From the Commandant:
"Heading to Annapolis!
The Athletic Department, in recognition of the strong support of the cadets throughout the season, have offered up to 100 tickets for cadets to attend the game in uniform and sit as a block, as they do at all home games. The cadets are being surveyed to see who would like to be in the block.
Definitely in the spirit of Ut Prosim!"
I assume then they proxy tix you can buy on the site for the VTCC would be to make that block larger.
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What an obvious, but great idea by Whit's folks! That's one of the many reasons I have been so enthusiastic about his arrival. It's not like that is an idea that is groundbreaking. Once you hear it, it makes so much sense. It's just that we have never had an AD who did the right thing when the right thing might mean some revenue lost in the short term. The difference with Whit is that he understands the long term benefit of 'gifting' those 100 tickets. Now there will be 100 (or more) cadets who fondly remember what Hokie athletics did specifically for them. Not only the enjoyment factor, but also the tangible financial factor of gifting them an experience to remember for years to come. Such a savvy move by Whit.
In all fairness to good ole Jim, he did send the entire Corps up to FedEx field against Boise after the uniforms were somewhat designed to pay tribute to them. That's a steep loss of revenue and added expense in terms of getting them up there. Surely, despite the loss, that meant a lot to those cadets.
Eh, not so much. The "Corps tribute" was sort of an afterthought. As for the tickets, the Corps was not seated together at all, it was pretty much wherever there was empty seats. I think it was a last minute deal to fill up the stadium.
Uniforms were designed to reflect Virginia Tech with specific emphasis placed on history of the Corps and the technology aspect of the University. And with regards to them not all sitting together, that's getting a little nit-picky. They still got free tickets to go to the marquee game of the year and free transportation. That costs money.
So that was my Rat year, and the first game I went to as a Hokie.
It definitely was much more about getting an indoctrination to VT football than anything else. Yes we were in the Nosebleeds, and lost, but we also were in fun environment and the Upperclassmen made sure we knew how important the game was.
Unfortunately in my memory it will always be overshadowed by JMU 5 days later and the two run together as a miserable start to the season. After JMU all us Rats in the Band got to clean the hallways of our dorm because clearly it was our lack of attention to detail which caused the loss.
The CO for the Band, Matt Buffington at the time is actually the one male cadet in all the promo pics of the Pro Combat uni's with Tyrod.
It looked like to me that they made black uniforms and realized that black was one of the school's original colors. Then they slapped a Corps crest sticker on the back of the helmet. There was no historical emphasis on that uniform. You want historical emphasis, look at the current uniforms.
Not when the point is made by the commandant that the cadets are sitting in a block at this game. If Weaver really cared about that for the Boise State game, he would have set a block aside even in the nosebleeds.
Ultimately, all I'm saying is that I don't think "good ole Jim" should get as much credit as you're implying.
The Corps was used to promote the uniforms from the moment they were released. Not to mention the "Ut Prosim" belt. In fact the entire uniform, designed by Nike and not VT, was designed to reflect the Corps and the engineering program. Sorry if you don't agree, but interviews with Nike reps confirm that. As far as the seating goes, the difference is in the manner in which tickets are distributed. As pointed out below, the tickets were given to a vast majority (my mistake for saying all previously) of the Cadets thanks to a donation that VT helped with rather than having seats set aside. That donation could have been one sided and there wouldn't have been nearly as many, but VT Athletics, led by Jim Weaver at the time, contributed to make a larger impact. That was announced 4 days before the game making it absolutely impossible to secure a block of 900 seats together.
From Nike's Press Release:
It wasn't as much of an afterthought as it was them looking for an excuse to clad VT in all black. But, it may be a turkey vs. egg situation.
This earned you a leg, sir! Well done!
What we were told at the time was that it was paid for 50/50 by VT and a few old timer deep pocket Corps alumni who were mad the Corps didn't travel a lot anymore.
So it sounds as though the concept was initiated by some Old Guard of the Corps, and Weaver aquiesced late when he realized that there were going to be some committed tickets that went unsold.
That's a little different than planning this from the beginning and publicizing it early. Also, the direct & open requests early for people to buy proxy tickets for members of the Corps. Again, thank you Whit!
Also, it should be known that the Military Bowl has always sold proxy tickets to be given to military members. VT is just expanding on that to include students and cadets.
For those of you who want to buy a proxy ticket:
Link
The Nike Concept uniforms werent just designed solely by Nike. Col Richard "Rock" Roszak was brought in by Nike as a consultant. Considering the fact that Rock was a graduate of the Corps in 1971, then a Deputy Commandant of the Corps for three years and finally the Alumni Director for the Corps for another 11 years I am sure that the Corps was well spoken for in the design of these uniforms. Colonel Roszak wouldnt have had it any other way.
I was a bit surprised that Col. Roszak wasn't able to sneak a B-52 (the craft he flew in the Air Force) into the design.
If you ever get a chance to visit Brodie Hall's Lounge, check out the aircraft artwork (assuming it hasn't been removed for remodeling). It was his labor of love handdrawing every one of those to replicate aircraft flown by VTCC alumni.
This is a good idea. Northrup Grumman should pony up some cash to bring the whole corps up.
If they don't, I'll go over to the Boeing building right next to our office. That'll scare NG into contributing :)
It would be cool, but I would say leave it as optional still, even if 50% = 500 bodies show up that would be a good show, tough to ask guys who live in Florida/ New England to come back down the day after Christmas in the middle of break.
At the very least they NEED to make sure Skipper is there along with the contingent.
The band question has also been tossed around, but I just don't see it happening with the HT's going. This is literally the entire purpose of the MV's existence. If some old time alumni coughed up the cash to donate the already limited seats, and the Bowl was cool with 2 bands coming, sure, but that is a long shot.