Hokie Club membership down. Is that a reason VT can't have nice things?
This year = 18K, last year = 20K, down from a high of 25K a couple years ago. Even with the Franklin hire fewer people chose to donate to the HC. It's no wonder VT can't reno Cassell or fund other sports well.
What happened to the promised transformation of fund raising?
94 Replies
4mo
This is pathetic we are not on par with the Tigers in giving.
Please revamp the leadership of the Hokie Club
https://alumni.clemson.edu/
https://news.vt.edu/magazine/issues/spring-2025/hokie-nat...
(In response to this post by hokeyhokie)
H
HOKIERIT
5mo
(In response to this post by hokeyhokie)
H
HOKIERIT
5mo
who is a very large doner and has countless tickets. After getting them in my name for longer than I care to admit, I finally dropped them in my name. I still give the money, but I give it more to his NIL. I was going alone for years after my dad died (my wife doesn't go), and rarely even using a ticket for me. I'd always wind up sitting with my friends anyway.
I will, by the way, renew my Hokie Club status, but I'm just not concerned about making the ticket/points deadline..I wonder if maybe a lot of people who DON'T have season tickets at all, but still support VT football, maybe are a bit oblivious to the point deadlines as I am....kinda HOPE that's the case.
(In response to this post by AirborneHokie96)
5mo
VT athletics don’t really want to compete with the big dogs in the ACC. Clemson receives about $30M more per year for athletics from donors. Roll out all the excuses (and many are very legitimate) but at the end of the day (year?) Hokie giving is much lower than it needs to be to consistently compete at the highest levels in the ACC. Unfortunately it has been that way for years. Let the arrows fly!
And yes, I did double my usual annual contribution after Franklin was hired.
** Edited by HokieFlyFisher at 3/3/2026, 1:58:01 PM
(In response to this post by hokeyhokie)
5mo
(In response to this post by HokieFlyFisher)
4mo
I ought to know...I have sent two kids there to IU and know some of their major donors.
They have had a lot more money than VT for years thanks to the B10 and some really big donors. Their financial situation is entirely different than VT and has been for a while.
** Edited by AirborneHokie96 at 3/5/2026, 2:26:24 PM
(In response to this post by Techsupport)
4mo
(In response to this post by AirborneHokie96)
4mo
IU has had a ton of money pouring in the last 10 years. It's not a cash poor athletic department in the slightest. They have had the resources and have put a lot of money into athletes well before the last few years....plus it was paid in cash or via B10 money
(In response to this post by Techsupport)
4mo
conference money only goes so far because there's a cap. VT has found the funds for the difference for the next 2-3 years, and working corporate sponsorships and other avenues for a more reliable revenue stream moving forward.
** Edited by Techsupport at 3/5/2026, 4:04:23 PM
(In response to this post by AirborneHokie96)
4mo
They are about $40M/year in annual athletic department revenue thanks to higher conference payout and sponsorship money while they probably have a 2X-3X advantage on NIL money.
The $40M advantage is something that they have maintained for quite sometime.
(In response to this post by Techsupport)
4mo
That gap your talking about had ALWAYS been there, and they've always sucked. NIL got them there.
Dude.
(In response to this post by AirborneHokie96)
5mo
like its 1995.
Sorry, but my hard earned money isn’t going to go to some semi-pro athlete ready to bounce the minute he or she looks at the next best thing.
(In response to this post by hokeyhokie)
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TomA
5mo
I told this to a VT Athletic Dept caller yesterday about my renewing season tickets (I'm not)
(In response to this post by GSOHokie01)
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2hhoop3
5mo
Athletic Department is replaced/revamped it is likely faulty thinking to expect the people that did a majority of the original damage to have any idea how to change it.
(In response to this post by Happy Dog)
5mo
By the way, I support whoever is running the show as AD or HC and am NOT voicing an opinion on Whit. Im simply proposing the question as to whether fans might be not as enthusiastic with Whit still at the helm. I donated.
(In response to this post by hokeyhokie)
N
NOFX
5mo
(In response to this post by hokeyhokie)
5mo
“A recent analysis of the NIL era reports that donations directly to public colleges (including athletics) have increased by about 40% (recently), indicating that overall giving into the college sports ecosystem has risen rather than fallen. [sportsbusinessjournal]
(In response to this post by NOFX)
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NOFX
4mo
We were talking about number of donors. Pretty much what Vippie1 said below. The billionaires are battling it out but the average person donating a few hundred or a few thousand makes no sense anymore.
(In response to this post by HokieFlyFisher)
5mo
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Vippie1
5mo
that their sacrifices of a few hundred or even a few thousand dollars in today's environment don't matter squat, regardless what the ADs say.
They can figure out that the portal football or basketball player that is given several hundred thousand to come to campus for one season (and may or may not flip the bird on his way out to somewhere else the next season) doesn't really appreciate your sacrifice.
Contributing to athletic departments is for the upper one percenters, not for most graduates.
(In response to this post by NOFX)
5mo
maintaining current contribution level or an increase in contributions since the start of the NIL Era, what motives their fan bases to behave that way? If we are just talking within DI, then I would think those schools are probably in the minority of the 300+ schools that currently compete at the DI level in a sport. If it turns out that most DI schools aren't seeing a decline in booster support, then does that suggest that the VT fan base may be the ones who are in the minority?
(In response to this post by Vippie1)
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saret
5mo
(In response to this post by Vippie1)
5mo
stay or perform?
(In response to this post by hokeyhokie)
5mo
They are just younger (in many cases not that young) pros
(In response to this post by ModerateHokie)
R
RiverVT
5mo
About the Hokie Club ? Soliciting funding Does the organization have any fun raising apparatus ?
Clearly lack of leadership. We have team up there not engage just reading TSL everyday!
When will Leadership change ?
(In response to this post by hokeyhokie)
5mo
And the AD could care less. Carry on..
(In response to this post by RiverVT)
5mo
As others have stated below, a lot of fans are disillusioned by the current state of collegiate athletics. I have asked all along where the additional funding will come from to sustain the type of program that James Franklin wants to have. I don't think the status quo is sustainable for most programs and I expect there will eventually be a "market correction", but in the interim, I guess the donors who are "gung ho" about professional college football will have to pick up the slack. The only other option is the JMU tactic of making students shoulder the burden, but I think that is a terrible idea.
(In response to this post by hokeyhokie)
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saret
5mo
that limits drastic increases in student fees.
(In response to this post by MP4VT2004)
5mo
And they probably wont be back until the football team proves it can be successful. Indiana ain't hurting and thier 2024 success fueled a large 2025 increase
(In response to this post by hokeyhokie)
5mo
At some point, the VTAD will need to cut the bloated salaries for coaches and staff to accommodate player salaries.
(In response to this post by hokeyhokie)
5mo
the average family contributing to paying young kids a higher salary than what they are making?
(In response to this post by AirborneHokie96)
5mo
With pro sports, the average fan is only asked to subsidize the team by either watching on TV or occasionally buying tickets. The bulk of pro revenue and salary outlays comes from broadcast dollars, along with the deep pockets of billionaire owners.
College sports? The same revenue streams exist, but because of the hypocritical pretense that athletes are not school employees, the schools end up retaining more of the $$$ and directly sharing less of them with the players. As a result, fans are asked to pay for the players, via donating to NIL collectives. And for the average person these days, that's a bridge too far.
Eventually all of this will collapse and college sports will shed the sham image it continues to cultivate, the players will be paid directly, and the fans can just go back to being... fans.
(In response to this post by coshokie)
5mo
maintaining current contribution levels or even increasing it? At least I have not found any reports to suggest the P2 schools are seeing a decline in contributions at a similar level that we see with non-P2 schools.
(In response to this post by Gobbler Guru)
5mo
...but saw that you had already summed it up perfectly.
(In response to this post by Gobbler Guru)
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VT72
5mo
I don't think any state supported school should be sponsoring professional athletic teams. My money now goes to veterans support and other charities. Not a penny to pay athletes.
(In response to this post by hokeyhokie)
5mo
I did break my rule and did donate to West Point and now have season tickets there but that's because I have a student-athlete-cadet there and will be there a lot. Plus ... West Point cadets are not professional players at all.
(In response to this post by VT72)
5mo
We talked with her yesterday since she had a Bday and asked her again if West Point was where she wanted to be and she said "100%". I don't think she is committed to a lifetime of military service but she loves the school, her teammates and fellow cadets. She also loves not having a choice on what she gets to wear on a daily basis.
(In response to this post by OrlandoHokie)
5mo
Prices for ~everything~ are sharply up, and wages don't match it. At some point you have to decide whether you want to pay the mortgage, doctor, and grocery bills, or do you want to contribute to a multi-million dollar entertainment business. I love VT and I was a 30-year contributor, but life crept in and I had to make a tough decision to suspend my donations, at least until things resolve a little financially.
** Edited by Culpeper Hokie at 3/2/2026, 9:36:41 AM
(In response to this post by hokeyhokie)
5mo
(In response to this post by Culpeper Hokie)
5mo
saw a family with 3 young kids got caught stealing food. they were surrounded by the fairfax cops. I offered to pay, but was denied. Everything cost more now.. a lot more for an average family
** Edited by Windows NT at 3/2/2026, 1:47:29 PM
(In response to this post by Culpeper Hokie)
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EDGEMAN
5mo
I see prices dropping from last year...especially gasoline.
(In response to this post by Culpeper Hokie)
5mo
(In response to this post by EDGEMAN)
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EDGEMAN
5mo
...little to no credibility. Now if he had used that a few years ago when we had over 9% inflation and prices were going up everywhere, I could buy it. But now that inflation has gone back down to ~2.5%, not much of anything is significantly more expensive over the last year.
Beef is the ONLY thing that has really gone up higher than inflation, but I wouldn't use the term "significantly." Beef prices can be directly traced to the ~4 "middle men" corporations that are artificially controlling the price.
(In response to this post by HoakieBS)
5mo
like the taste of gasoline on their corn flakes.
it's the price of everything else staying up that's killing our reality.
i like the "concept" that minimum wage is up, but who's absorbing
or paying for that "concept application" at restaurants, grocery
stores, (name-your)Mart, 7-11s, etc? - - - - - - - > the consumer - you and me.
(In response to this post by EDGEMAN)
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EDGEMAN
5mo
That's where the fault lies, and not with the much lower inflation we're experiencing today (which is <1/3 the rate of inflation we were experiencing then).
(In response to this post by HtownHokie)
5mo
...currently stands at 326.59, up from 322.17 in July. And to get that gas price you illustrated - you need to pay a fee to be a member to get that price. Overall gas prices in the US are at an average of $3.07, up from $3.05 in 3Q 25.
(In response to this post by EDGEMAN)
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Truthahn
5mo
But it has been between 3% and 2.3% for the past year, sometimes up and sometimes lower, but trending down since Sept.
It's the number the SSA uses for their COLA. We will hear the Feb number in a week or so.
Gas prices have also been trending down, obviously, everywhere not just CostCo. Fortunately, the price of gas figures into almost everything.
Link:
https://www.bls.gov/charts/consumer-price-index/consumer-price-index-by-category-line-chart.htm
(In response to this post by Culpeper Hokie)
5mo
the rate of inflation has eased a bit, but inflation is still outpacing salary growth via COL bumps
I've personally seen about a 5% effective pay cut over the past couple of years. Technically I have a higher salary, but not when considering purchasing power.
(In response to this post by Truthahn)
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EDGEMAN
5mo
Real wages have started climbing again.
(In response to this post by ShockWaveVT)
5mo
(In response to this post by EDGEMAN)
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2hhoop3
5mo
carry more sway if you explained rather than just making the claim with little more than "because I say so."
(In response to this post by Windows NT)
5mo
but my ave rate is 10 times that... love to read this board and post but it's easy to do a search online for the truth.
we can start here.. the 9%+ was at the height of covid. broken supply chains, prez biden brought inflation down to 1%
** Edited by Windows NT at 3/3/2026, 1:44:31 PM
(In response to this post by 2hhoop3)
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2hhoop3
5mo
better off forgoing the edit. We both know you can't support 1% any better than you were able to defend it not being 9%. If your work like you post you are overpaid at your alleged hourly rate.
(In response to this post by Windows NT)
5mo
we can start here.. the 9%+ was at the height of covid. broken supply chains, prez biden brought inflation down to 1%
do you have anything to add or just want to act like a kid?
(In response to this post by 2hhoop3)
5mo
(In response to this post by Windows NT)
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2hhoop3
5mo
you just don't seem to be able to read either. Tell me and this board when "Biden brought inflation down to 1%.
(In response to this post by Windows NT)
5mo
and we can continue this discussion
(In response to this post by 2hhoop3)
2
2hhoop3
5mo
the number was so it is not misleading even though it was a function of factors existing at the time. It's funny you have wasted far more valuable time defending your initial smart aleck response than it would have taken you to defend your original statement with an honest reply.
(In response to this post by Windows NT)
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2hhoop3
5mo
you're too important in your mind to answer the question but, not too important to post mindless gibberish.
(In response to this post by Windows NT)
5mo
if you dont have anything to add then why reply?
(In response to this post by 2hhoop3)
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2hhoop3
5mo
you reply once again with nothing. Your last question seems tailor made for you.
(In response to this post by Windows NT)
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EDGEMAN
5mo
California should be removed from the "average" price category, since that has been a conscious decision to increase the price of gasoline. Drop their $6+ per gallon and you see a drop. It's been years since my Costco has had premium gas under $3. They sure as crap didn't sell it for that price last year.
The only food item that seems to be significantly up is beef, and that's due to a couple reasons. Primarily is the four corporations that control beef prices in the US. It's almost like they're trying to put American ranchers out of business.
(In response to this post by Culpeper Hokie)
5mo
Brace yourself on gas prices because of the **** leadership the country is suffering.
(In response to this post by EDGEMAN)
5mo
a. price of required octane of gas (yes we're looking at hybrids,
but "they" still require gas as a supplemental fuel);
b. price of a model's tires (the non-standard sizes prices come
due [with built-in sticker shock] every time you have
to buy new 'betsy' newer shoes);
c. tail light and headlight replacement costs. (actual story -
my 2019 Ranger had an LED tail light unit fail. to get
only the LED integrated unit lens + the sensor module
= $1450; then add the labor [especially if it is dealer
union rates] and my price would have been over
$2000!) {with a little "VPI architectural, invent the
future" ingenuity there's a way around that at <15%
of what they wanted. please contact me for the free
work around info.}
d. negotiate not paying for items in their options package(s)
that i do not want. (ie: the 360degree mirror, multicolor
ambient mood lighting, and heated steering wheel which
my wife and i do not want but is in their Techno Package
which includes features we do want: ask the salesperson
to deduct those values or just remove the features from
the car. after they pick up their eyeballs and ears, reaffirm
your capability to void the sale if they won't deduct the
cost of the unwanteds [prior research req'd by you to
know each option's individual cost]).
et als
(In response to this post by EDGEMAN)
5mo
2 are trucks (Toyota) and 1 is an old Jeep.... All are paid off. It is still possible to make a well informed decision when buying a new car. Nice work...
(In response to this post by HtownHokie)
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Truthahn
5mo
Rich or poor, good times or bad, we should all spend our money with this much consideration.
(In response to this post by HtownHokie)
5mo
I can weather this poor economy because I can afford to, but I see lots of folks are struggling.
(In response to this post by EDGEMAN)
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EDGEMAN
5mo
That drove prices through the roof, and although we still have inflation, it's less than 1/3 what we had a few years ago (that significantly drove up prices for everything.)
(In response to this post by Windows NT)
5mo
The comparison in that White House social media graphic was even more unmistakably misleading
I suggest to stop believing anything that comes out of this administration.
(In response to this post by EDGEMAN)
5mo
Heathcare insurance and costs
(In response to this post by Windows NT)
5mo
from all of the shipping companies that service to the "Middle East" was suspended. That included not only the Gulf region but also areas like Syria and Jordan.
Also, Qatar suspended LNG production, and they supply 18-20% of the world's LNG...
(In response to this post by Windows NT)
5mo
The ocean companies are not even quoting right now. I was trying to get a shipment into Latakia (Syria) and they said "No".
(In response to this post by Windows NT)
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EDGEMAN
5mo
This was from last week. Feel free to post any pump prices in America that was lower last year?
(In response to this post by EDGEMAN)
5mo
stopped giving when I stopped going to football games.
As it stands, I donate $25 to $100 a year just to keep my points priority, so that if I still want season tickets some day, I'll still have my points.
(In response to this post by Culpeper Hokie)
5mo
my Hokie Club status. i am actually a benefactor and have contributed 6 figures to athletics over the years.
i stopped the giving for a couple of reasons.
- the commitments made from the previous administration for my level of giving were not honored by the current.
- i am also 70 years old with three children and five grandchildren ranging from 2 to 22.
I see better places for my money these days. I am proud for what i was able to give but am more proud of my family.
Add 2 & 2 together and see what you come up with.
(In response to this post by ChrisLords)