Monday Thoughts: Chapel Hell

Will Stewart

October 03, 2022 135

CJ McCray Virginia Tech Omarion Hampton North Carolina — Tech's CJ McCray tracks UNC tailback Omarion Hampton in Saturday's 41-10 loss ... what, you didn't think I could write a serious caption in Monday Thoughts? (Ivan Morozov)

This is a different situation than what we’re used to.

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135 Comments

dietrich October 5, 2022 at 9:47 PM

I voted I know the NIL and don't plan to support it. I'm a die hard Hokie fan and love this school as much as I love America but I'm not in the spot to be giving even more money to the organization. VT prides itself on a dedicated, hard working, blue collar mentality, and I'm just that with a family to take care of. I'll remain loyal, pay for my tickets to watch them play, and take my 2 year old son to the Hokie Walk for every home game, I think that is more then enough ask of me. Proud Hokie, always will be, will stand by the coaches through it all.
134114Hokie October 4, 2022 at 11:10 PM

Just watched hokies beat Miami in 1997 with Ken Oxidine and Clark at QB. Ricky Bustle was OC. I coached 12U soccer one year and Brad Bustle was on my team. I still think we can find a way to win 6 games this year. Too much doom and gloom. Hokies need to find a way to win. Defense can win football games and at this point I got to remain hopeful. Go hokies!
VaPoly07 October 4, 2022 at 8:00 PM

Again. What a shit show. But honestly, Pry was given a bunch of scrub ass players. What’s he supposed to do? This team blows. Dax and 2/3 of our players shouldn’t even be a D1 players. Will take time to fix.
132960Hokie October 4, 2022 at 6:45 PM

College football is ruined as most of we "senior" guys understand. VT will never compete with the $$$$ offered by SEC and B10 or the JR Ewing of the OIL Bidness. That's why I won't jump on board with NIL........it's money down the drain. I'm proud of our other sports (yeh, Mike Young). Hope those don't also get ruined.
1. Glenvar Hokie October 5, 2022 at 10:26 AM
  
  um....NIL applies to all sports. Sorry.
adgoodri October 4, 2022 at 2:49 PM

It all reminds me of the NFL and what I hate about it... Year after year the players change so often that I don't even know who I'm rooting for anymore. I suppose in the end I'm just rooting for the team name these days. My advice, go to your local high school for authentic sporting entertainment.
theyearofthegoblers2016 October 4, 2022 at 2:29 PM

NIL isn’t going anywhere. Tech fans need to get on board or else the recruiting class will continue to be in the bottom half of FBS.
WilmaHokie October 4, 2022 at 1:24 PM

You capitalistic American pigs have ruined college football. I am not a fan of NIL or NCAA. Waiting for NCAA to implode and have collegiate sports move towards the European club system with promotion/regulation.
1. WilmaHokie October 4, 2022 at 1:25 PM
  
  Relegation
2. VaPoly07 October 4, 2022 at 8:02 PM
  
  Yea, capitalism is the worst!!!! Why don’t you go to Venezuela and see how u like it?
  1. Glenvar Hokie October 5, 2022 at 10:27 AM
    
    Well, money really does ruin most things. And what was the beauty of college football is pretty much over for me. While I do not worship at the alter of capitalism, it seems to be the best system for humans currently.
3. Repugnance4wvu October 4, 2022 at 9:24 PM
  
  You should join Brittany in Russia for sports. She took a knee and hated the American Anthem. I bet she has changed her mind now. I guess I'm a Proud American Pig now. Just add it to the list of your name calling. Stick to Sports and the Hokies! No one wants to hear your communist BS!
panhandlehokie October 4, 2022 at 12:08 PM

I just spent over an hour reading all of the comments and replies. It is obvious that we’re all “fanatics” of VT football (and athletics overall). There are many good, well-stated points of view regarding NIL and I bet even Will is surprised at the passionate responses in numbers and quality! BUT something missing from this discourse is the scenario where we (VT) has this NIL collective scheme; and successfully lures better football talent to play here. Then after players X,Y, Z demonstrate how truly talented their football skills are; they get poached i.e. offered a better deal at BlueBlood U. and all our NIL deposits get trashed by the TRANSFER PORTAL! The NCAA has no clue how to prevent this from happening, nor are they inclined to police it.
1. Hubman October 4, 2022 at 12:22 PM
  
  This is why they are having us fans pay for NIL because they are not going to lose their own money. They are way too smart for that…
2. ghc4VT October 4, 2022 at 1:12 PM
  
  Well said panhandle. The NCAA just put the fox in the hen house. In short they made offering players under the table money to come to school legal. They have ensured that the BIG MONEY teams will always win. TV is driving this to satisfy the so called "Big Time Fans" to make sure they have a huge audience. Money truly is becoming '" The Root of All Evil".
  1. HokieRK October 4, 2022 at 8:02 PM
    
    Just to clarify, it’s the love of money that is the root of all evil. Which is exactly what’s in play here, from all sides.
  2. Glenvar Hokie October 5, 2022 at 10:29 AM
    
    Well, it isnt like the big $$ teams were not already buying their players. It is just out in the open now.
Federal Hokie October 4, 2022 at 10:56 AM

Voted for knowing what NIL was but not sure what to do. In some ways, wish I could change it to knowing what it is but not wanting to support. I get that students should be allowed some of the money in the game. But with athletic department needing funding for facilities, coaching, scholarships, and so on already, I’m just sort of overwhelmed. What with the mega conference mergers and TV deals and associated financial divide, I’m not sure it’s going to matter. Sort of like buying one versus a thousand mega millions jackpot lottery tickets. You end up significantly impacting your own personal finances without meaningfully increasing your chances of winning.
1. 11hokie October 4, 2022 at 12:40 PM
  
  +1!!!!!!
JoseyWales October 4, 2022 at 10:26 AM

Will - you made me laugh with the cat photos, so not all is lost. I'll be in town for Miami to see friends and waste $100 on beer/food in the stadium.
MDHokie79 October 4, 2022 at 10:17 AM

I know what NIL is, but at my age (65) and in semi-retirement, I am not in any position to, or compulsion to, significantly support it. I don't like it and it seems like it is bribery, as I see very little use of name, image, or likeness in most cases. BTW, I don't support forgiving student loans either. Ca;; me old school....I look around at this country and the world today and have to ask: how did I end up in an alternate universe that is this screwed up? ;-)
1. DADEC52 October 4, 2022 at 10:52 AM
  
  I'm 68 and feel the same way at least at present. I have to admit I am not there yet on supporting NIL but I could be convinced. As a guy who put 3 kids through school and myself, I want to know where my check is!!?
2. zman1978 October 4, 2022 at 5:28 PM
  
  Agree with you MDHokie69. I’m 66 and retired for 3rd and final time. Don’t agree with NIL or paying off student loans. Do we get refunds for loans already paid?? 7 children, 12 grandkids and surviving inflation is my priority…..
  1. Glenvar Hokie October 5, 2022 at 10:29 AM
    
    So if something is broken, you should never try and fix it, even if the fix isn't perfect?
Steeltown Hokie October 4, 2022 at 10:03 AM

I'm not just sick of losing...I'm sick of not even being competitive vs peer programs. Getting blown out by WVU & UNU and probably Pitt is hard to watch. Losing games happens but people tune out when there's no realistic chance. You also can't keep losing games due to lack of in game management. I can't understand why a rookie Head coach would hire such an inexperienced OC & DC. I hope they turn it around but so far there's been ZERO improvement from Week 1.
Two4VT October 4, 2022 at 9:41 AM

I know what NIL is and how to support it, but already spending $10K/year to attend games. I either need to stop going to games and redirect some of that money to NIL, or keep doing what I am doing and expect others who don't want to go to games to send the $$ to NIL. At the levels we are donating, it's tough to throw in another round of funding.
1. sacramento hokie October 4, 2022 at 5:57 PM
  
  Great body of work Will! My thoughts are VT fans and war chest Hokies won’t tolerate a so called 3-4 year turn around. With NIL and especially the portal - this is a NEW day- look no further than what Wisky did to Paul Chryst did… he won the Rose Bowl two years ago! To quite the infamous George Allen- the future is now … plus we live in an Amazon world where we wait for nothing!…how long does an NFL coach hang around if they are losing or not “trending” properly? You get my drift and college football is now more pro than amateur… In short Mr Pry, you need to show us something now and not 2-3 years from now… you could be back at PSU as an assistant by then..
VarinaHokie October 4, 2022 at 8:55 AM

I know what NIL is and how it works. For now not just VT but many schools are swimming upstream. Until the NCAA sets limits there’s more schools that can’t compete with the more lucrative programs. It has ruined or will ruin college sports. So many people have turned away from professional sports because it’s all about the have’s and have not’s. NIL and the portal both need’s serious realignment. If school X is interested in a player from school Y that has been in Y’s program for 1,2 or three years then they should be made to repay Y for the cost of that athletes schooling. Treat it the same as if a coach is hired away from a school or the coach quits or is fired. There’s consequences.
VT Rockie October 4, 2022 at 8:53 AM

College football as we have know it is gone with the wind. The NIL, the portal and conference realignment have all caused me to look for other options for entertainment. I will not support NIL donations for 18 and 19 year olds to be paid to play college football. Over the past 45 + years we have donated thousands of dollars to VT and the Hokie Club. Sorry but don't ask me for more especially for the NIL. Supporting college football has become nothing more than give, give and give some more. The average fan can't afford season tickets and Hokie Club membership any more. I didn't even attend Tech but have been a fan since I was very young. Sorry but enough is indeed enough.
1. SCHokie1103 October 4, 2022 at 9:59 AM
  
  Amen
zeussula October 4, 2022 at 7:35 AM

I'm in the "Other" crowd on the NIL. My yearly income has been reduced pretty significantly this past year and my disposable income is nowhere close to what it used to be. Football tix/parking/HC dues are what I've chosen to keep spending on related to VT (and TSL obv). There's just no room in the budget for NIL.
Hokie67 October 4, 2022 at 7:33 AM

The world of college football is upside down. Air Force goes on pro for illegal contact during COVID - while recruits at other schools are being openly offered thousands of $$$'s. And that's for mid-range players. The 4 and 5 stars are almost always 6 figures over their careers. BTW - when was the last time a media type looked into the players who are getting a nice NIL stipend and a Pell Grant? Hmmm. Talk about living with your head in the sand. Even the media is in the dark.
James Lacy October 4, 2022 at 7:16 AM

Collectives: No accountability (as far as I can tell); No checks and balances: How much of my hard earned money goes into the pocket of the owners and staff; such situations are open to corruption in today's culture 100x: I love VT football and those teams that many want to kick because they do not pay their cost. Winning at all cost is simply loosing IMHO. I am no authority on football especially scheme and technique but I have this question. If the coaches are trying to teach a knew culture, scheme and technique: would changing to meet these players where they are (most starters have 2 years or less) mean re-teaching the young players causing a longer time to get everyone on the same page worth the time?
1. atlhokie1 October 4, 2022 at 9:56 AM
  
  Yeah, a comparison of the different collectives and how much is padding the pocket of the owners would be useful.
132861Hokie October 4, 2022 at 1:03 AM

Call me Pollyanna, but I believe! Sorry Will, your cat meme is stupid! Have you run out of intelligent commentary?
1. Beach Hokie October 4, 2022 at 7:47 AM
  
  I love Ruby!!
132861Hokie October 4, 2022 at 12:55 AM

Call me Pollyanna, but I believe!
1. 134114Hokie October 4, 2022 at 11:21 PM
  
  amen!
HokieACC October 3, 2022 at 11:13 PM

I was a student at tech for four football seasons 6/82 - 12/85 and graduated with EE. One of my regrets is not going to more FB games as a student - I mean I was right there on campus and could pretty much go to about any game. Not sure if it's possible, but if TSL ever decided to start a NIL project, I would sign up for it. Although I think Pry is still the guy, I am really fed up with watching bad Hokie offenses over the many many years to the point that I have lost all perspective or patience with it. Of course I will never give up on my team even if we go 0-12, because VT will always be my only college team.
1. Brewing_Hokie October 4, 2022 at 10:30 AM
  
  TSL is partnered with Commonwealth NIL which is about as close to TSL project there will be except for the Mutts poster is what Will has said before (loosely not word for word)
Atlee Hokie October 3, 2022 at 10:13 PM

Oen choice was left out. I know what NIL is, I would like to support NIL, but can't. I'm retired, and am on a more or less fixed income. I do not have multiple millions of dollars in the bank/investments. I have been financially battered the past 12-18 months. I'm moving into a more hunkered down financial position so we can survive and not be a burden on anyone.
1. hokie_world October 3, 2022 at 11:29 PM
  
  Here here, I drop 3k for donations to get 3 season tickets and good parking. Another 3k for transportation and lodging. That's 7k and I'm all in. I don't have any more to give. There are other things I like to do.
2. pharlap_99 October 4, 2022 at 12:02 AM
  
  Good luck Atlee! Many of us feel your pain and all of us hope times change for the better.
3. tallahasseehokie October 4, 2022 at 1:56 AM
  
  Right there with u bro. Would if i could but i cant so i wont? I fully expect SS TO BE ELIMINATED BY THE RISING Fascist state- the UNIPARTY. We r headed for central bank digital fiat, universal basic income controlled by the BIS and total informational and biological controls by the technocrats over all living things…the internet of bodies. Borders are defacto eliminated and the other changes will be fully operational after the US economy and financial markets are totally demolished.
4. Cheesehokie October 4, 2022 at 10:41 AM
  
  Understood, I have the same constraints. Mebbe I’m good for $50. I did buy an unsigned Justyn Mutts poster, though (although it arrived crumpled, weeks later).
  1. Tim Lewis October 6, 2022 at 6:59 AM
    
    I got an extra poster, be glad to send it to you. (Not joking)
fosterD1 October 3, 2022 at 9:51 PM

I don’t buy that Pry and staff are deliberately holding back in their game plan. In my mind, that would be coaching suicide. Players aren’t stupid. If they feel the staff is selling them short they’ll resent it. A coaches job is to put his/her players in the best possible position to be successful. Anything short of that is malpractice.
1. vtgriff09 October 3, 2022 at 10:21 PM
  
  Agreed. You can't preach "compete" all off-season and then as coaches...screw being the best we can and competing to win, let's set the future up. It would be like everything you said is bs..the players would quit on you abd the future screwed. That could easily be the case, but I can't buy competing as the mantra and then not competing to win. I feel like incompetence is probably a higher chance. Undisciplined, awful play calling, zero player development is not purposeful....it is the best this staff can do.
MISTERBIG October 3, 2022 at 9:49 PM

I know what NIL is: A Ponzi Scheme being played on every college football loving alunni/fan in the USA.
1. Rodant Kapoor October 4, 2022 at 12:45 AM
  
  ++
2. EvDogHokie October 4, 2022 at 1:21 AM
  
  As opposed to paying money to the athletic department where every dollar is definitely spent for the betterment of the programs? How exactly is paying the students a ponzi scheme?
  1. tallahasseehokie October 4, 2022 at 2:03 AM
    
    Who runs each NIL NGO? Are they reporting revenues P&L to oversight agency? IRS (the joke of government)- some other ruling body? What does management draw for operation expense?
    1. Hokie67 October 4, 2022 at 11:05 AM
      
      Tally - isn't it an even bigger problem that no media types are asking these questions. No investigative reporter looking into the murk of NIL's. No 60 minutes expose'. Blah, Blah, Blah. My best friend and I lost a bet to a huge fan of another school. The payout for us - a contribution to the other school's NIL. It felt sleezy.
3. Steeltown Hokie October 4, 2022 at 9:46 AM
  
  +1
4. AirborneHokie96 October 4, 2022 at 11:06 AM
  
  I feel the same way... Who are the lawyers/agents/others taking their cuts of the money?
doodlebug October 3, 2022 at 9:41 PM

So, how does one go about donating to NIL ?
1. Will Stewart October 3, 2022 at 9:46 PM
  
  Link to TriumphNIL's Donate page: https://www.triumphnil.com/contact-copy Link to Commonwealth NIL's Membership page: https://commonwealthnil.com/membership/ Link to The Hokie Way's Donate page: https://www.thehokieway.org/donate Link to NRVNIL's Support page: https://nrvnil.com/support/ I suggest reaching out to each organization to find out more about what they do, and what happens to your donation. Yep, it's complicated.
  1. RTFC October 4, 2022 at 12:35 AM
    
    Thanks Will. Having those links together was informative. I browsed them all. However, I'm not sure, but it appeared to confirm one of my concerns. It appears the collectives require exclusivity of each athlete - they are competing companies - they called them "their athletes". That is a slippery slope, what do they require the athlete to sign away? and for how long? Can he "portal" to another collective? Suppose another MV1 shows up (yea!) and signs with collective ABC freshman year before he hits it big. National companies become interested in a true NIL type sponsorship agreement - as opposed to pay for play. Does this now have to run through the collective the athlete signed with? Is the collective essentially a NIL agent for the athletes? IDK, just questions like these are what make me, and likely others, not suspicious, but .... unsure - is the best word I can think of. Also, the NRVNIL states in their FAQ that they are not currently brokering deals between businesses and athletes - just redistributing 80% of donations equally to their athletes - it appears to be strictly pay for play, no strings attached. No difference in that type of collective and a bagman, except the collective takes 20%. These are all rhetorical questions - not expecting an answer. But I do think an objective article covering at least how some of these specifics work, maybe interviewing reps of the collectives, would be helpful to some that are either leaning against or are unsure about NIL.
    1. tallahasseehokie October 4, 2022 at 2:07 AM
      
      20% for nothing…there is your corruption. Audited financials at each year end? Im sure.
    2. vtce2000 October 4, 2022 at 7:09 AM
      
      I know for certain that CommonwealthNIL signs non exclusive deals with its athletes. They want the players to get as many opportunities as possible. I support them.
Repugnance4wvu October 3, 2022 at 9:40 PM

I thought all of Techs problems were the uniforms with the shoulder stripes that looked like football players. We had to get new fashion forward uniforms to get recruits. Guess that didn’t work out so well. LOL
1. HokieJB October 4, 2022 at 12:01 AM
  
  Well if we can't win on the field, let's do a fashion forward thing and get some cool unis. Also, shame on the coaches wearing those faded Maroon shirts ... lookin' at you Pry.
panhandlehokie October 3, 2022 at 9:36 PM

I understand what NIL is, but my hesitation about the entire thing is that the NCAA buffoons approved something without seemingly any forethought to enforcement of whatever rules they instituted. Whoever used the term “Wild West” is accurately describing it. Pandora’s Box is another. Just look at the disparity in numbers. Bryce Young gets $3.3 million value NIL and VT brings in MV1 and generates $50K and jumps for joy! I’m sorry, but but NIL, the Transfer Portal, and conference realignment shenanigans, are going to kill college football forever IMO. It will send millions of former diehard college football fans to the sidelines/periphery of “who cares?”
1. RTFC October 3, 2022 at 11:31 PM
  
  Exactly. And I've got no problem with Bryce Young - he is bringing value to a company - players should be allowed to do that, just don't mislabel pay to play as NIL just because it comes from a collective.
2. HokieJB October 4, 2022 at 12:02 AM
  
  NCAA has ruined college football. A pox upon them.
phonedude October 3, 2022 at 9:27 PM

I understand that Raleigh Hokie et al. have forgotten more about football than I'll ever know, but I don't understand the "building for the future / culture" argument. I see us building a culture of losing, a culture of stubbornly asking players to adapt to the scheme instead of adapting the scheme to fit the players we have, a culture where certain players keep getting playing time despite not producing. I'd like to be wrong. I'd like to believe there's a secret plan in place and we're making progress toward something better. But it seems that a more likely explanation is, to borrow CC's point, we have a HC and two coordinators who are having OJT growing pains.
1. Will Stewart October 3, 2022 at 9:47 PM
  
  Yep, which is why I wrote, "That’s a guy who knows a lot about football (primarily how it’s played on the field) observing five games and saying to himself, 'This is the only explanation I can think of for what I’m seeing.' "
msemmens October 3, 2022 at 9:24 PM

Response to the poll: I know what NIL is and will support, but I want to know that the collective that I contribute to is well run, has a vision, personally invested, and will be inclusive (eg not only support personal connections.)
1. RTFC October 3, 2022 at 11:26 PM
  
  Exactly. I see that collectives could become fiefdoms having way too much influence over which players come to VT and which don't, yeah I know what's supposed to happen, just like before NIL......
VTHokie2000 October 3, 2022 at 9:17 PM

I understand they are all legitimate businesses. I just don't believe this is the final evolution of NIL. Also, any donations I make to VT athletics has no bearing on season tickets because I made the decision in the mid-2000s to give up season tickets in football so I could spend more time on the weekend with family (particularly ones who are getting older). I believe creating memories with family and friends is a better use of my time than trekking up and down I-81 and I-66 to and from NOVA to attend a home VT athletic event. In fact the last VT home athletic event I attended was a VT men's ice hockey (club) game against UVA in Roanoke a few years ago. Assuming my work schedule allows it, I do plan to attend a VT softball game so I can meet VTChip and Arthur.
CaryHokie October 3, 2022 at 9:15 PM

I have limited money for donating to Va Tech Athletics. Which is more important: Hokie Club or NIL?
1. Will Stewart October 3, 2022 at 9:49 PM
  
  I'd say NIL, at this point. Here's the way I look at it. If a recruit has the option of (1) playing at School X, with their super-cool, state of the art facility, with $20,000 NIL money, or (2) playing at Virginia Tech, with their decent facilities and a $100,000 NIL contract ..... which do you think the athlete is going to choose?
  1. nkhooch October 4, 2022 at 3:57 AM
    
    I assume that schools know that supporters may well divert funds to NIL. But, if they think they will get better players and a better on-field product, will they care?
phoenixhokie October 3, 2022 at 9:08 PM

Will -- love this site and love the commentary but gotta' say this paragraph gets fatalistic, no? : 'I haven’t spent a whole lot of time thinking about those issues since the end of the game Saturday. I’ve spent my time realizing that the on-field performance is a train wreck right now, and I’m feeling a legitimate fear that it won’t be turned around. Not just this season, but ever.' I mean ... EVER? Really? You're not a clickbait guy so you must be 'there' which certainly makes me pause. But I'm nowhere near thinking this could .. could NEVER get turned around. It's not even feasible to think that at this point. Maybe Pry does it and maybe he doesn't but there are soooo many talented coaches out there and some VT grads coming through the coaching ranks, too. (And let's be honest, baby Beamer Shane will be available in say .. 2-3 years tops) We know all too well ODU hasn't even been slingin' it for 15 years and look what the Monarchs have built. Point being, writing a line like .. 'not just this season but ever' .. is more than a doomsday prediction. It's also just flat wrong. This *will* get corrected; it may be next year or it may be in 5 years with someone else roaming the sidelines. VT is too big, football is too important and there are too many talented coaches for it not to be corrected.
1. Will Stewart October 3, 2022 at 9:23 PM
  
  Oh, to be clear, I meant ever by this current staff. It remains to be seen if Pry can do it -- I like him and I'm rooting for him -- but if he can't get it done, somebody else can. You can win here. Heck, even Kansas has good seasons here and there.
  1. Will Stewart October 3, 2022 at 9:58 PM
    
    I just clarified that section with some additional language, @phoenixhokie.
    1. phoenixhokie October 3, 2022 at 10:36 PM
      
      Ah .. NOW makes more sense.
Willamette Hokie October 3, 2022 at 9:04 PM

I don’t understand why so many people are throwing in the towel. Sure, we’d be hard pressed to keep up with the Georgias and Bamas, but we sure as hell can keep up with many teams in the current Top 25, like Cincy, NC State, BYU, Kansas, K State, Kentucky, etc. Most of you know exactly what us fans need to do, so let’s work towards making that happen.
1. phoenixhokie October 3, 2022 at 9:10 PM
  
  +1
2. 133895Hokie October 3, 2022 at 10:18 PM
  
  Agree with your comments. I am amazed at the lack of loyalty (and in some cases knowledge) about our football history. I suspect a high percentage of folks on this site did not live through the down years in the 70's and 80's. It takes time to rebuild a program, and the current environment, fueled in part of an anemic NCAA makes things tougher for those who play by the rules. Keep the faith, stay confident and don't be so quick to judge - we will get there.
  1. panhandlehokie October 4, 2022 at 11:42 AM
    
    I think you’d be surprised how many of us “TSL looney-bins” have been “enduring VT Football” since the 60’s and 70’s and lived with and thru all the gut-punches!
    1. santafe October 4, 2022 at 1:10 PM
      
      +1
govt86 October 3, 2022 at 9:03 PM

I just don’t know the right answer. I will simply root for my school and not pretend I have answers. Go Hokies!
RTFC October 3, 2022 at 8:58 PM

WRT to NIL, I like others above know roughly what it is, but need more info. Even CC mentioned in an article he didn't fully understand it but we had to get behind it. That's not my approach to things - if I'm spending money I want to know exactly where it goes. Which sports, the withheld admin costs, what is required of the athletes, etc. Even the article on USCe WBB deal was very vague about what they would be doing for the money - "community activities and appearances". If we're just going to pay them, take the collective middlemen out of it. Also, I paid for two offspring to go to VT - out of state. I know the value of that. It's not my problem that a group of athletes want to be pros - and 98% of them will never be - and don't want to accept what is offered for a chance to get to the pros - and have a fallback position. I get they don't value that. I do. We disagree. Old school and out dated? Yes. Doesn't affect what I value - it is too ingrained. That doesn't mean I don't think they should be able to earn money. They should. But taking someone's donated money for a created, contrived appearance isn't earning it. (Doesn't mean there won't be good things that happen in some of those appearances, particularly if charitable orgs are involved) We're just creating funds to give away money for playing. If a company sees value in paying a player to sponsor something - go for it. Don't ask me to donate to "Name, Image, Likeness" - and take an outside administrative cut - when it is really just pay to play.
1. LXNTN_HOKIE October 3, 2022 at 11:09 PM
  
  I agree.
Hokiefied October 3, 2022 at 8:53 PM

Go watch the movie Hoosiers: 5 passes minimum before a shot is taken no matter what. This is where Pry is at. Look to November for the first baby steps.
VTNuke October 3, 2022 at 8:43 PM

I know we are looking at the past a lot here, but Colorado has been in the Pac12 for more than a few years. I voted Other. I know what NIL is, I understand it and how important it is to VT's athletic success, but I am taking a serious look at how much enjoyment I have gotten from VT athletics since starting to donate 18 years ago. After they didn't fire Fuente in 2020, I dropped my donation significantly and have not fully returned. I doubt I will, but who knows. I'm tired of the way college football is right now and I am fine taking a step away from a bad system. Other sports interest me, and have interested me more than football for several years. I've given to those other sports specifically, but in the end, I just don't like the entire system and I get tired of ESPN's control over the sport. The ACC hasn't helped with the ACCNetwork and the TV deal. Yes, we may be better off with that deal because other programs haven't left, but it handcuffs every ACC school, badly.
Long-Lost Hokie October 3, 2022 at 8:41 PM

Re: years past... I graduated high school in 1989. Came to Tech a year later, after a year at community college, but attended some Tech games in the fall of '89 because my best friend went there and I wanted to go there. What I recall in those days is that the bulk of students came late, left early, and barely watched the game. The student section was almost never completely full (this was, of course, in the pre-expansion days), and sell-outs were reserved almost exclusively for UVA games. Which, as I recall, we usually lost. The crowd I ran with viewed Frank Beamer as relatively incompetent. At the time, VT was in the midst of weathering that very rare "honor" of having its football AND basketball programs on NCAA probation, having recently parted ways with its winningest-ever (at the time) football coach AND basketball coach as a result of the violations. Fun fact: Charlie Moir, who literally did not graduate a single player he recruited in his final five years at Tech, was later inducted into the VT Hall of Fame. The idea that we would have the run that Beamer went on to have was the furthest thing from anybody's mind at the time. Tech football was boring and bad for a really long time (with a blip in the Dooley years, aided by him awarding too many scholarships "by mistake"), and nobody was all that fussed about it. Then, the college football landscape happened to break perfectly for Beamer and the university. Conference affiliations, the growth of ESPN, particularly Gameday, Michael Vick. It worked out for us to have a run not unlike the basketball program's run from the 1960s through the 1980s, when it pretty routinely had postseason success -- and, again, conference affiliation (joining the Metro) helped fuel at least some of that. (As did Charlie Moir's cheating. Bill Dooley's cheating is disputed; Moir's is not.) All that's to say, all told, our revenue sports programs are historically about the same in terms of their success. Our basketball program doesn't get enough credit; our football program gets too much credit. We're sad about football now because we erroneously thought we were on the cusp of something bigger in the Beamer era (turns out we weren't; that was as good as it got, and that was pretty damn awesome, in hindsight). And we've forgotten where we came from, which is probably the bigger sin. Signed, Long-[Post] Hokie
IB4TECH October 3, 2022 at 8:39 PM

Two things. 1) For those that will support NIL and don't know what to do, just give a small amount as that will not be much of a risk. 2) I wouldn't be surprised if we don't see some change during the season. I'm not betting on that but I can see it happen.
1. Long-Lost Hokie October 3, 2022 at 9:08 PM
  
  Agreed. And very succinct. I admire that (really).
Hokie1992 October 3, 2022 at 8:24 PM

Ps. Chapel hell is a great title. I hope The car gets on the TSL boards. He obviously has the answers
Cheesehokie October 3, 2022 at 8:22 PM

The commenters who are giving up already - on the coaches, the team, on NIL participation - just don't get it. FBS college football has become Big Business, whether we like it or not. And in business, if you aren't changing and improving, you're falling behind. Our fan base is very conservative, in relative terms. Many yearn for simpler times, with the Highty Tighties playing "Dixie"; the players having short hair, no tats, always say "yessir", and will be eternally grateful for getting a scholarship to our beloved VT. At 68, I understand that yearning for a bygone era, but them days are over. Every entity involved with college football is making money - except the players. And, unfortunately, money is the lubricant upon which this world rotates. We need to make a choice: Do we want to simply compete, or do we want to compete and be successful doing it? If the former, then reset your win-loss expectations. If the latter, then ante up.
1. Long-Lost Hokie October 3, 2022 at 9:10 PM
  
  Agreed.
2. tallahasseehokie October 4, 2022 at 2:19 AM
  
  I fully understand its pay to play. Count me out. I found something else to do this past Saturday as i will next.
Hokie1992 October 3, 2022 at 8:22 PM

Very interesting to consider the first six Beamer seasons and Pry’s first. The ‘87 team really struggled. But Beamer found his key players, including Jon Jeffries, Erik Chapman, Myron Richardson, Todd grant ham, Steven johnson But in 1989, things started to come around with the arrival of Vaughn hebron and Tony Kennedy Overall, the current team has more talent then those first six Beamer teams. But the staff has to establish its two-deep OLand rbs
1. panhandlehokie October 4, 2022 at 11:53 AM
  
  And hope/pray they stick around vice transfer portal….or all bets are off and mediocrity continues!
Hubman October 3, 2022 at 8:18 PM

Sooo, unless I start paying the players out of my own wallet, Pry doesn’t stand a chance? Yet we just paid him millions of dollars to coach our team? Why did we do that? It sounds like we should have saved some of that money for players. No, I am not raising or altering my current donation to pay players when the NCAA and schools, who make millions off of those players, will not pay them. No way. ✌️
1. hokiepro October 3, 2022 at 8:34 PM
  
  Ok then. Don’t complain when we lose…PERIOD
  1. Hubman October 3, 2022 at 8:46 PM
    
    LOL, again, it’s my fault that we lose? I have been contributing to the Hokie Club for over twenty years, never skipping a beat. And now it’s MY fault we are losing? Bro, I have done my part. Maybe the millionaires could start to do theirs…
    1. Willamette Hokie October 3, 2022 at 9:41 PM
      
      No one is saying it’s your fault. But the landscape is changing. And if we all want this team to be successful, we are all going to have to adapt.
      1. Hubman October 3, 2022 at 9:52 PM
        
        And I am not saying "me" specifically. I am saying "me" as representing fans/alums/donors
        
        Willamette Hokie October 3, 2022 at 9:57 PM
        
        Understood.
2. peewee56 October 3, 2022 at 10:15 PM
  
  Amen. For what these coaches get paid they ought to be able to perform miracles NIL notwithstanding.
23434 October 3, 2022 at 8:06 PM

Will I can remember the Southern Conference and games in Miles Stadium. Things were not always joyous back then either. Playing catch-up is very difficult when the train left the station long before VT noticed. It is likely to be a tough slog. We are immensely behind because we were riding a bicycle to the wrong station. ODU… twice… give me a break. You lose before you play them regardless of the results. The same for Liberty.
RJHokie October 3, 2022 at 7:58 PM

Wrt NIL contributions - when the collectives state publicly in print the % of contributions/funding going to the athletes, I will consider contributing to them, and I suspect others will too. And further, the collectives should have this percentage publicly verified by audit or through agreed-upon-procedures by an independent CPA firm.
1. saret October 3, 2022 at 8:58 PM
  
  Hear! Hear! RJ. Transparency builds trust. That tells you how much I trust the Whit brain trust.
pine52x October 3, 2022 at 7:53 PM

I sent a donation to SERTC when Tony Robie said they needed NIL funds. I am familiar with SERTC and felt comfortable sending the money there (it may not be used for NIL but I am ok with that). I still feel uncomfortable sending a NIL donation to CNIL, Triumph NIL, or HokieWay Collective. I'm just not familiar enough with them, and how they might spend it or who they will spend it on. I realize I'm likely being overly cautious now and hopefully gaining familiarity with these new organizations will change that.
1. AirborneHokie96 October 3, 2022 at 8:39 PM
  
  That's because with SERTC/Robie, you know all of your donation will go to the athletes. We have no idea how much admin/marketing costs are with CNIL, Triumph NIL, or HokieWay Collective.
2. IB4TECH October 3, 2022 at 8:43 PM
  
  Just give a little bit until you're good with them. If enough people do that as a minimum, it can make a difference.
  1. tallahasseehokie October 4, 2022 at 2:22 AM
    
    Get another landscaper??
MOvatechgrad October 3, 2022 at 7:41 PM

I know what NIL is, can donate, but believe the idiots that set this up like the Wild West will start putting some guardrails in place. I’m waiting to see what happens.
134206Hokie October 3, 2022 at 7:37 PM

Is there a way to explain what the objective is for each NIL and what they are doing with each sport to give a fair representation of how they are using their funds to enhance Virginia Tech sports? I am totally in the dark on what each of these NIL's represents to me as a potential investor. Maybe, this would help others like myself to explain the focus of each NIL and allow us to pick which one we want to invest our money.
VTHokie2000 October 3, 2022 at 7:35 PM

WRT your poll question, I chose Other because my answer is "I know what NIL is, and I don't know if I want to support it or not." As I have stated in other posts, I am not against the idea of college athletes making money. However, we all know the only constant in this world is change, so it is reasonable to assume that the current stage of NIL is probably not the final stage of the evolution process. So what will be the next evolution of the NIL process? Can VT and/or its fans "afford it" or "afford to commit to it?" What implications would the next stage have on the other sports VT sponsors? What are the Title IX implications associated with the next stage (if there are any)? I guess ultimately I would like some more data points on where all this is headed before committing to either supporting or not supporting it.
1. hokiepro October 3, 2022 at 8:38 PM
  
  Commonwealth, Hokie Way and Triumph NIL are all legitimate businesses supporting NIL for VT athletes; my suggestion and what I’m doing is paying the minimum to VT for seats I’d like then whatever else I can to the NIL I feel works best (likely Triumph)
  1. HokieJamie October 3, 2022 at 9:23 PM
    
    That was my point below. Having 3 might be working against us more than for us if they all combined into 1 and we all knew this is where to go to. Again I’m not informed just a random thought I had.
    1. RTFC October 4, 2022 at 12:55 AM
      
      They are separate for profit businesses (I know one of them has applied for 501 status). I'm not saying they are not in it to do good for VT, but they are a business to make money. NRV appears to be the only one that clearly advertises on their website they retain 20% of donations for the business (it may be on the other websites, but wasn't front and center or in any FAQs)
wwhokie1 October 3, 2022 at 7:32 PM

I fear difficutly keeping upper classmen when you are focused on playing for the future. Those players won't be here in the future. We need to see some benefits in the not too distant future.
hokieton October 3, 2022 at 7:27 PM

My comment on the NIL poll: I know what NIL is, but my money needs to go to a cause I believe in. I don't believe Whit Babcock is the right person to bring VT football back, and believe he is a major factor in it's downfall. For me personally, once I see and believe in this program I will donate.
1. justolerable October 3, 2022 at 8:22 PM
  
  Sorta bass ackwards of what is needed. Glad you are considering it though. VT Football needs you and all of us fans need each other. Would be a nice change if we all could pull together. Most of us maybe!
2. hokiepro October 3, 2022 at 8:42 PM
  
  That’s not the way to think of it. Whit’s hire will or won’t work and he’ll be judged for that on its own merits. Withholding $ because you don’t agree with one employee, coach, etc only hamstrings the program more
khakiblue October 3, 2022 at 7:22 PM

Until Tech finds that “lightning in bottle again”, this will never get turned around. I’m afraid Tech has had it’s time “in the sun”. That sun has set.
HokieJamie October 3, 2022 at 7:18 PM

Will is it possible that having multiple collectives causes some confusion among those that might want to support it. People may not be sure which is the “right” one to contribute to so they end up doing nothing. Would it benefit us more to have them all combine into one big collective? I don’t know how it is being done at other schools if they have one or multiple.
1. hokieusc October 3, 2022 at 7:54 PM
  
  Look at what Ole Miss did Friday to address that issue.
  1. Will Stewart October 4, 2022 at 9:32 AM
    
    What did they do?
    1. hokieusc October 4, 2022 at 9:43 AM
      
      Will, see link below: https://www.si.com/college/olemiss/football/ole-miss-rebels-victory-kentucky-wildcats-nil-deal
2. Will Stewart October 3, 2022 at 9:28 PM
  
  That is possibly an issue, yes. Many people don't know why there are three -- four, if you count fledgling NRV NIL -- and don't know what the differences are.
  1. HokieJamie October 4, 2022 at 9:24 AM
    
    Yup and don’t have the time or effort to look into it so they just throw their hands up and walk away.
vtgriff09 October 3, 2022 at 6:57 PM

Count me out on a guy who's culture is to not try and win every single time he lines up vs a team. That makes every statement he said all offseason worthless bs. He talked about competing in everything we do....practice what you preach. You try and win every single game with everything u have.
1. kwkook October 3, 2022 at 7:40 PM
  
  Agree
2. Hubman October 3, 2022 at 8:12 PM
  
  I thought Raleigh Hokie’s post sounded like he was talking about a team from the 1980’s. You are going to ignore winning to build a “culture” for players you will likely lose in a year because they are sick of losing? This. Isn’t. 1987. The coach gets paid millions to figure out how to win and win now, otherwise, just hire the Blacksburg High coach and pay him $100K…
  1. eodenc October 3, 2022 at 8:25 PM
    
    And put 3.9 million towards the nil. Just might work wonders.
    1. bvballHokie October 6, 2022 at 3:06 PM
      
      Seriously...take all the money we're paying the coaches, give it to the players, and hire someone off the street who knows a little football for $80,000.
3. Winchester Hokie October 3, 2022 at 8:28 PM
  
  Agree. Quit trying to pound square pegs in round holes, and try to win games with the players you have. Don't run it up the middle every single time, expecting a different result "sometime, some game." Etc.
  1. MDHokie79 October 4, 2022 at 10:18 AM
    
    I know what NIL is, but at my age (65) and in semi-retirement, I am not in any position to, or compulsion to, significantly support it. I don't like it and it seems like it is bribery, as I see very little use of name, image, or likeness in most cases. BTW, I don't support forgiving student loans either. Ca;; me old school....I look around at this country and the world today and have to ask: how did I end up in an alternate universe that is this screwed up? ;-)
    1. heklsk October 4, 2022 at 1:43 PM
      
      I hope this coaching staff is not stubbornly throwing away this season in the hopes of winning sometime in the future.. To paraphrase a good coach- you play to win the game!

Monday Thoughts: Chapel Hell

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