it makes me sick! Because, once we get left behind there will never be another chance. I fear we are at the point of no return. And I feel this knot in my gut that we will some day look back with regret that VT missed this opportunity to be a player in the new NCAA (or whatever it will be called). I feel as though I am powerless and am at the mercy of people who don't seem to care or are afraid to make a change or are just incapable of seeing the future landscape of college football... It is very frustrating. I remember when UMD left the ACC and now I can see the reasoning and the courage it took to do that. Ugh, go hokies!

It would seem large donors (yes), led by the coach (not the AD). That has happened in similar fashion. Now is it enough, broadly well communicated etc.? IMO no but it does exist.

Publicly, they're clearly not, but privately, I don't know. ** Edited by Will Stewart at 3/11/2025, 7:14:28 PM

Who are you fooling?

the public part. The private part is not nearly as clear cut, however, I think logic dictates that if they were engaging privately some info or rumblings would leak, especially if plans were intriguing. So far this AD and department, at least in my opinion, has given us very little reason to give them the benefit of the doubt where credibility, communication, proactivity and strategic thinking are involved. In fact, Animal House's Kevin Bacon "thank you sir may I have another" and "stop all is well" is the mental image that most often comes to mind.

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

... is about as clearly as I've ever heard Whit speak and outline things. Usually, transcripts of Whit interviews are, um, rough, but he's pretty clear here about what they're doing with rev share. I'd still like to see this presented in orderly fashion via the written word, and publicly accessible. Here it is. ================================= Roth: That was a lot. That’s the background on it, but what are the terms? What’ll it actually mean for Tech athletics and our student-athletes? Babcock: It is really complex and how we navigate it will be crucial. And here are the terms of the settlement for the folks that don’t really understand it, it’s a lot out there. Part of the settlement, the first part, are back damages, and that will be paid backwards to student-athletes that didn’t receive the opportunities that the student-athletes are today. That has a six-year statute of limitations, and part of the lawsuit settlement is the NCAA will owe $2.8 billion [total] or $280 million a year over 10 years in back damages through this lawsuit. That money will primarily be paid through March Madness. Instead of the money coming to the schools throughout all the divisions of college athletics, it will now go towards that lawsuit, and that ultimate impact to Virginia Tech will be approximately $1 million a year for 10 years. And all of those back damages, all of that money, former student-athletes can opt into the class action, should they choose to, and that $2.8 billion will be distributed 75 percent to football players, 15 percent to men’s basketball players, five percent to women’s basketball players and five percent to Olympic sports athletes. So that’s just the back damages part. The terms of the forward-moving part, and again, this part would begin July 1 if the settlement does receive formal approval on April 7. So moving forward, for as long as we can remember, there were scholarship limits and no roster limits. For example, in football, you could have 85 guys on scholarship. You could carry, really, as many people as you wanted as long as it balanced out with Title IX. We carried 120. Now with the new rules, it will go the other way. There will be roster maximums or caps, but no restrictions on scholarships up to the roster limit, meaning football’s roster will be 105 players. You could, if you so choose, you could now fund up to 105 full scholarships. And baseball, for example, used to be restricted on 11.7 scholarships among 30-some players. Now I believe their roster size max would be 34, and hypothetically, if you wanted to pay for a full scholarship for everybody on your roster, you could. I’m not sure that’s strategically smart, and it’s really expensive, and you’ve got to certainly balance Title IX on top of that. But the other part of the settlement moving forward is what I’m sure a lot of our fans have read about. It will now be permissive, beginning July 1, to share up to $20.5 million of athletic department revenue will our student-athletes. It doesn’t mean you have to do it, but to compete at the top tier, that’s the level to get to, and there’ll be a revenue cap management system, Bill. It’s a group called LBI that does cap management for a lot of the pro leagues. NIL will still exist — there was no jurisdiction in the lawsuit over collectives or NIL — but after July 4, those NIL deals will have to be made public for anything over $600 and it’ll have to go through a fair-market value clearinghouse. Deloitte will be the organization that runs this for us. None of the salary cap, none of the NIL and none of the enforcement on those two subjects will come from the NCAA moving forward. So it’s a lot going on. It’s a long answer. You’ve also got Title IX considerations, getting further clarity on how enforcement of the cap and all these new rules will work. We’ve got a few other pending lawsuits, and then maybe on down the line, some form of collective bargaining, so it’s dang sure a new era and we’re up to the challenge and everybody’s in the same boat, but it will be a totally different paradigm than what we’re used to, but hopefully more structure than the Wild West NIL era we’ve been in lately. Roth: So what you’re saying, Whit, is for next year, Virginia Tech plans to share $20.5 million with the student-athletes that are participating in Virginia Tech sports, correct? Babcock: Yeah, that is certainly our goal, and that is what top-tier athletics look at. We will be able to share that $20.5 million. Any new scholarships that are added up to $2.5 million count against the cap. We will add approximately 40-45 new scholarships at Virginia Tech across a number of sports, including football. If you offer your student-athletes Alston awards or academic incentives, those also count against the cap up to $2.5 million, and then the revenue share payments count against the cap too, obviously. For us, on the revenue share component, we will primarily focus on three sports: football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball. And then with our Olympic sports, our investment will primarily be in the form of additional scholarships. Again, I’m really glad that there will be transparency, or there’s supposed to be transparency, on what people are sharing with their student-athletes, transparency on what the NIL deals are and supposedly a much more professional enforcement agency than the NCAA’s been able to provide. And all of this is magically going to happen in the next eight months. So yes, we are going to be at that level. Quite frankly, we have pieced it together for Year 1, and when I say Year 1, that would be July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. We’ve used some one-time funds, we’ve gotten some assistance from campus, we’re ready to go. The challenge will be, and what we’re working on all the time as well, is how do we make it sustainable? Twenty million dollars, we don’t just have that laying around. Again, we can put it together for this first year, and now we’re working on how we partner with campus, what we can do internally to generate more money, how we can get leaner. We even have folks working with state government, not for state funds, but to make it a little easier for us to help ourselves. We’ve got really good alignment with the president [Tim Sands] and the board. It is all hands on deck as we attack this new paradigm, and not only survive in it, but thrive in it. And when you think about how we spent our money in the past before we could share it with student-athletes, this takes me back to television money changed everything. How did we spend the revenue we made? We built incredible facilities. We paid coaches a lot in a lot of sports. ADs, our staffs got bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger, and it’s going to take a while to turn this ship in a different direction and build the program around the student-athletes first. If this was Corporate America, they’d probably have tremendous layoffs, tremendous cuts. Thankfully, we’re not. We will have to get leaner, but it is an ongoing, productive conversation with a lot of people figuring out how to make this sustainable, how to position Virginia Tech at the top and where we want to be, and hopefully all of this salary cap and NIL transparency will level the playing field a little bit. It will look a little more like pro sports, and at least for me, I’m still hanging onto the cause, so to speak. I do believe there’s something in the sauce of the student-athlete experience, and as long as they’re still students at Virginia Tech and they want to be enrolled here and they represent Virginia Tech well, I’m going to cheer for them, whether they come in as a freshman, a senior or whatever revenue share they may make, but it is definitely changing.

should garner sticky status. It is a fair, accurate and succinct summary of the situation. I hope not to put words in your mouth, THIS IS MY OPINION, everything you recount COULD AND SHOULD have been rectified long before now with effective oversight and decisive action by upper university management and/or the BOV. This opinion in no way let's WB off the hook, it merely attempts to spread the responsibility to other responsible parties. Thanks for taking a reason and principled stand!

and you're the only one with the forum to do it. It's not your m.o. and attacking the administrators isn't your play either. The only one that could have jump-started a bolt to the SEC in 2012 was this website. If you take the view that not bailing in 2012 was a huge mistake - which is my view that I made repeatedly at the time, watching this VT situation has been like watching someone drown in a storm and not being able to do anything about it. VT's path since 2012 has been like watching a ship captain, who could have easily gone to port at a tropical location with chicks and drinks, turning out to sea and repeatedly ramming an iceberg until everyone dies. It looks like such a SH*T show that was entirely avoidable that is really looking bad and it hasn't gotten any better since. Hence, the tone of my posts.

current strategy to address those issues doesn't seem to generate a lot of confidence among the target (aka the fan base).

Do tell.

Wing It Plan. :-) Most of the time it isn't an effective plan, but it is still a plan nonetheless.

Not your fault. The AthDept gives us nothing to hang our hat on for optimism. ** Edited by saret at 3/11/2025, 8:41:57 PM

multiple 8-balls, should the Athletic Department operate like it is under triple secret probation (since double secret probation isn't enough of a challenge) or be more transparent in some areas? At the very least the transparency could be utilize in the sales pitch because the Athletic Department needs to instill confidence among the fan base that it is has a (solid) plan to right the athletic department and keep it upright.

Post like yours suggest that VT or most schools for that matter have the ability in the climate to be proactive and really move the needle. So what would you do if big media essentially said, "your place is in the ACC at a level alongside the B12." Would you go all public with that right now? You guys think the VT athletic dept has something to work with or sell to the big media that I don't think we do.

Would I go public with that? Yeah! But then, Whit would still have no plan to proceed from there, nor would he or his feckless minions be able to implement a plan, even if by some miracle they could conceive a plan.

currently do. Nor should they try.

You criticized me for saying pretty much the same thing a few days ago.

and the coaches feet than they have the amount of control over as your post suggest they do. Way more of VT's lack of being elite is just because of the way things are and what VT has than it is failure by the VT people. We have never run programs like the upper level P2, Some may be ethics but it is way more the kind of backing to be, well a bit unethical, which all the big boys are. IMHO VT's wandering in the wilderness as an independent for 40 years (I count the BE as being in the wilderness too) has as much to do with why we are not elite as any deficiencies by our VT people. So we are a high 30s place in the eyes of big media and probably seen that way by the couch potatoes outside our region too. We do not have a huge endowment, AAU nor "The University of -----" label. I know those are kind of red herrings but those are excuses out there for the reality, big media only wants a certain number of teams and by most metrics we are not one of those. You guys desperately want VT to be in the top (P2) level and blame the AD for not having us several steps ahead and ready to make the jump. But too much of getting there is above the AD's control and what do we gain by bringing in someone else who has a different personality but really won't get us any closer to elite. And I personally believe changing ADs. like coaches has as much chance of going backwards than forward.

the AthDept further into the wilderness. While the AthDept is in the moribund state it is in, he has certainly been a major contributor to the stagnation we find ourselves in. The Hokie Club isn't a fundraising organization, it's a money collector. @VTChip is a fundraiser. SERTC is a fundraiser. The HC, other than an occasional "Pledge Per," just mandates premiums, dictates ticket costs, collects money, and keeps records (poorly, I might add). The AthDept communicates less than the NSA, and when they do, they screw it up. Sands and the BoV allows Whit to continue in his moribund journey, with seemingly no interest in the current state of affairs. Whit continues to outsource with no apparent oversight of contractors. The AthDept has no apparent plan for NIL, despite having a new state law taking effect in June/July. Recent strings on here document the apparent "ghosting" of student-athletes who were told, when recruited, we will take care of you (housing, admissions, legal counsel, etc.). As far as being in the P2, Whit et al will be deemed successful if the status quo continues because they have no plan, and no idea how to devise a plan. Weaver had a plan that got us into the ACC. Whit et al is clueless. We are stuck (my choice of words) with Whit and his ineffective cadre of feckless cohorts until 2029. Yes, getting a new AthDir and underlings may make matters worse, although I find it difficult to see how.

Can you tell me what Whit Babcock has done to communicate what we VT fans and supporters can do in this brave new world we find ourselves in? Can you tell me why Whit has yet to actually appoint an effective trained professional fund raiser in these trying times? Can you even tell me why Whit Babcock didn't hire a professional fund raiser to replace Lou Merritt? Of course you have never answered. Why? Because you can't answer those questions and all the other questions people (who are a lot smarter and more informed than me) here on these boards have asked. All you do is throw the same old trope about Whit Babcock having no power to control current events. If Whit Babcock has no ability to control current events, maybe he should resign and VT appoint a real qualified AD.

I think most of the posters simply want WB to share some thoughts with more specifics on his plan for the future of VT athletics. If nothing can be done to improve our stature going forward, then tell the fanbase that (though that would not be regarded well here). I personally don't know what he has shared or not shared. But it does appear the fanbase wants more from him. I don't know if he knows that or not. He did appoint a new person (BW) in charge of revenue generation. It would be nice to give BW time to see what he comes up with. All the jobs in the athletic department are dependent on the fanbase. Nothing should be more important than keeping the fanbase content and growing. as for your comment: "We do not have a huge endowment, AAU nor "The University of -----" label. I know those are kind of red herrings but those are excuses out there for the reality, big media only wants a certain number of teams and by most metrics we are not one of those." I mostly agree with you. I know what you are saying. I could go on and on for hours on this. Would give anything to sit down with some posters on the board and discuss this and other topics, but I am not able to. It does interest me greatly. I don't post that much but I'm, like many others here, are almost obsessed with Virginia Tech and would give anything to see us grow our stature. (Maybe unrelated, but I just can't wait until Mitchell Hall is completed. I know what it CAN do for engineering).

to immediately compete at the P2 level now. However, I do think some (including myself) believe if VT had accepted a P2 offer in the last 20-25 years or so and it had been willing to take its lumps in the beginning, then VT would be in a better position to possibly compete at the P2 level on a more consistent basis. Assuming the Athletic Department has "Turn the page" (thank you Bob Seger.....and Metallica) on that goal, then what are VT's new (?) goals? If the Athletic Department wants to achieve these goals (assuming they exist), then what advantage is there keeping them close to their chest versus sharing it with the fan base? Particularly if the Athletic Department needs the fan base's help to achieve them. Other schools, which VT and a good percentage of the fan base view as being VT's peer seem to not have the communication problem that existed at some level (even under JW). What have they figured out that VT seems to be missing?

... chairs on the Titanic. He has yet to go outside and hire a real live professional fundraiser to help generate all the new $$$ needed.

That is my understanding. Don't they have the brains there to provide the athletic department with a fundraising plan going forward? They are the professionals when it comes to fundraising. Certainly, they know what other universities are doing in regard to athletics. It may be them that says we don't need to hire a new fundraiser for the Hokie Club (HC). Now I'm not saying that a fundraiser within the HC is not necessary. It may help. I don't know. But why can't Charlie Phlegar's group come up with a good fundraising plan that VT athletics just needs to implement? Maybe they have but have just not communicated it to the fanbase. Again, they work hand-in-hand. Certainly, they must be communicating with WB on a fundraising strategy going forward. Your thoughts would be appreciated. TIA

In theory you are correct. Reality is apparently totally different.

Advancement is legendary. Charlie Phlegar tried hard, and had some minimal success, but the siloing persists. Let's be candid, the HC is run by the AthDir, and Charllie ran Advancement. Whit has appointed the last three "heads" of the HC (Lansden, Wurthman and White). IMO, the head of the HC should be appointed by Advancement, not Whit. The HC is duplication of services. The HC levies premiums, collects funds, keeps records (poorly, I might add). And, the HC keeps separate records from Advancement. Why? Place the HC under the direction of Advancement, with minimal input from the AthDept. Move the HC out of Lane, and put it somewhere else. Cut the "fundraisers" at the HC, and hire real, professional fundraisers. No one (repeat, no one) at the HC is a professional fundraiser. To call them moribund and feckless is being kind.

not sure why you are focusing on VT's relationship with big media because my posts didn't even discuss it. They did discuss ways the leadership can improve its relationship with the fan base because those are things VT can control. I would say VT's sole focus should be on the things it can control. VT does have control over its future business plans and how it communicates those goals to the target audience (aka the fan base). For example, now that VT is charging a fee for the Spring Game, I am sure the leadership has calculated a target goal in order to consider this plan to be a "success." This plan doesn't involve big media because big media won't really have an impact on the outcome. The only people who will impact it is the fan base. Common sense says if the fan base is going to buy into this plan and do their part to help VT achieve its goals, then it is up to the leadership to sell it to the fan base.

and going off on unrelated tangents. Your post makes sense. That's probably why it won't happen.

should know I have been pretty consistent in what I think are the issues and ways for VT to address them. Heck I have even been consistent on the existing a long time for VT athletics. Maybe even going as far back as when VT operated more like a military university than a public university. Likewise, I think I have been pretty consistent in acknowledging the "why" VT leadership may have chose the decisions they did at the time and they may have even been the "right decisions" too. However, I have quick to point out that those decisions don't occur in a vacuum and they can have a lasting impact on future events. Hence why in an earlier post I tried to emphasis VT's focus should be squarely on the things it can control and make sure VT tries to do it the best it can do. I'm not just talking about the leadership, but also the athletic programs too because they have symbiotic relationship in this topic. The athletic departments needs the athletic programs to consistently perform at their best in order to give the leadership the best opportunity to sell the sale pitch to the target audience (aka the fan base). On the flip side the athletic leadership needs to make the most of any opportunities available in order to give the athletic program the best chance to be successful on the competition field. Essentially both need to do their parts if they want a larger percentage of the fan base to buy into the sales pitch (or business plan). This strategy may even become more critical for schools like VT moving forward because they will never be able to completely catch up to any time lost because the athletic program wasn't at the same place in the early 1900s (or whatever date a person wants to use as the starting reference point) as other schools (i.e. Michigan, Nebraska, Texas, etc.). ** Edited by VTHokie2000 at 3/12/2025, 7:09:56 PM

but will quickly say, in this case, that while proactivity is not our current Administration's greatest strength, there has been engagement with some very high end donors. We are fortunate that some of those donors then took some of the initiative on their own. The masses have not been exposed to the NIL game like we need moving forward. So we shall see how that goes. But, we have actually amassed pretty good NIL that came about with several folks that bought into helping. Then those folks kind of ran with it.