Virginia Tech is starting to spend that sweet new BOV cash. First up? An RFP for upgraded videoboard and audio at Lane Stadium. This was a $5.5M expense on Babcock's project list in August.Work should start in the spring and wrap by next season. https://t.co/XNb2Dng3iQ pic.twitter.com/vL85ap6W0nโ Doug Bowman (@DougBowman247) November 1, 2025
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Cool but, I'd rather spend money on coaches and then when we're winning and bringing in more cash because of interest we can spend on these types of projects. I guess that's just me tho
Sure, but the one time funds in the new budget were explicitly stated to be for capital expenses.
I will say that this project is low on my list of desired Lane upgrades.
I believe Whit has said in the past that wifi upgrade would be around $2M. That is a higher priority and hopefully has separately earmarked funds.
Eh, I'm ok with them spending money to improve the fan experience. Would also welcome better sound system, completely overhauled concourses to eliminate choke points and improve flow and mobile/wifi services that don't completely suck.
Sound system, water fountains, wifi, choke points. But we it feels like we just got a new video board, is it broken? If not why do we need a new one?
Might be more power efficient so we get an ROI in our power bill
touche
Pretty sure it was put in when I was in school which now makes it 20+ years old. There may have been an upgrade or something in that timeframe, but think about all of the improvements to video technology that have developed in that timeframe. Seems like a reasonable upgrade to pursue to me, but, as others have said, I would also pursue LED lights, WiFi and some concession and choke point improvements concurrently with the video board and sound system.
Current video board was installed in 2013. Before that we had a different video board with McDonald's golden arches on top
Is it bad that I preferred the old scoreboard and how the stats on the side felt easier to read at your leisure? Like it's nice that the new one is a big screen for all the fancy stuff and whatnot, but I miss that old scoreboard
I miss that as well. I wish they would use the south endzone video board to track basic stats.
Not bad at all, I did too. It was so easy to keep track of everything on that old board
I don't think that's bad. I miss the open end of the field with the wooden bleachers and the "video board" on that end that looked like a high dollar lite-brite. It was just a different time with some fond memories for me.
I liked how it would show the opponents' negative yards rushing.
I also liked that it stopped at an even 500 yards of total offense.
I also like the thought that we'll get back to those levels soon
Yeah I mean if the new scoreboard has room to continuously show game stats and out of town scores, then it's absolutely great
But more realistically, it's just more space for additional ads that brings in more revenue every year.
Or just get WiFi for this
This makes me think about the video screen WVU had installed to the scoreboard in the late 90s. I think they paid 6 figures for it but instant replays looked like a series of low res photographs. It was bad even by 90s video standards.
Hopefully this means we can pump in more loud, distorted rock music during time outs so we're not forced to listen to our band and maybe converse with neighbors.
Bands, plural.
There is no reason for 90% of canned stadium music at schools with even one.
I think this is a sign that the rest of the $50m is coming. The video board upgrade can happen without any interruption to the season or any other infrastructure changes.
IMO, we can/should be excited about this.
Spend on players is probably the best ROI
Spend money on nil. We don't need these upgrades until we start winning.
This is a sign that the NIL is coming, if not already there.
Yup. Winning will bring way more fans into the stands than a new video board will. I dont give a damn about the latest in video board technology if i'm not there to see it in the first place because I dont care to watch a less than mediocre football program shit the bed in the 2nd half.
I think the money for this had already been approved before the BOV went down. To be honest, I care more about them fixing the sound system than the video board. I sit 2/3 of the stadium away from the existing monstrosity and it is loud. I can't imagine sitting any closer.
Call me old fashioned, but I don't like the turf baseball fields. I want the dirt and the grass. The lights look good though.
I don't think we can do a grass field that would allow the team to start the season when they need to start.
Yeah but what about dirt instead of the brown turf? Pretty sure MLB teams that play on turf still use real dirt for the mounds and base lines, etc. I would be fine with it if they did that.
At first I was very confused by your comment because looking at the still shot of the video, there is very clearly dirt around the baselines. But after actually watching the video, I now see that the "dirt" is turf, too. Very interesting to me since I had no idea this was even a thing. I'm mostly curious how this changes sliding & diving for the players. Does it help any for contact on exposed skin?
Also, how do the coaches express their disdain for the ruling of the ump? Do they kick infill on the ump's shoes?
You see most using long sleeve shirts under uniforms and sliding gloves to reduce exposed skin
is it real dirt or brown turf?
dcwilson would have an aneurysm if he saw this
Baseball Night this year will have Cal Ripken Jr and Billy Ripken
https://hokiesports.com/news/2025/11/10/virginia-tech-baseball-ripken-br...
Playing baseball on plastic just seems wrong, like eating fat-free ice cream.
Its been turf for several years, as mentioned above, with the season starting Feb 13th, being able to clear snow and not being handcuffed by Spring rainstorms becomes a major benefit of the turf field. Before turf, with Blacksburg weather they regularly had about 8-10 games a year canceled or scheduled as double-headers.
You can't eat fat free ice cream, with anything below 10% milk fat it isn't legally ice cream in the states, it's frozen dairy dessert.
I meant legally not actually
You're right, it should be illegal.