VT and the ESPN Effect
If VT joined the SEC......
VT would start getting biased coverage from every ESPN announcer when playing non-SEC teams.
VT would start making more money from its ESPN deal per year.
VT stories would start showing up on the ESPN sites / Magazines
VT recruiting would improve because we could offer kids the chance to play in the mighty (after years of ESPN Hype) SEC
VT ESPN coverage would start getting A-List talking heads for Marquee games and would suddenly seem relevant again.
VT (especially if we were only ESecPN Hyped school in Virginia) would start landing higher percentages of instate recruits.
Due to additional funding, VT Facilities would start improving above and beyond where they are.
VT would be hyped in media discussions with talking heads.
VT ticket sales would go up due to interesting matchups.
The list goes on and on.
ESPN is the only game in town. If ESPN is not financially backing you, you simply don't exist in their
Enormous Hype Machine. Also, This ESPN Effect is for all sports, NOT just football!!
It's the reason ACC basketball is dropping, It's the reason SEC is rising in basketball.
It's the reason there were two SEC teams in final four of women's basketball.
It's also the reason VT get's almost zero interesting articles on ESPN currently.
It's the reason VT gets the worst ESPN TV coverage with bad audio.
(You guys think that just happens? it's calculated, planned, and executed by espn crews)
Go Hokies!
** Edited by jonnyhawk at 5/17/2023, 7:28:22 AM
28 Replies
3y
Have 2 conferences in the country, break into regional divisions like the NFL. Have ONE media rights contract that's shared across the field.
(In response to this post by jonnyhawk)
3y
for some years now. Seems like no one is aware. Here's a snippert:
Under the Commission’s proposal, Division I membership in all sports except FBS football would remain the same, and all schools currently classified in the FBS would remain full NCAA Division I members in sports other than football.
At the same time, the Commission’s restructuring proposal would provide a reset opportunity for FBS programs that can no longer afford to compete at the highest level of college football and would prefer to affiliate with the NCAA, instead of the new FBS football organization. In the Commission’s survey, three in five FBS leaders acknowledged that they spend too much on FBS football “to keep up” with other schools.
(In response to this post by Techsupport)
3y
I think you'd see support and attendance dry-up pretty quick, and you'd never see a sold out stadium again.
(In response to this post by 40ozDistrict)
3y
get back into the NCAA version and pretty much ignore the NCFA league. It could go opposite of what you are saying. If 25 - 35 schools are in the NCFA and the rest of FBS in the NCAA version I'm definitely on board with VT in the new NCAA version.
(In response to this post by Techsupport)
It's going to happen. Just a matter of when.
(In response to this post by Techsupport)
3y
(In response to this post by jonnyhawk)
3y
If Tech is going to be a semi-doormat or mediocre middle of the pack team in a conference, they might as well be getting paid more $$ for it
** Edited by MaryWashGrad at 5/17/2023, 2:09:55 PM
(In response to this post by marcbvtgm)
3y
More money in the SEC - even a lot more - will be 1 step forward, one or two steps back. Now that may be necessary (probably in fact) to survive, but moving to the SEC will not make VT any more relevant - and quite possibly less relevant.
(In response to this post by MaryWashGrad)
Other than the Big 10 and SEC, that's the way it's headed
Those two eventually will have college football on lock down.
(In response to this post by marcbvtgm)
3y
If we don't get to p2. We will struggle a couple of years but eventually you hire coaches with experience and reputation. That plus better player pay, facilities and recruiting staff gets talent back to where you land a top qb and off you go. S Carolina had a great year - we should be so fortunate.
(In response to this post by marcbvtgm)
3y
The last 2 times we played them at their 30K stadium, we lost.
We are a bottom feeder in a conference that is sinking like the Titanic.
Beyond our fan base, we have no leverage, except what our politicians can supply.
The big elephant in the room that no one seems to be addressing directly is that we are in an arms race we can not possibly win unless we get our 250K living alumni to pony up big time. Good luck with that.
I said 3 years ago that we should go to the Ivy League model and just have real student athletes, because we can not win this arms race.
This entire conference realignment, M7 looking at their options, is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
Hey, I should get some credit for managing to get two Titanic metaphors into one post. 😎
** Edited by VPI63 at 5/17/2023, 2:38:32 PM
** Edited by VPI63 at 5/17/2023, 2:40:50 PM
(In response to this post by HokieKick`nBack)
3y
(In response to this post by VPI63)
3y
(In response to this post by marcbvtgm)
3y
And if there was ever fanbase whose arrogant self-delusion has resulted in perpetual mediocrity, it's South Carolina's.
** Edited by marcbvtgm at 5/17/2023, 5:36:34 PM
(In response to this post by Techsupport)
3y
...and South Carolina has been having a much better time the last couple seasons in the SEC, than we have the easy ACC. We can't even be sure of win against ODU and Liberty anymore. We're irrelevant, and it's likely only going to get worse.
You are also making the EXACT same illogical assumption that was made before we entered the ACC. Remember when Bill Brill, and that group was saying we could never compete in the ACC....yeah, because we didn't have acc resources.
To each his own, but I have no desire to be a fan of a chicken-little program that doesn't want to compete at the adult table. If w/l record is the only goal, then let's drop down to FCS, because that's where the program is right now anyway. We are a middle pack FCS school.
We need more money. We need more exposure. We need better recruiting. We need to be relevant.
I absolutely did not miss the point.
(In response to this post by marcbvtgm)
3y
(In response to this post by Techsupport)
3y
for every home game. Our stadium is 30,000 seats smaller than most SEC teams. Do the math on 6 home games
(In response to this post by jonnyhawk)
3y
home slate. Does Tech sell out a single game in that conference? Now tell me about how much money we'd lose if we were in the SEC.
People don't really see the cliff that VT is hurtling towards. I think there's a pretty good argument for us not playing big boy football anymore - but I doubt very many people would want that.
(In response to this post by HOKIE75-79)
3y
Now, they not only have the stadium advantage, but also an even greater media rights advantage.
I'd much rather see what VT could do with another $30,000,000 than we have now, and sit at the adult table. We could (indirectly) buy a lot of players with that money. Being meek and passive has always been the VT approach, and as such we've always played the doormat. It has never helped us.
** Edited by Techsupport at 5/17/2023, 11:23:46 AM
(In response to this post by HOKIE75-79)
V
VPI47
3y
would increase
(In response to this post by HOKIE75-79)
3y
It very well may be necessary in order to survive, but it will not make VT football significantly more relevant. Being a bigger fish in a bigger pond of bigger fish will not make for a bigger, more passionate fanbase.
(In response to this post by VPI47)
J
jarrowsm
3y
Even with 10 tough years, we still shoot straight into the top 25 whenever we string together 4-5 wins in a row. I really wish we could be consistently great, but we are still collecting a fair return on Beamer's success.
(In response to this post by marcbvtgm)
3y
isn't trivial. It isn't close to the population centers of the state so a disproportionate number of people need hotels vs other schools. Hotels are already charging 300-500 a night for game weekends and the town still can't support more hotels.
(In response to this post by VPI47)
M
Mercury
3y
Then the math works
You know for ala it would sell out and all those ala fans ching
(In response to this post by HOKIE75-79)