This should be grounds to cancel the series in my book. How is there no security for the visiting team? Bush league shit.
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No win scenario.
Broken elevators.
Theft.
Do we need more reasons not to play this game?
I get not wanting to play ODU for 10 years, but the last time we canceled a series like this they filled it with ODU, next time it's gonna be JMU and I absolutely can not take 10 years of those assholes
This is a valid point. I hate that we have this long contract with ODU but it pretty much is a replacement for ecu. A lazy deal imo but I don't fully understand the complexities of making sure your football team has games to play every year.
I think the theft, failure to secure the field at least long enough for the players to get off the field, and inadequate facilities (elevator) there is enough for VT to complain about to get some concessions. Maybe we can threaten to cancel the series unless ODU delivers a solid plan to beef up their security and ensure elevators work. Or maybe we can strong arm them into making all 10 games happen in Blacksburg because they obviously can't handle hosting a serious game.
Fair point, but why does it seem like we are the only school making 10 year deals with other schools?
Can you honestly name another program that does this?
The people that want to cancel the series every time a team beats us are sore losers. We have an opportunity to win the next 9 and make this a respectable 11-2 record.
Sure. But let's stack the deck in our favor. All remaining games to be played in Blacksburg because they clearly can't handle hosting this game
Meh I wanted to cancel the series after we beat them in Lane. I wanted to cancel the series before a single game was played. I wanted to cancel it the second it was announced.
We should never be scheduling decades long series with teams in a lower prestige than we are. Those do nothing but drag the higher team down, even when you're beating them. There's a reason the SEC has played 22 road games against non P5 teams since the playoff was announced. VT alone plays 2 such games this year. It's scheduling for failure.
We should be maximizing home games. Get as many home games as we can for ACC broadcasting purposes. Only schedule road games against P5 opponents. And if that means we just have to pay schools to play in Lane every year, so be it.
Yes, we should cancel this series. Elevators breaking down and the locker room robbed? That's high school level crap that shouldnt be acceptable. If we have to worry about our health and safety we shouldn't be there. Period.
We' e always played one or 2 really crap teams. I thought I heard the big selling point to this series was that the tidewater region was very talent-rich, so we wanted to play a game much closer to that area to give kids considering Tech an opportunity to go watch us play.
The real reason is it's cheap. The recruiting thing was just spin to help sell a long-term series playing at a school we have no business going to.
But I'm not imagining that they said that? I thought it made sense, just didn't know how much it might actually help with recruiting. And guess I really didn't think about it since we always played one or two really crappy teams, like one FCS and one crappy team near the bottom of a G5 conference.
Thought there was one year near the end of the Beamer era that we played 2 FCS schools and we were in danger of not being bowl eligible because only one FCS counts towards bowl eligibility.
I mean, would we be complaining about playing ODU if we walked in there and beat them by 50 every time?
No we certainly wouldn't be complaining. But the point is, we don't need to play at ODU as much as they need us to play there. For a former football power like VT that is really struggling and far from its glory days, trying to slowly claw its way back to relevance, we don't need these situations where schools see us as a wounded animal to tee off on. We need to be scheduling things as much in our favor as possible and not playing on the road at places like this where it's only going to look horrible and make us look worse when we lose, because our talent level is so marginal that things like this can happen. VT needs VT to be good, and the ACC really needs VT to be good.
We're basically doing ourselves no favor with this arrangement and making the rebuild harder.
Honestly, the ACC needs to go to a nine game schedule, and we need to make the WVU game annual again. Play one FCS school and leave another spot for a rotating G5 or occasional marquee P5 matchup. That's the best way to stabilize our schedule without having to get in deals with this like ODU because it's easy and cheap to fill out the schedule that way. They have become the new ECU. If we played that same game Friday against an ACC school or WVU, the loss would be much easier to swallow.
It was 2019 with Fuente. We had Furman and Rhode Island on the schedule, I believe due to the shuffling of the schedule after we dropped ECU. Of course the eligibility rule almost didn't matter as both games were much closer than they should have been. But the alternate reality where we didn't add a second FCS game isn't much better, because our OOC that year would have been ODU, ECU, FCS, and Notre Dame.
Ah, thanks for setting me straight. I'm not good about telling timeframes sometimes, usually if something else big and memorable happens it helps.
I really want to see some data on how playing at ODU helps with our recruiting.
I doubt it matters to recruits where the games are played, because they can't take a recruiting visit with the visiting team, and they can watch just about any game on their phone.
Is it so the coaches can use the pitch for 757 families that they can come see their kid play locally once every couple of years? Doesn't seem like a strong selling point considering the size of ODU's stadium.
It still doesn't excuse how we had long term deals with both ODU and ECU at the same time, plus we were sprinkling in Liberty games.
What does that gain us? The perception is we are supposed to win that many. When we don't, it is an "embarrassment." I'd rather play a respectable team where either could win.
I agree with Alum.
I don't want to cancel the series because we lost. I half expected to lose as we are rebuilding.
I want to cancel the series because we should never be playing at some half assed place where they can't provide the proper security to protect our kids stuff while they're playing the game. This shit is a whole different level above broken elevators and crappy camera work.
11-2 against ODU is "respectable"??????????
That whole ODU area has been well known for decades as a high theft zone. So this isn't shocking but what is surprising is that the visiting team locker room could not at least be secured. This is a big pile of steaming BS.
I want to scale down the games for sure, but I def want to go back and beat them there after this one. Instead of 5 home 4 away maybe we can cut a check to do 4 and 2 or 3 and 1.
Bottom line need to start scheduling like a top 20 team and playing like a top 20 team. Meaning no 1 for 1's with G5's and when we do go there, beating the shit out of them.
Cancel this bush league series and get a long term with WVU. They are our traditional rival... and whether some of us want to admit it or not, our closest peer program.
I second this. WVU would jump at the chance to play us annually again, would rather have an annual matchup with a P5 nearby rival than a lose-lose long term series with ODU. Theft in locker rooms doesn't happen at P5 programs. It happens at busch league glorified high school programs like ODU.
Why do we owe anything to these other in-state schools? Screw them. I don't see it as beneficial in any way to help them out and play games at their stadiums (ODU, Liberty).
*considering whether I prefer beer bottles being thrown at me as a Hokie fan in Hampton or Morgantown*
Tough call. I can get better seafood afterwards in the Roads, but then who doesn't enjoy warming their hands by a toasty couch fire on a autumn evening?
Been to both. Not even close. Morgantown.
I third this. I absolutely loathe WVU. Plus if both programs return to semi-prominence that should be a guaranteed night game which = primetime game with lots of eyeballs. The cruits want to be on the television!
It's sad that I don't hate them as much as I used since we haven't played much. I want to hate their guts - BRING IT BACK!!
Yes, ODU should be providing secure facilities. They didn't. I wish these games were at home, but since they aren't and there is this supposed recruitment rationale (I don't buy it), we as a program owe it to our players to provide a secure environment. And if that means we take our own lockeroom security, so be it. It's not like we didn't know what to expect.
We need to find and schedule a halfway respectable school in the region where we can reliably get a W each year. Oh yeah, there are no such opponents for our Hokie football team anymore.
I would question the refs first, they robbed the team on the field multiple times, probably hit the locker room for good measure.
I don't know why we are signing anyone to 10 years. It's like we are defining another psuedo conference game. why? It's dumb as shit. There are plenty of teams in leagues lower than P5. Spread it around and for me, I don't give a fuck if its not in VA.
Shorten the series with ODU. Reschedule with other teams in the region not in state. Appalachian State, ECU, Coastal Carolina, Marshall, Memphis, UNC Charlotte, Western Kentucky, ETSU, Navy.
Appalachian State,
ECU, Coastal Carolina, Marshall, Memphis, UNC Charlotte, Western Kentucky, ETSU, NavyFTFY, but yes exactly. Why do we want to play ANY of these teams for multiple years? Mix it up. Variety is the spice of life.
Thank you.
UNC-Charlotte, absolutely! 2.5 hrs away, we should be recruiting that area hard every year...do a 4-for-2 or something like that
I miss the days when we would schedule a MAC team like Directional Michigans, Akron, Ohio, Kent State, etc. for a mid-major game. Wouldn't mind seeing Marshall on the schedule now and then again either. Don't understand why we need to sign long-term scheduling agreements with a specific G5 other than it's cheap.
I think another growing sentiment among fans of both schools is that VT-WVU needs to become an annual game again. I wouldn't mind that if we need a long-term partner for scheduling stability. Everyone has the anecdotal horror stories and yeah things had become pretty heated back in the mid-2000s. But I think the vast majority of WVU and Tech fans would welcome the game back and be normal adults about it.
agree on all of this. Bring back the ZIPs!
Is this why the elevator got stuck? It was a great distraction.
To be honest, if ODU manipulated the elevator to break down like that I would have mad respect for them. That's old school college football mind games and I fully support it.
Something like this?
EXACTLY like this
That's right up there with Hayden Fry and the pink visitor's locker room.
(And if that's what 07Hokie posted below, then my apologies for my job's crappy internet filter, and I'll drink. But someone's gotta let me know.)
2015 is when the CFP started, Beamer lost at ECU that year. 2016 started the Fuente era. 2022 Pry losses at ODU.Just for some context of the 20 games. But HOLY SHIT is that damming to Fuente to ever get hired as a head whistle again for a P5 program.
edit: I can't read, Don't mind me.
What does this have to do with Fuente? He had nothing to do with the schedule haha. And tbh he's only responsible for one non-P5 road loss.
Reading comprehension will get after ya. Brain transposed VT for ACC. Thanks for pointing that out.
My brother in Christ, it's the ACC as a whole with those losses not just VT.
I had the same initial take as VTtoSC. Now I'm just wondering how many were ours.
Three, one by each coach we've had during the playoff era. Beamer to ECU, Fuente to ODU, and now Pry to ODU.
may not be enough to cancel the series, but we gotta figure out a way to use this to get out of playing another game there.
Although part of me wants to keep going there till we win, it shouldn't be this hard ffs
If we schedule a 10-year deal with Wisconsin, do y'all think we might get to play them once or twice at some point?
Pffft. Not freaking likely 😒
Traveling to Norfolk with all that VT NIL loot. Definitely got to lock down that locker room to protect the goods.
I know you're joking. But why didn't we bring security? One person just to sit in the locker room during the game (when it's empty).
When I saw this I was wondering why we completely cleared out the locker room. I would have thought there would be at least one equipment guy hanging around. I guess they all come up to the sideline? The fact someone could just roll in and take things from the players is crazy to me.
Should have left one guy in the locker room. With The Skipper.
A bunch of bush league disrespectful fans too. I am an older guy, 60+, and had to listen to students yelling f VT at me and my wife. Leaving the game there was a fire in the street that looked like a couch burning. Reminded me of West Va.
This stuff just pisses me off to no end. We put ourselves in this situation. UVA isn't playing down at ODU. You have a lot of students who probably didn't get into VT there and have an axe to grind. We just add fuel to the fire sometimes with our perception in state.
Agreed! I've been to a number of away and neutral site games since 2007. My experience in Norfolk on Friday was easily the worst I've dealt with. We had to walk past the student section in the NEZ to get to our seats and it was just nonstop trash from them. Leaving the stadium to get to the car was no better.
From VTJ12:
I really wanted to ask the students heckling me what their first choice school was but figured it wouldn't go over well so I kept quiet.
No, that never goes over well. A bit hoo-ish, if you ask me. (And GT as well, they've got a bit of academic snob in them, too.)
The way I put it into perspective: they rushed the field and destroyed downtown Norfolk for a win against possibly the worst tech team they'll ever play. Have fun with that, idiots
It's possible the hecklers weren't ODU students or even college students. Just a bunch of trolls that broke out of the internet.
I just took a look at ODU's schedule. Talk about a list of meteor games.
They play at ECU and at uva the next two weeks. (odu@uva is 2 PM on ACCN after our Wofford game.) They also have Liberty come to town in October.
At least uva has a trip to Norfolk on the books for 2028.
Somebody call the Waaaahbulance.
We lost to ODU and people are asking to cancel the series.
Just handle our business and get a W and everything is fine. Instead Kakavitsas gets called for pass interference and 14-3 lead turns into 7-10 deficit and the fanbase melts down.
No, no, you can't just come here with logic and reason.
But I strongly agree with your point.
Not gonna downvote you, but read my comment above. As i said, I don't wanna cancel because we lost- i half expected a loss...I wanna cancel because we shouldn't be playing at a shithole with no security where our kids get robbed while they're playing.
Edit- meant to reply to the post directly above.....
Except ECU is dicks. ODU is a shithole. WVU is a bunch of couch burners. Liberty is dirty. JMU is a bunch of punks.
The only common thread in all these awful opponents is our fanbase. Soon we'll have to duck every team in a 5 hour radius because of this or that perceived slight.
P.S. I don't care if I get downvoted. Go ahead if it makes you feel better.
I'll take WVU off that list any day. No reason to go play at a G5 like ODU. Should we schedule away games at Akron or Eastern Michigan?
Trying to put it in perspective a bit.
We used to open with Bama or USC or LSU or some high profile game at least. If we would have done that this year it would have been a total massacre and a real national embarrassment. I don't like the loss to odu at all, however I'll take that under the current circumstances with the turnovers and sloppy play versus getting slapped around on the national stage during a given shit year with new coaches and a roster of unknowns.
The biggest gripe I have is that I think we should have probably opened the "rebuild" season with a FCS opponent in order to circumvent the sloppy play and maybe get that out of the way before playing a meaningful schedule.
Not me man. I'd have much rather been Oregon this weekend and get drilled by Georgia 49-3 than lose to freakin ODU. Gets the players easily hyped for the start of the season, gives your players experience against a great team on a huge stage, gets your program on a national stage, etc etc etc.
Even though we lost most of the time, I loved the run not too long ago when we were always playing Bama, Ohio St, LSU, etc. to start the season. I'm sure it helped the team a lot more than it hurt to lose.
And honestly, even though Oregon got drilled 49-3, nobody's saying that that is an embarrassing loss; it just shows how great Georgia is.
I thought i remembered some VT official (maybe Whit) with a comment about "keeping travel dollars within the state" and supporting the VA schools. Could some of the 10 year contract be coming from political pressure from BOV/Va leadership?
I'm with hokietopher, we shouldn't be playing this as a home and home, it should be 2 for 1 at worst.
Unfortunatey, We've become so mediocre/bad that noone wants to schedule us for the same reasons we don't want to schedule ODU. We've become that middling team that others are expected to beat and it looks bad if we pull the "upset" against them.
yup we are currently a G5 team in a P5 conference.
Jesus this take is so bad. Look around P5 football the last ten years we aren't even in the bottom quarter. Does that mean Nebraska is a G5 team? Illinois? Kansas? Purdue? Rutgers? GT? Duke? Hell the list of P5 teams in last ten years that have won less than 4 games for an entire season is long Tech has never done that. Is our program good right now, no just look around but to say it's a G5 program in P5 conference is laughable.
Agree with this. We aren't that bad. But, no one poops the bed quite like VT.
The takes about us right now are at an all time comedic level.
We have some guy on Reddit yesterday flooding the VT threads with 'even the Big Sky would pass on us in expansion' levels of bullshit.
I said team, not program. The team we currently field is about at the G5 level as a whole. There are players that are P5 level, but not many.
We're playing it for 4 reasons:
People keep saying that...but I'm wondering how much of that is possible, especially with ODU's stadium being half the size of Lane.
VT had the NEZ Section 120 for the game, at the very least. Seems reasonable to reserve X number of rows for recruits and their families up front. That section went up to at least Row XX or so.
Can't provide recruits away game tickets.
I knew we play ODU a lot in the upcoming years, but holy heck we play them every year until 2031!
It's like our schedulers are trying to make us rivals or something. Unfortunately that downgrades our program to the level of ODU. I wish it were WVU instead! That way we could re-establish an actual rivalry.
Agree. I think some overtures need to be made to the AD office somehow. WVU needs to be on the schedule, not ODU. I don't think we throw the baby out with the bath water, I like a lot of what Pry has started to do. But I think there are still things we can do better, and this is one.
My money says it was ODU stadium staff, if there are any security cameras in the area, they probably went offline during the theft - which probably occurred while our coaches were mysteriously stuck in the elevator.
Let's keep playing ODU, but we should cancel all plans to return to that shit stadium.
With the backyard brawl with Pitt back on for I think 9 more years WVU not adding another long term P5 home and home to their schedule.
ACC ADs/Presidents need to suck it up and add WVU to the conference. It's stupid not to. They make sense and are a great regional rival for us and Pitt and even the Carolina schools. The academics argument is so stupid and out the window, how did we end up with Louisville? We aren't going to match the SEC and Big Ten but we ought to at least do what we can to make more compelling games.
As long as WVU admits that "Country Roads" is not about West Virginia, but about the western part of VA, then I say let them in. I want it in writing from their AD though. /s
I say the ACC brings them to sign the paper work in Shenandoah County just to see first hand.
Plus, besides Black Diamond and Backyard Brawl, the real jewel would be getting back the Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy game with WVU and Cuse. /s
I second this take, country roads was written about Shenandoah county and the seven bends
Not according to the song writers.
https://www.countrythangdaily.com/take-me-home-country-roads/
How much money are we talking about on that?
Too late to not go back.
Now we HAVE to go back, as many times as necessary until it's clear we own them.
I have little faith that we will ever 'own' them at this point. VT is so far behind we likely may never recover.
The WORST season Tech has had in 25 plus years was 5 wins in a COVID season. How many schools out there can say that? Tech can come back from this with enough cash, and a decent staff.
I think this is hyperbolic. VT is positioned to own the state of Virginia. We don't right now but we have way more going for us than other Virginia schools and I think it's more than probable that VT will reclaim the state.
That said, I do think that as long as VT stays in the ACC our best years are behind us. We just won't be able to compete with the rest of the P5 at this rate. I don't think we'll get back to having top 10 teams playing in premiere bowl games against top notch teams again. Not unless we move to one of the big 2 conferences. Even then, we're far enough behind the 8 ball at this point that we would need a minor miracle to touch the top 10 again