is they have a very competent administration that has a vision of excellence for its athletic programs and has cultivated excitement and giving with its donor base. As a result everyone involved has an expectation of winning and excellence. VT has every built in advantage I mentioned but has weak leadership and no vision. Yes we find ourselves exactly where we are. A mediocre G5 type athletic program in the worst of the P4 conferences. You have to ask yourself a question. Does Virginia Tech deserve better than it has coming to it? If we’re being honest with ourselves the answer is no. ** Edited by Poultrygeist at 3/4/2025, 9:18:14 AM ** Edited by Poultrygeist at 3/4/2025, 9:27:07 AM

Is exactly where we have been and will continue to be. We are not drawing higher TV ratings than most of the aforementioned programs (including Louisville) that will be wanted by the P2. That is complete fantasy. UVA’s athletic program has far better funding than ours. It is almost criminal how much VT has underachieved its potential. It gives me no pleasure to say it but it’s the hard truth. I wish things were different but it is the reality.

massive giving increase from our donor base to attempt to become competitive. (Something we’ve never done.) And we only get started after Whit leaves within 2 years and hopefully Sands retires whenever. Leaving us at most 3 years to start to get serious about things. Sorry but if your optimism is based on that then you will almost certainly be disappointed. Open your eyes and understand how this program is being run. Then compare it to the things being done at our peer institutions.

People aligned with NC State control the Board of Governors of the UNC System so your thoughts on them not are not based in reality. VT will not get bailed out by UVA or Virginia politicians this time.

They will almost certainly leave with UNC and NC State. We have no legally binding arrangement with UVA like State and Carolina have. Of the so called Mag 7, VT is by far the weakest program with some of the weakest leadership in D1. Georgia Tech is doing far more than VT to put themselves into a good position by 2029-2030. We are really a group of 5 program (and not a very good one) floundering around in the weakest of the P4 conferences. Unfortunately for us and Hokie nation, VT is going to get exactly what it deserves. We will be stuck in an eviscerated ACC with no options. Our administration simply has no desire or aptitude to do more than they are doing now. The fact that Whit is still our AD shows that our major donors are willing to tolerate what has been going on for many years. This is the hard truth. The sooner we all accept the reality of VT’s situation the sooner we all will have peace about it.

North Carolina. The bottom line is the Board of Governors of the UNC System is controlled by people with close ties to NC State. For UNC to move athletic conferences it would require approval from the UNC Chancellor, the UNC Board of trustees, and unanimous approval of the UNC Board of Governors and the system president. This was done to prevent UNC from acting unilaterally and leaving NC State behind. Wherever UNC goes State goes. Unfortunately VT and UVA don't have such a binding relationship. Yes there will be political pressure for both to go together but no legally binding arrangement. Unfortunately for VT, UVA has the bigger overall athletic brand and a log history with UNC. Of course VT having a poor and uninspired athletic administration and sucking for the better part of 15 years doesn't help us either. Enter Sandman will not get us to the P2.

and to create excitement thus cultivating giving and growing our donor base? Clemson a peer institution of ours does this very well. They are a smaller school with a less living alumni that make less money on average and in a smaller less affluent state. Yet they raise over 3 times the donor revenue than we do. That is on the VT athletic administration. That is on Whit. Do you think he is responsible for not knowing how far behind most of the power 5 we had fallen in football resources and facilities investment. Of course he is responsible. It’s his freaking job. Yet no one has held him accountable. Not Sands, not the board, not the high level donors and not the media. Where else can and AD of a major institution like VT get away with all of that and be allowed to hide from the public and not give interviews for 6-8 months at a time. Then stage a scripted interview with Bill Roth and go hide in his office again. Everyone that cares anything about Virginia Tech Athletics should be furious at the way the program has been mismanaged by Whit Babcock.

and company off the hook for continuing the mismanagement and not cultivating donor giving necessary for VT to remain relevant.

As far as conference affiliation we are currently in the best situation that we will ever be. We can’t even compete now in an ACC that is the worst in the P4.

want we deserve. If you think we deserve better I’d love to hear about it. We are no better than Wake BC or Syracuse and we will get payed like it now. It’s certainly more than what we could get in a diminished ACC if Clemson, FSU, UNC and Miami left because we aren’t going anywhere. No one what’s a problem that simply refuses to make the investments necessary to compete. We bring no value what so ever. Having a great entrance and nothing else doesn’t cut it. ** Edited by Poultrygeist at 1/31/2025, 12:10:08 PM ** Edited by Poultrygeist at 1/31/2025, 12:15:39 PM ** Edited by Poultrygeist at 1/31/2025, 2:19:25 PM

Do you somehow think we deserve better? No we don’t. That’s the hard truth. Why do you think Whit Babcock has been hiding from the general public and doesn’t give any interviews? He doesn’t want to have the difficult conversations that implicate his responsibility for mismanagement of the football program and his abysmal record of cultivating giving from our donor base. We are getting what we richly deserve. ** Edited by Poultrygeist at 1/31/2025, 2:14:51 PM

a few more years and therefore ESPN keeps paying the bottom feeders and under performing programs more money than we would make in a diminished ACC with the top programs leaving. However VT will most likely make less money than this past year. FSU Clemson Miami and UNC will be among the programs making the better money in the ACC as long as it holds together from what is being reported.

With much of it on Whit Babcock.

They are why we are where we are period. And apparently our donor base hasn't held anyone accountable. No where else have I ever heard of an AD that can hide from the public, grant no outside interviews and release a scripted softball interview with an internal employee of the university and get away with it. So we will get exactly what we deserve. What a shame to have squandered all of our potential. Being a G5 program suits most of the folks on Techsideline anyway.

UNC is a national brand with an elite athletic program in-spite of the football programs lack of sustained wining over the last 40+ years. They are making massive investments into the football program and they want out of the ACC. They will end up in the SEC and will bring NC State with them. Virginia Tech on the other hand will be stuck in a greatly diminished ACC with many of the small northern schools we escaped from in the Big East that that cant stomach competing in the top level of football. Unfortunately VT richly deserves what it has coming to it. Our athletic administration and Whit Babcock simply lacked the will or aptitude to put us in a favorable position for realignment opportunities. We can't be dysfunctional and completely suck for 15+ years underachieving our potential and expect anything else.

in the SEC if we are on a level playing field with budget/media payout. You must have been very unhappy during the height of Beamer’s tenure.

They are peer academic institutions that are huge rivals both academically and athletically. They have very close ties in medical and other academic research. “The oldest rivalry in the South” isn’t breaking up. The state political ties will also keep VT and State with the aforementioned. Thus you can expect all four will go together, most likely to the SEC.

VT will most likely end up in the SEC. Anything less than the Power 2 will be totally unacceptable. That is the same attitude and expectation you and all the rest on this board should have. I certainly hope the rest of the fanbase hasn’t degenerated to the level of expectation that many on here have.

The demise of VT started earlier Sands or Babcock, Stegar may not known the going ons. Weaver was sick ‘. Beamer let’s face it was fading . Especially recruiting I agree on this. No argument there. The decline accelerated under the new regime. They went with the status quo, rather than recognizing how far behind we were. Again there was too much comfort in the declining ACC. Babcock built up VT athletics because that’s his job. He also kept Beamer around because a legend is hard to say bye to. Agree. He hired FU before others did. Agree, but he held on to him a year longer than he should have. Why, because he didn’t have the money due to the fact that he had not cultivated culture of giving. He built facilities up because future conference alignment calls for it Disagree. He built up non-revs because they were largely non competitive which of course is his job. However it was done at the expense football as I mentioned, and with out sourcing and growing new revenue to support it. Sands? Ran the school as he is supposed to. Might missed few things but we are in good shape. Agree SEC? Lol the big mountain we possibly will have to climb. Agree, but it’s a mountain we must climb or else. Acc! Home The mag 7 better think this all Out ! Not following what you’re saying here. Maybe you can clarify. Most of what you said, doesn’t conflict with any of my post. I guess we disagree on the motivations maybe. ** Edited by Poultrygeist at 2/20/2024, 11:57:55 AM ** Edited by Poultrygeist at 2/20/2024, 12:03:41 PM

If the current conference realignment had advanced to this point back in 2010, 2011 time frame or before no one would probably question whether or not VT would be an expansion target particularly for the SEC. Our current president and AD have governed over the vast majority of the decline of VT football. They built up non rev/Olympic sports at the expense of the football program while doing nothing to improve the culture of giving back by fans and alumni. If not for the public disclosures of Fuente’s dalliance with Baylor of just how far behind VT was behind in football facilities and support infrastructures compared to our pier institutions in the power 5 we would not be seeing the level of investment and the urgency to improve that we currently see taking place. Tim Sands has done a fantastic job of raising VT’s academic profile. But I also believe up until the last couple of years or so he and by default Babcock were very comfortable with VT’s situation in the ACC. I believe they only now have the proper motivation to step it up highest levels due to extreme pressures exerted on them from high level VT donors and the outcry of core of the VT fanbase. This and the added political pressures being exerted on them now has them working to have VT a part of realignment behind the scenes. From everything I hear that is my educated speculation. I would not feel nearly as positive about VT chances if it were only up to Sands and Babcock. It’s only the outside pressures being exerted on them that is forcing the issue. Like I said before I think if it were up to them, they would be very happy in the current ACC or whatever is left of the ACC thank you very much. That’s my opinion.

Governors and the president of the UNC system used and the power they voted themselves. The language reads to review financials and its impact etc. It’s widely known here in the local media (and is talked about quite a bit on local sports radio) that this rule was implemented to directly prevent UNC from negotiating and voting on their own to leave. The politicians that run both states have significant connections, both directly and indirectly with both schools in each state. This entire event is happening in slow motion, and I know for a fact that NC State officials were so alarmed at the potential of UNC, leaving the ACC that they set this entire thing into motion through the governors office, who appoints the board of governors of the UNC system and its president. There is a tremendous amount riding on this for both major schools in each state. Like I said everyone’s out in front of this and it’s not gonna sneak up on anyone. ** Edited by Poultrygeist at 2/19/2024, 9:37:45 PM

most likely to the SEC.

UVA and Virginia Tech are indeed tied at the hip. It’s been well-known for some time that the politicians are way out in front of this and it’s not going to sneak up on anyone. Both schools have been given a directive that they cannot do anything that would leave the other in a compromised position (ie. Left in the ACC) and they are to work together for each schools interests. Many of the prominent politicians, including the governor and attorney general, have been quoted as saying they want both schools and the same conference. The same goes for NC State in UNC. The politicians in North Carolina have all but said the same thing. They even went one step further and codified it into the rules that govern both schools through the UNC system.