We've gotten to where we don't see the point.
Andy interviewed him in December, as did Bill Roth, and the resulting conversations didn't make me feel better about anything.
Whit is so imprecise when he speaks, that I come away from interviews without much new knowledge or confidence. NIL has been a thing for almost four years now, and at no point has the athletic department, either through the written word or through interviews, definitely, clearly, and confidently planted their flag in the sand and said, "Here's what we're doing, here's why it's going go work, and we need you behind us. Let's go."
Nor have they made inspired, impressive hires, nor have they expressed organizationally, in clear terms, how they're going to function in modern college athletics. Whit muddled along without a CFO for *four years* and they still haven't hired a dedicated head of the Hokie Club who is an experienced, accomplished fundraiser.
Having Whit on the podcast as a guest isn't going to help/solve any of that. Interviewing him is very pressure-packed, because you're trying to get clarity on things, and you're looking for answers, but in the end, you ... don't. And it's frustrating.
I don't like saying these things, because Whit has always been really good to us, and I like the guy. But as an organization, it's where we (TSL) are.
** Edited by Will Stewart at 3/11/2025, 8:41:46 PM
Thread Replies (36)
If all of this is true and "we" are not doing anything for whatever reason
-- astrohokiebob
Mar 12, 2025 at 10:34 AM ET
astrohokiebob
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03/12/25 10:34 AM ET
There has been more of the kind of outreach you mention above
-- Nelsonia Hokie
Mar 12, 2025 at 09:16 AM ET
Nelsonia Hokie
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03/12/25 09:16 AM ET
I agree, but how do we know VT isn't engaging donors on NIL?
-- Will Stewart
Mar 11, 2025 at 07:14 PM ET
Will Stewart
•
03/11/25 07:14 PM ET
Do you really think Babcock is that Proactive
-- RiverVT
Mar 11, 2025 at 08:42 PM ET
RiverVT
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03/11/25 08:42 PM ET
Any possibility of having Babcock come on as a guest during the summer?**
-- VTHokie2000
Mar 11, 2025 at 08:07 PM ET
VTHokie2000
•
03/11/25 08:07 PM ET
We've gotten to where we don't see the point.
◄
-- Will Stewart
Mar 11, 2025 at 08:40 PM ET
Will Stewart
•
03/11/25 08:40 PM ET
And actually, this excerpt from the Bill Roth interview ...
-- Will Stewart
Mar 12, 2025 at 09:55 AM ET
Will Stewart
•
03/12/25 09:55 AM ET
Your post, at least IMO,......
-- 2hhoop3
Mar 11, 2025 at 09:20 PM ET
2hhoop3
•
03/11/25 09:20 PM ET
You're nice guy.... too nice. I wish someone would verbally rough him up
-- TDVick
Mar 11, 2025 at 09:01 PM ET
TDVick
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03/11/25 09:01 PM ET
It's a shame because NIL is just 1 of many problems on VT's plate and the
-- VTHokie2000
Mar 11, 2025 at 08:51 PM ET
VTHokie2000
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03/11/25 08:51 PM ET
There is a "Current strategy to address those issues" in existence?
-- Atlee Hokie
Mar 12, 2025 at 10:59 AM ET
Atlee Hokie
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03/12/25 10:59 AM ET
Even if there is no formal plan, technically it is still a plan called the
-- VTHokie2000
Mar 12, 2025 at 06:26 PM ET
VTHokie2000
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03/12/25 06:26 PM ET
That's fair, Will. Bit you really don't sound sincere about it.
-- saret
Mar 11, 2025 at 07:28 PM ET
saret
•
03/11/25 07:28 PM ET
Exactly. In this era of college athletics when VT appears to behind
-- VTHokie2000
Mar 11, 2025 at 08:07 PM ET
VTHokie2000
•
03/11/25 08:07 PM ET
What if being open will not instill confidence?
-- VTCALS72
Mar 11, 2025 at 10:02 PM ET
VTCALS72
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03/11/25 10:02 PM ET
To be honest, if Big Media saId such a thing, i'm kind of MEH.
-- saret
Mar 12, 2025 at 10:25 AM ET
saret
•
03/12/25 10:25 AM ET
And posts like your suggest VT can never do anything better than they
-- NokieHokie
Mar 12, 2025 at 08:56 AM ET
NokieHokie
•
03/12/25 08:56 AM ET
What do you have to say about @Will Stewart post above.
-- Atlee Hokie
Mar 11, 2025 at 11:20 PM ET
Atlee Hokie
•
03/11/25 11:20 PM ET
I make the very same point over and over, you guys lay way more at WB
-- VTCALS72
Mar 12, 2025 at 08:46 AM ET
VTCALS72
•
03/12/25 08:46 AM ET
CALS, I can agree with all that. However, Whit has allowed, albeit lead,
-- saret
Mar 12, 2025 at 10:19 AM ET
saret
•
03/12/25 10:19 AM ET
I keep asking you the same question, and you keep ignoring it.
-- Atlee Hokie
Mar 12, 2025 at 09:48 AM ET
Atlee Hokie
•
03/12/25 09:48 AM ET
I understand where you are coming from, but
-- pine52x
Mar 12, 2025 at 09:39 AM ET
pine52x
•
03/12/25 09:39 AM ET
I think most posters on here realize VT, in its current state, isn't ready
-- VTHokie2000
Mar 12, 2025 at 06:55 PM ET
VTHokie2000
•
03/12/25 06:55 PM ET
All Whit did WRT revenue generation was just rearrange deck ...
-- Atlee Hokie
Mar 12, 2025 at 10:13 AM ET
Atlee Hokie
•
03/12/25 10:13 AM ET
The Advancement division of VT works with VT Athletics on fundraising.
-- pine52x
Mar 12, 2025 at 10:37 AM ET
pine52x
•
03/12/25 10:37 AM ET
See @saret post concerning Advancement and the HC.
-- Atlee Hokie
Mar 12, 2025 at 11:04 AM ET
Atlee Hokie
•
03/12/25 11:04 AM ET
In theory, you are right. But the siloing between the HC and
-- saret
Mar 12, 2025 at 10:50 AM ET
saret
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03/12/25 10:50 AM ET
Then it sounds like the leadership needs to work on its sales pitch. I'm
-- VTHokie2000
Mar 11, 2025 at 10:27 PM ET
VTHokie2000
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03/11/25 10:27 PM ET
Good post. As you know, CALS is prone to mis-stating, red herrings,
-- saret
Mar 12, 2025 at 11:32 AM ET
saret
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03/12/25 11:32 AM ET
If people have followed my posts on this topic over the years, then they
-- VTHokie2000
Mar 12, 2025 at 06:42 PM ET
VTHokie2000
•
03/12/25 06:42 PM ET
Maybe @VTScoop can chime in on that.**
-- NokieHokie
Mar 11, 2025 at 07:16 PM ET
NokieHokie
•
03/11/25 07:16 PM ET
I can chime in on that, but I need to think about the best way to do so....
-- VTScoop
Mar 11, 2025 at 10:30 PM ET
VTScoop
•
03/11/25 10:30 PM ET