ftsumterhokie

I am slowly extracting myself from donating until things change. I am still waiting for someone to call me concerning how to get on the waiting list for a luxury box. It’s been 4 years. I gave up season tickets to men’s and women’s basketball for next year. Until there is some transparency and donors get treated like a shareholder instead of a necessary evil I’ll continue to pull back. We need a rabid dog in charge of athletic fundraising and someone who goes out of his way to make donors feel like they are a part of the team and are appreciated. Again, stop sending me socks and stickers for my refrigerator! Instead tell me what is needed, what’s the plan, what are the financials? I’ll gladly help! Open the books…..

There were a BUNCH of Hokies there for that game. It happened right down in front of the Hokie section. Playful at first and quickly escalated. Hokiebird definitely threw some serious blows before and after the bird heads came off. They were both escorted out by the police headless if I recall correctly. I’m pretty sure I am right…. It was a long time ago…

Kansas State is every bit as loud, hungry, and supportive as VT. I watched their girls play Baylor the other night and that place was "rocking". Very similar school with great fans in a conference that does not appreciate what that brings to the table. Unfortunately it is all about the Dollars. I'd love to have a football series with K-State. In fact, I'd like to be in a conference with K-State and a few others vice the lame group we currently allow into Blacksburg...

I have been complaining about this all year. Zero weakside help on the drives.

VT Athletic Dept and Hokie Club are the second worst organizations I have ever interacted with. Number 1? Hughesnet satellite internet service. They were slightly more frustrating than VT. I feel so sorry for our coaches. The untapped resources out there just waiting for contact must be substantial. The Corps of Cadets does a 1000% better job of finding alumni with resources. It makes me wonder just what the hell is going on with our AD?

Watched them play the other day. On par with VT.... Although I think we'd win a head to head matchup... On the other hand, if Harvard had to play an ACC schedule they'd be in the fetal position asking for mommy....

Regarding Texas and Kentucky... Lots of empty seats for a top 10 matchup. They were also bailing out early on their ladies.. Wait until they lose most of their next games... Hopefully they host and we are paired up in Lexington (if we make the tourney). At least we know there will be plenty of tickets available especially when Kentucky plays.... Unlike Cassell.

Make it "ROCK" for the last 2 games. Coach Duffy has still not experienced the true "weapon" our beloved arena can be. There are documented cases of ear damage from being inside Cassell when it really gets going. I know because I dated one such case back in the 80s. Although I admit those were different times... We as a fan base absolutely refused to let our teams lose back then. Thrown "Maul Memphis" cards comes to mind.....

The holding is atrocious. Not only that but the automatic calls for anyone trudging downhill to the basket "mowing" down defenders along the way is getting tiresome. It has become a strategy now used to foul out the other team's bigs. Every time someone bulls their way to the basket and misses a shot it's a foul. Usually bodies laying everywhere. It's hurting the game. Kenny Brooks pointed this out multiple times when he was at VT. I'm not *****ing about fouls called or not called on VT. I just think not enough time and effort has been put in to making sure the women's game has as well trained and qualified referees as the men's side. Kind of like the difference between the workout facilities for the men's vs women's teams at the olympics. It's that stark of a difference to my eyes...

1. Women's college basketball referees are the worst refs in all of sports. 2. Our girls fought hard and damn near pulled it out. 3. Often I see zero help from the weak side when someone drives to the bucket. That last drive to the bucket by Carolina I was screaming "Help out". But to no avail.... 4. We will be lucky to hold on to Coach Duffy. She has done a hell of a job holding this thing together and molding it into a winning program.

In Atlanta airport. Really nice group. Headed to another tourney in Mexico. Had good things to say about the Hokies and were impressed with our fan turnout in Charleston.

Wildly overinflated across the board. Got a little inside info today about Miami’s NIL. We can definitely compete. I think we can keep all 4 we need to keep. Whit turns his back on Mike Young this year and I for one am gone…. For good.

Every time we got close they made a shot. They were in the zone even when we played a zone..... Move On...

Apparently all the athletic dept cares is that seats are "sold" not "sat in".

Been attending VT basketball games since 1982. These are the smallest crowds I've EVER seen at mens bball games. It aint like we've been world beaters and constant favorites in the past.... Something's off. Population has nearly doubled in NRV and we are playing in the ACC and can't put 4000 warm bodies in Cassell.

WHY? It was a sold out game. I would be very interested in your thoughts. Please don't give me the old "it was a Wednesday night and it might sprinkle baloney". Or, "well it was dark outside". Something is wrong. Let's figure it out on here.....

My wife cannot wait to see the next ridiculous object VT feels the need to send me when the package shows up in our mailbox. She gets a hell of a kick out of it then shakes her head at my continued support.... I too am about to clean out my closet and outfit the entire homeless population of Charleston with shirts, bandanas, tiny pennants, driving gloves, shoestrings, socks, etc etc.... I wonder if our athletic dept has EVER traveled to other venues around the country to look for things/ways to benchmark? I seriously doubt it. I just read on ESPN that BYU's basketball coach asked to be given an audience with the top potential donors BYU could identify and bring together. I believe there was a net worth of 5 or 10 billion overall in the room for his pitch. The result? BYU just signed the top basketball player in the country. His NIL? 8.5 million. This is at one of the most conservative and religious Universities in the country. Have Mike Young or Brent Pry been given that opportunity? Do we even think like this? My interactions with the Ath dept say no... Why do I know his NIL amount at BYU but not Drones'?

I would say there may have been some other factors at play. I don't call a million bucks a year in Columbus vs $875,000 in the NRV a raise. He was the offensive line coach at Maryland and Fordham. Leaving a job where you are the OC to go back to being an O-Line Coach again despite it being OSU does not look great on a resume in my opinion. But, that's just me......

The entire State of Ohio is moving to South Carolina because of the weather, the crime, and the cost of living including taxes. That extra 125,000 he is making in Columbus is a pay cut and a quality of life cut. Surprising to me..... It HAS to be something else.... IMHO

Let's offer ACC membership to Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, and Oklahoma State.

Personally I don't care as much about the W's as I do the overall experience. But, I have never experienced an entity that asks for money then "stiffarms" the giver worse than VT. I am the dreaded "enemy" and so are you. The people they need to 'give money' who actually question the nature in which the 'giviing' is being used... To the chairbacks I would add laptop stickers, refrigerator magnets, bandanas, and socks.... Just a few of the things that have ended up in my mailbox for being a platinum giver. I don't want these things! I'm not 15! If I want a sticker I'll buy one. Who is authorizing these expenditures and at the same time removing $$ from men's basketball? I had those indoor club tickets one year. Here is what an indoor club seat holder should have: 1. Windows that can be opened to experience the game. 2. Stat sheets at the end of each quarter 3. Dedicated food and drink servers for each section. 4. TVs at the front to watch the game on if desired as these seats are waaaay up there. 5. A club manager or member of the athletic department in the club thanking people for coming and meeting and socializing with those giving so much... 6. TVs in the back devoted to other games so people can check in on those. 7. An overall vibe of friendliness and welcoming. These are minimums!!!! The snipey-ness starts in the elevator and does not end until you are back in the parking lot. You get none of the above. I may be wrong about the TVs tuned to other games. But, all of us up there agreed it wasn't even close to worth it.

I believe we have alumni out there that would fund the entire NIL for the women's team per year as appropriate if given that opportunity. Right now it is the most "likable" program. That we apparently blew so much on a certain football player that spent most of the season watching others play his position makes me not want to give another penny over there. Right now I trust 2 people "within": Coach Young and Coach Duffy. I want them to have the tools necessary for success. But, I need to see that my money is going through the coaches to the players. Our ADpt needs to come out of hiding and embrace the new normal or we are going to get even more left behind. We can do this.....

Anyone who wants 2 Free tickets to the Women's games please let me know. My family in Roanoke isn't stepping up this year and I want fannies in those seats. Reserve seats....

Appreciate the posts regarding targeted NIL. I was not aware. Will call Evan Monday...

Maybe I am part of the problem but I once called the Athletic Department to see how I could give individual players on the WBB team money using NIL. You’d of thought I brought a Koran to a Bible study class…. They got rid of me so fast for even asking the question it was comical. I’m supposed to trust our collectives I guess to put $$ to player as needed. I just don’t trust what is not transparent. I think each sport should have its own collective. I’d give to individual sports NILs in a heartbeat. If any of you think NIL money isn’t going directly from donor to player at these other schools you are in La La Land….

I did not say they don't care. I said they don't want to have to deal with it. SEC schools have hired paid professional NIL staffs... Given them office space on campus... Generated tens of millions of dollars for NIL... We have a generous donor who is unselfishly giving his time to this effort while wearing 3 or 4 other hats... Guy is a dang hero if you ask me and I am now giving to NIL based solely on his interview. But! We are not NIL competitive when it comes to the 2 big conference members and even some in our own conference. We'll be lucky to pull off the revenue sharing next year and still break even. We are going to have to find a way to be competitive without the "Big Money". I think it is going to boil down to coaching and finding players in the portal who are or have been "overlooked". And I think that boils down to 7 and 8 win seasons for football and the occasional tourney for our men's bball. Pretty much right where we have always resided athletically.

I won't name the school but I have a good friend who occasionally does booth work for the radio broadcasts of a certain SEC school's football games. About 6 months ago I asked him how this particular school handled NIL. He informed me they not only have a facility on campus dedicated to NIL but hired a full time staff to collect, evaluate, and distribute NIL... They are "All in". I suspect it is that way at every SEC school to some degree other than maybe Mississippi State. We are going to have to find a way to create an NIL package that includes something in addition to money that entices a player to want to come to VT. We will never be able to compete with those deep SEC pockets if it's just about the dollars...

I don't think Whit and company deep down want anything to do with NIL. I think it doesn't jive real well with our corporate culture. It feels dirty. it's getting abused by other schools willing to get in the gutter with it. It goes against any prior belief that education comes first Or that kids are trading athletic skill for the opportunity to get a quality degree from a great institution... I could be totally wrong but my gut feeling is they are waiting for some external event to occur that saves us from having to participate in this current system. Meanwhile our athletic programs will flail until the system collapses or someone at VT takes the NIL bull by the horns and jumps into the mud with everyone else.......

I worked at Advance in between my college years at VT when the Taubmans owned it. Great people and a great place to work. Did not know they had left the Roanoke area...

Time to visit Carillion and Advance Auto Parts (if still in Roanoke) and offer them full naming and sponsorship rights. Allow them to contribute directly to our NIL in exchange for the naming of the "Carillion School of Engineering" and the "Advance Auto Parts Stadium at Worsham Field on Beamer Way." Carillion across the front of the Jerseys and PDQ on the helmets. If the "soul" of college football has been sold then time to sell everything. "Shelor Motor Mile" Coliseum. Has a real nice ring to it....

There are a lot of people making serious coin off VT athletics. In this era of NIL I don't think the businesses that thrive in the NRV due to the school's athletic draw should be ignored. They have the biggest stake of all and need to pony up. Time for Whit to start knocking on some doors. Else the NRV can go back to the Addison Caldwell days when the only place to get a coffee and a donut was Mr. Fooz...

I think season tickets "reserved seating" should have been from baseline to baseline and up to the rafters. Change the price level at the openings. $180/seat? below the openings, $120/seat? above the openings to the top. Corner and behind the basket sell as many GA season tickets you can $80/seat? minus the student/band section. After tip students should be let in free and can sit in any open seat unless game is near or at a sellout.

The goal supposedly was more fannies in the seats during the T=Giving and X-Mas break. These are the smallest crowds I have ever seen in Cassell. Well done fellas... If you want fannies in seats, open the doors at the end of the first quarter and let students in with an ID for free. At least you might make some revenue off food and merch and we would not look as idiotic as we do right now. I'm a season ticket holder and I have had tickets to only the Pitt game so far. Unless of course I want to pay a little more. By the way, I don't live anywhere near Blacksburg and make only 1 or 2 games a year. My tickets are always available for free. Men's or Women's. If you want to get on the list get in touch... My family members are getting bored with free VT tickets apparently

We apparently have thousands of donors who give 25 dollars a year. I would rather see Whit focus on bringing more people on board and raising that minimum donation to 100 dollars. I know it is difficult to ask for $$ but we have a lot of alumni and non alum supporters who have big loud opinions and have never donated a dollar to VT sports. Allow people to have 9$ removed from their checking accounts every month and I promise they will never miss it…..

1. I talked to athletic department person and he told me the school is not and has no plan to be a part of the NIL program for VT. 2. You cannot direct your payment through the NIL collectives to an individual player or players as far as I know. This could have recently changed. How nice would it be if we could actually choose which players get our donations? I know that would open up a huge can of worms but right now I only want to give to WBB and Wrestling. I don't see a means to do that other than through standard Hokie Club donations. And who knows what is really happening there....

So you think the past system where schools were handing kids and parents bags of money under the table was better? At least now it's no secret! I agree the sport has changed and some will walk away forever but I don't mind a kid getting paid for their abilities or the value they bring to a program. Hell half my fraternity was working for NASA or some other organization when they were students... I think this will evolve and "shake itself out". One thing I am hearing though that is very troubling is that some individuals are demanding pay bumps during the season based on how well they played in a given game or how badly they are needed. If they don't get it they are refusing to play. Essentially they are holding coaching staffs hostage right before the big game. "Pay me more or I aint playing Saturday." I sure hope this is not happening with our program. : )

Whit is pleased with and content with how the NIL process at Virginia Tech is working. I think I read in there he wants more transparency in the future but likes how the collectives are operating. I sure would like to see some numbers...

Got some "ask" from our Athletic Department the other day in the mail and decided to call the number. I asked if VT was ever going to establish an NIL-devoted department to help fans and alum contribute directly to NIL without the 3rd party? "NO" was the answer. Everything will be done in the future by Triumph and The Hokie Way collectives with zero transparency. Again, who would give to those 2 orgs without getting any kind of breakdown on how the $$ is spent? Is anyone giving to one of the collectives that is getting that type of info? Or is giving and is comfortable that the $$ is being well spent?? Curious....

Coach how much NIL do we need to put together to field a team that can make a deep run in the Tourney? Year in and year out? Let's fund it and support the heck out of this program..

Ever tried to get a room in Blacksburg for a game? 3 night stay minimum, Prices through the roof, etc etc... Only place that does not do that within an hour of Lane Stadium is the Pine Tavern Lodge in Floyd. Great People too but Good luck getting in there. How about a tax on all food, beverages, lodging, parking, etc etc in Montgomery County that goes directly to the school for NIL. Put some of that "greed" to good use... Make it small but come on.. These entities are profiting heavily from VT football games...

The Key to avoiding violent crime is don't make eye contact and always pretend you are on the phone. This can also be useful at work depending on type of job....

I have been clamboring for this move by VT for 2 years amongst my buddies and everyone thought I was nuts. Definitely needed by those looking to compete in an NIL-driven world. Well done Stanford.

NIL at Lane: Every person coming to lane stadium drop 20 dollars in the barrels outside of your entrance gate to be used for NIL purposes. Try to do it for every game. How much over the course of a season would that bring in for NIL? Somewhere in the neighborhood of 1 to 6 million a year would be my guess... Target a different sport each game. Announce the amounts at halftime instead of watching guys eat turkey legs.... I'd drop in a 20 every game...

We have GOT to think outside the box to stay competitive. VT is at a competitive disadvantage in so many areas. Think about our airport. Expansion at BBurg airport is done. It is too small. Roanoke's runways are too short to accommodate a full B757 or 767 say full of University of Iowa Football players, cheerleaders, band, coaches, etc etc... In addition Roanoke is a handful to get in and out of and requires a special qualification. Throw in the mountains and a little wintry mix???? Greensboro is easy peasy but requires a 2 hour bus ride to get to Blacksburg. Logistically speaking what a pain in the arse to get your program to Blacksburg to play a football game. What SEC or BIG 10 team wants to do that? We need a minimum of 7000 to 8000 feet of pavement somewhere close... I heard ROA is expanding one of its runways. Let's hope it is somewhere in that range of length... Just one of our many challenges that I'll bet no-one thinks about... I like my NIL plan and admittedly don't think the no scholarship above 250,000 is realistic but if I were in charge I wouldn't be looking at what Texas and Ohio State are doing I'd be benchmarking from places like BYU, Utah, and the like... Here's another "outside the box" idea. Spend way more on offensive and defensive linemen, than receivers and quarterbacks. Bring in some rockstar running backs. If we can pick up just 4 yards per carry with the best O-line in the ACC who is going to beat us? That kind of line would make Schlee look like Dan Marino. I don't want circus catches and one handed grabs. I just want people who can catch. More Danny Coles and Bayshul Tutens with a world-class offensive and defensive line. We can't afford flash at VT. We need to be smarter...

We have 25,000 donors. Ask the top 10,000 to divert 1000 dollars a year from the money they give to the scholarship fund into a non-football NIL. Give 5 million to the men's team and let MY spread it out. Give 2.5 to the women's team and let MD spread that out. Break the rest (2.5 million) up amongst those olympic sports programs deemed successful. Wrestling, women's soccer, softball, track and field? Then make it policy that anyone making above 250,000 a year in NIL has to pay their own way through school. Allow the donors to be treated like the shareholders that we are. I want a meeting at the end of the year with the AD in Cassell Coliseum and I want a financial break down of where the NIL money was best spent, poorly spent, and where we will do better the following year. This takes some pressure off the scholarship fund, doesn't force any more giving by alumni, would give us success (maybe a constant tourney presence) in both men's and women's bball programs, and provide incentive for our olympic sports to be successful. These kids might think twice about entering the portal if they were paying for their own academic courses with their own money. Also, make NIL part of the ridiculous "points" system that our ungodly outdated Hokie Club uses to award seats and parking passes. Hell let's put Will Stewart in charge of this NIL. I trust HokieCentral more than the Hokie Club.... In the words of the Great Billy Beane, "Adapt or Die".

They are making it rocket science. Show me how I can give to a particular athlete or a particular sport and show me the breakdown of where the money goes and I will gladly give to NIL. But, don't expect me to give to a "Black Hole"... Forcing me to guess if my money even reaches an athlete's pocket....

Why not approach the town of Blacksburg or Christiansburg to partner up and build a new multi-purpose arena that can be shared to house some of our olympic sports. Let's give the wrestling program, women's bball program, and VT's newest D-1 sport Hockey (I wish..) a new smaller scale arena that can be used by local High Schools for basketball and the general public for ice skating year round. It could provide a smaller venue for concerts and other programs as well. Something akin to the Arena Kentucky's women's team plays in. Bigger drawing events like VT vs Notre Dame women, Duke, etc.. could still be played at the Cassell but wouldn't a new 7500 seat arena be a nice addition with a few luxury boxes thrown in and some reasonable parking? And I think VT fans would adopt a hockey program in a New York minute. Heck when I went there a good portion of the students were from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland. We partnered with Christiansburg for the Aquatics Center, why not a new smaller scale arena? Maybe J Pearson has one more building left in him at VT.... : )

This all seems like 1 big conflict of interest to me. The Athletic Department is begging for my money and wants it in the Scholarship Fund. The NIL collectives want my money to fund NIL. Where is my money better spent? NIL or Scollies??? Are players like Drones who according to "insiders" are receiving 1 million a year in NIL still getting full scholarships? Why in God's name am I contributing to the scholarships of people who make more than I do??? Here's where I stand: I'd rather put $10,000 dollars in a paper sack and hand it to that female Pole Vaulter who has done waaaay more representing VT as an athlete than most other athletes ever will in exchange for a "signed pole" than play this ridiculous game much longer... How much do the 9 members of that collective pocket before handing it over to the athletes? That at least ought to be public knowledge....