Virginia Tech Mailbag: Would An SEC Invite Bring Hokies Happiness?

20 Comments

1. 

   b2bhokie June 15, 2024 at 8:50 AM

   I remember when VT people Were Elated to Join the ACC with the help of yes, UVA! VT does not need the sec to Bring Down their academic Excellence for a few fooooootball neanderthals.
   1. 

      MiamiSailingHokie June 18, 2024 at 4:15 PM

      Neanderthals...I agree. Always looked up to the ACC for academic excellence as well as great sports teams. B10 B12 SEC ... naw.
2. 

   seekoHoG June 14, 2024 at 4:52 PM

   Didn’t someone once suggest VT would never win a championship in any sport as a member of the ACC? IMHO, VT would be just fine in the SEC.
3. 

   vtandy June 13, 2024 at 5:49 PM

   Say VT joins the SEC... What happens to VT Wrestling? No SEC schools sponsor wrestling, so VT would have to become an affiliate member of a lesser conference (MAC, etc) or join something like the EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association). For a program with such a strong recent history, this would certainly be a giant step backwards.
4. 

   1newhokie June 12, 2024 at 11:26 PM

   A move to the SEC would be a great move. The money would help with N I L and allow us to pay our coaches more to keep them and our programs getting better each year so we could complete each year like FL or GA.
5. 

   GO_HOKIES_GO June 12, 2024 at 7:12 PM

   VT should pray they get an $EC invitation because it guarantees the other sports in the portfolio remain relevant. It isn’t the football team that needs the extra money, but everyone else. I don’t think there is a chance in hell that the Hokies get an invitation to the $EC, but if that happens it will mean that VT will be in the big-time moving forward.
6. 

   Vippie1 June 12, 2024 at 6:57 PM

   So you covered Tuberville? That's a lot of brilliance to be around, hope you wore sunglasses.
7. 

   El Paso Hokie June 12, 2024 at 6:57 PM

   I would like to see VT remain relevant in either of the two P2 conferences, but if the choice were mine, I would choose the SEC because it has exciting matchups and better weather. We're unlikely to win conference championships in either of those two conferences, so I'm not worried about that. Being reasonably competitive on a big stage would be fine for me and with P2 funding I think that's a realistic expectation. Meanwhile, it looks like the ACC is destined for 2nd or 3rd class status, in which case I hope we can land somewhere better.
   1. 

      1newhokie June 12, 2024 at 11:32 PM

      I hope and pray each nite that we could get that invite. We could get our programs up to the level of GA or FL. The N I L could help more with the money we could put there and in state kids would want to stay here with the talent that leave to play in the SEC.
   2. 

      Hokie90_CA June 13, 2024 at 9:48 AM

      10 years after an SEC invite, assuming Whit is still the AD (my off the cuff predictions): (1) Hokies non-revenue/olympic sports would be awesome. In or near the top 10 in the Directors’ cup standings every year. (2) WBB would be a perennial NCAA team with multiple sweet 16 appearances. Fans would be happy. (3) MBB would be much better than it is now, but the results in terms of NCAA appearances and deep runs wouldn’t be materially different than the history from 2004 - 2024. An occasional NCAA bid and unlikely to get past sweet 16. (4) Football…..would be really tough sledding each year. I mean REALLY tough. 8-4 would be a SPECTACULAR season. If VaTech is in the SEC then FSU and Clemson would likely be in the conference also. You’d have a murderers row of a schedule every year. Texas, Oklahoma, Bama, Georgia, LSU, Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, Clemson, FSU have all won NCs in the last 30 years. That’s arguably 10 blue-bloods in the conference. Depending on the scheduling model, The Hokies would play 3 to 5 of them every year. I think it’s unlikely we make the 12 team playoff more than once in a 15 year span. That said, VaTech does possess the base ingredients to have at least a small chance at big success in the SEC, but it would have to be an all-in mindset in the athletic dept. AND the University leadership like most other SEC schools. And we would need an extraordinary head coach and staff that would be very hard to keep in place once the success happens. On average, 2 of those 10 bluebloods would be looking for a new coach in any given year with very deep pockets.
8. 

   132598Hokie June 12, 2024 at 6:20 PM

   The SEC would be a boost to recruiting and money and we would be able to catch up in most sports especially football. I would be all for us in the SEC, including with donations.
9. 

   roberb7 June 12, 2024 at 2:35 PM

   I'll say up front that I think that VT belongs in the ACC, for a number of reasons. One of them is, we would never be able to compete financially with schools like Alabama, LSU, or Texas, simply because we VT alumni have more good sense than they do. I will say this, however; VT should be able to out-recruit the average SEC schools like Kentucky, USC-East, Mississippi State, and Arkansas, simply because VT is a better school.
10. 

    TomA June 12, 2024 at 2:01 PM

    It would be an unmitigated disaster for the HOKIES to join the SEC — I would hate it and would stop following almost all Tech sports and would stop giving. The BIG 10, I would be OK with, but I prefer the ACC. I don't care if Clemson and FSU or Miami leave.
    1. 

       HolidayInnHokie June 12, 2024 at 2:35 PM

       If it’s between the B1G 10 and SEC, that is not even close. You want to be in the SEC. For many reasons. The B1G in football is no picnic and VT actually matches up better with the SEC mantra of speed and athleticism. The B1G is much more about strength and grit. We USED to be that in the ‘90s but the program it isn’t molded that way currently. How does it usually work out when we play some of these B1G type teams (and former Big East members) like WVU, Rutgers, Pitt, Syracuse, BC, etc (yes I know we beat Pitt and BC last season)? Not that it carries nearly as much weight as football, but I do believe women’s basketball under Duffy and many VT Olympic sports teams would be very competitive in the SEC. I think softball and baseball would do well (baseball needs changes in the pitching dept but still has a lot of potential). Plus as a VT fan, you should selfishly root for us to get the SEC because it’s a lot of cool road trips and plenty of good folks from opposing teams who would come to Blacksburg. I would relish that. B1G 10 teams are generally very boring to watch.
    2. 

       middletennhokie June 12, 2024 at 2:54 PM

       Amen. Lived deep in SEC country for 25 years. It would be a disaster, but don't worry. VT will never get an offer. The SEC & ESPN only want blue blood BRANDS that drive TV viewership. Would love to see the ACC merge with the B1G to form a truly national college football conference.
    3. 

       ancient alien 2018 June 12, 2024 at 10:29 PM

       LOL!! The SEC would be an "unmitigated disaster"? The ACC will eventually be on par with CUSA or the bottom of the BIG12. If you don't think that would be a gigantic disaster for VT football, and athletics in general, you need to send Bitter, Will or Chris a short e-mail and ask for their explanation on what staying in the ACC W/O 3 or 4 top programs would mean for these programs!!!
11. 

    BlackwaterHokie June 12, 2024 at 1:21 PM

    The answer is a resounding yes.
12. 

    VT Rockie June 12, 2024 at 1:12 PM

    Hokie fans better be praying we get an SEC invite. You become the best playing the best. Tech needs to have higher athletic goals for athletic competition. If Tech doesn't compete with the big boys then find something else to do. We've been the stepchild most of the years checking our history. Your question is a "no brainer."
    1. 

       Hokie-wan Kenobi June 12, 2024 at 3:02 PM

       Right on ..... well said.
    2. 

       vtgriff09 June 12, 2024 at 4:23 PM

       That sounds good and well, but you become the best in today's era with a huge NIL program and tons of money for coaches, players and facilities. In football, we would be globbered by the SEC. We can talk about when Mizzu joined and they made a splash early, that was before adding Oklahoma, Texas, Clemson, FSU and potentially other, more prestigious and better funded, programs. I would hope it is not as early as next yr...because with all the talk of the upward trajectory...it appears that after this season we will lose a ton of starters...that would be a fatal way to join the SEC. Even if we are in the ACC, it could be a struggle...the portal will be everything next yr. I like the ACC, it gives us the best shot at making the CFP and major bowls. It keeps baseball and softball relevant and it doesn't make it too insurmountable.