Interesting way to side-step the question about VT's conference schedule and not playing Atlantic division schools (aside from BC) more often - not exactly hardball though.
Can't wait to see the new broadcast and production facilities.
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I'll take this opportunity to not be snarky and say that my comment was aimed at the frequency with which we play Atlantic division teams. It works out to a home and home once every 6 years, meaning we play ND and ECU far more frequently than we play FSU, Clemson, or NCSU. This is unacceptable to many who feel like we might as well not even be in the same conference.
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I'm sure that many have seen this, but the pod divisions seems like a good way to combat the feeling that we don't get to play conference opponents very often. This series of articles on SB Nation also discusses other improvements for CFB overall including recruiting changes, better scheduling etc. Obviously the majority of the ideas would require tweaking, but I think most of the ideas improve the sport. Entertaining articles regardless of if you agree with their premise or not.
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I wonder how the folks over at LOLeSabre are reacting to his relegation example. My money's on JMU in that game.
This not only creates a more merit-based top tier, it creates drama at the bottom of each level, where desperate teams face must-win games to avoid relegation. Imagine 2016 ending with Virginia having to put its ACC spot on the line in a game against FCS champ James Madison. You'd watch that.
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This is great! I obviously hate some of the protected rivalries he assigned us (no clue why they want to saddle us with Syracuse). But I've been blabbering about pods to anyone who would listen as a way to improve the schedule ever since EDSBS started talking about relegation. This arrangement is more assignment of protected rivalries than pods but it's just as interesting and even more outside the box. I like it.
I think folks are finally starting to catch on and see this kind of organization as a legitimate way forward.
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I don't know if I agree on the point about liking to play the in-state FCS schools to help them out and give us a warm up. No one wants to see these FCS games. If FBS teams need some sort of a warm up game, there should be more push for a preseason exhibition game. I don't like the fact of paying a school money to come play a meaningless game that fans don't get much out of. You're expected to throttle FCS schools, so if you don't, it makes you look bad. And there's certainly no credit in winning. I also don't feel as charitable about helping out these schools from an exposure standpoint.
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I'd much rather lose to Boston College and Cincinnati to start the year, then win out. Or maybe start strong, then lose homecoming to someone like Miami...... of Ohio.
and if it wasn't obvious... /s
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So lets make our entire OOC schedule against directional schools? I want our program to have the "any game, any time, anywhere" mentality not a "better schedule weak so we can win out" mentality. I won't be traveling to Blacksburg to see another snoozer against Southwest Arkansas A&M. Bring on the Michigans and Penn States!!!
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Yeah, the B1G doesn't play them anymore. Wish the P5 would just ban them. Hopefully this happens after separation. But then Alabama, FSU, etc... won't be able to play Charleston Southern or South-east-west-central- north Tennessee State in November.
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Actually, I'm looking forward to playing Richmond in a few years. It's a bit of a family thing, as my wife went there, and we haven't played them since the 80s.
I don't mind playing the in-state FCS schools. As I've said before, that can be kind of fun, because I know people with connections to just about all of them. I'm sure that's true of many folks here. However, I don't see any need for VT to be playing an out-of-state FCS school (short of maybe North Dakota State). That being said, I do want to keep those type of games in September, within the first couple of weeks.
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Hasn't really started yet. Close on the house in ~3 weeks, then move during July. I'm still working at my current position through it all but I'm just swamped so I'm not around as much. Don't get my new office until August.
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My wallet certainly appreciates knowing there will always be at least one game each year thatll be cheaper, should be low stress, but is still real live Hokie football.
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Q: The Rector, softball and baseball projects alone are running a combined $36 million. Are you comfortable with the debt service plan for these projects?
WB: "Yes, for those, it would be around a $2 million payment for 20 years, which is certainly a lot of money. However, we got a lot of help from Carilion, and we got a lot of help from Union Bank, and then we have some other debt that is falling off. We felt we were very fiscally responsible. And all this is a testament to [former Tech AD} Jim Weaver, who did a great job of keeping debt so low. It put us in position to be able to do some things, and he should continue to be commended for that."
Whit has certainly delivered in his relatively short time at VT, but I hope that people see how important Weaver was as his predecessor. He certainly had his faults as an AD, but the fact that he kept the finances in such good shape should not be underestimated in today's climate where many athletic departments have mountains of debt.
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While it is good to keep debt low, being too frugal can mean you are not making the necessary investments to stay competitive. Weaver kept the department in the black, but Tech got behind on coaches salaries and facilities. The result is now Whit spending millions to make up ground. Whit is polite and won't say anything negative about his predecessor but he knows there is a lot of work to do, hence answers like this:
The fourth floor is dated and way behind, and I think that's something people can look forward to.
Debt can be bad, but debt that brings in more money than the AD pays out in interest is a way to make money with someone else's money.
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It's also a concern given that Babcock came from a school whose athletic department is under a mountain of debt (https://www.thecollegefix.com/post/22381/). $700k is nothing and it may very well be just a one-year blip from having to pay off former coaches and bring in new football coaches. It could be a problem down the road. Maryland tried the whole "spend money we don't have to make money" thing and it blew up on them as well.
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I am not going to lie, I'm very much looking forward to learning more about this "major Cassell Renovation" he's publicly referenced more than once the past few months. Given what's currently going on with our basketball programs, a major reno that brings Cassell up to and possibly surpassing its ACC peers could help push us over the top.
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AB: You're replacing some seats in Cassell with padded versions featuring cupholders. Beyond that, what is the long-term outlook there, because I know it could use a pretty significant upgrade.
WB: Our first objective was every year until we can go real big is to make some improvement to Cassell. And the first year, I believe, was the sound, then the lighting. The courtside seats. The very comfortable media seating that we moved y'all too. The video boards. And this year we will do some work to our downstairs hallways down by the media room and the basketball locker room. But the next big opportunity we would like in this next capital campaign, which we'll probably start in a year and a half, is to have a $40-50 million renovation to Cassell Coliseum. And that would expand concourses, maybe add some suites or premium seating, some more fan amenities. Because we're doing so well in basketball, when you get a big crowd in there, I don't know if you've tried to get through the concourses, but it's a little tough. We do not right now have a desire to build a new basketball arena. We love the homecourt advantage. We love the central location. We love that the students can get to it easily. But I would say in the next year and a half, two years, we will have a plan in place to really make a major renovation to Cassell.
AB: You said that'd include premium seating?
WB: Yes. Premium seating, open up the concourses, restrooms, point of sale. Really just comfort and keeping the best of Cassell Coliseum but bringing some modern comfort into that.
AB: When you plan that, do you have to weigh in whether the Hokies would have to play somewhere else for a period of time, like Roanoke?
WB; We have not yet gotten to that part and we would sure like to avoid it. But we have not yet figured that one out. We're very confident that this project will get going, but we have not gotten so far down the road that we know exactly when it will start or if we would have to vacate for a year. We would try not to, but I don't ultimately know.
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Woah! A reno of Cassell that could cost upwards of $50m is in the works right now? That's in line with what both Georgia Tech and Clemson have done in recent years to overhaul their stadiums, and both included a complete gut-job, including a tear down of the roof.
That's a HUGE nugget of information.
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Love that they're keeping Cassell too. Such a great building with a unique atmosphere and distinct home-court advantage. Plus those arches are fun to run up drunk
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Honestly not sure the arches are long for this earth at that price range. Put it this way... McCamish's renovation for GT cost $45m and consisted of completely demolishing the existing seating bowl . Littlejohn's renovation at Clemson cost $55m and consisted of a partial demo of the seating bowl and a complete teardown of the roof and support structure.
If that's the price range we're considering, its fair to say that the facility we know as Cassell will have a completely different look and feel in the near future.
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I'm not familiar with the underbelly of Cassell, but aren't there other facilities like offices down there?
A complete gut renovation will have a huge effect, probably more than we realize right now. Anyway, thought you'd find that interview bit fascinating (I certainly raised my eyebrows when I read it).
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Yeah it is really old down there. They renovated locker rooms, gyms, training rooms and the entire football floor, but it still looks like the 80s down there if you are not in any of the areas I mentioned above.
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TSL also has a new (and free) interview with Tom Gabbard that goes in-depth with some specifics of athletics facilities upgrades, including Rector Fieldhouse, English Field and Cassell Coliseum improvements (including a graphic of which sections will receive new seats!). Read it here:
Comments
I unashamedly love that man.
In Whit we trust.
Our first home run was hiring Whit. Now we're just running down the lineup.
That looks a LOT like Bad News Baseball. I know it's not, but it reminds me so much of it.
NES baseball games FTW.
I believe this is from "Triple Play! Baseball".
It's the Japanese version of RBI Baseball. I had the US version growing up.
I grew up with all of the versions. I remember when all I played on NES was Super Tecmo Bowl and RBI 3. Then I had RBI `94 on Sega.
Techmo Bowl you say...?
I have never seen this before. You have made my day. Thank you.
There was also a cheat where a certain pass play thrown by Randall Cunningham on the Eagles would go for a completion 100% of the time.
hahahaha - Up+B... the hitch-and-go route from QB Eagles to Gary Barnett. If the receiver wasn't open it was a 30 yard run, easy.
I pissed my brother off endlessly with that play growing up.
Interesting way to side-step the question about VT's conference schedule and not playing Atlantic division schools (aside from BC) more often - not exactly hardball though.
Can't wait to see the new broadcast and production facilities.
We play clemson this year
Fact.
But where are you going with it?
We're playing a non BC Atlantic school...
I'll take this opportunity to not be snarky and say that my comment was aimed at the frequency with which we play Atlantic division teams. It works out to a home and home once every 6 years, meaning we play ND and ECU far more frequently than we play FSU, Clemson, or NCSU. This is unacceptable to many who feel like we might as well not even be in the same conference.
http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/6/16/11935718/ncaa-confere...
I'm sure that many have seen this, but the pod divisions seems like a good way to combat the feeling that we don't get to play conference opponents very often. This series of articles on SB Nation also discusses other improvements for CFB overall including recruiting changes, better scheduling etc. Obviously the majority of the ideas would require tweaking, but I think most of the ideas improve the sport. Entertaining articles regardless of if you agree with their premise or not.
Link to the full "9-point plan" since it's a fascinating read. Some really great ideas in there, hopefully a few can gain traction
http://www.sbnation.com/a/college-football-commissioner
I wonder how the folks over at LOLeSabre are reacting to his relegation example. My money's on JMU in that game.
Indeed I would.
This is great! I obviously hate some of the protected rivalries he assigned us (no clue why they want to saddle us with Syracuse). But I've been blabbering about pods to anyone who would listen as a way to improve the schedule ever since EDSBS started talking about relegation. This arrangement is more assignment of protected rivalries than pods but it's just as interesting and even more outside the box. I like it.
I think folks are finally starting to catch on and see this kind of organization as a legitimate way forward.
I don't know if I agree on the point about liking to play the in-state FCS schools to help them out and give us a warm up. No one wants to see these FCS games. If FBS teams need some sort of a warm up game, there should be more push for a preseason exhibition game. I don't like the fact of paying a school money to come play a meaningless game that fans don't get much out of. You're expected to throttle FCS schools, so if you don't, it makes you look bad. And there's certainly no credit in winning. I also don't feel as charitable about helping out these schools from an exposure standpoint.
I'd much rather lose to Boston College and Cincinnati to start the year, then win out. Or maybe start strong, then lose homecoming to someone like Miami...... of Ohio.
and if it wasn't obvious... /s
So lets make our entire OOC schedule against directional schools? I want our program to have the "any game, any time, anywhere" mentality not a "better schedule weak so we can win out" mentality. I won't be traveling to Blacksburg to see another snoozer against Southwest Arkansas A&M. Bring on the Michigans and Penn States!!!
Agreed. It's agonizing playing bottom dweller FCS schools like UVA every year.....oh wait...
As long as we have that one, we don't really need more.
Yeah, the B1G doesn't play them anymore. Wish the P5 would just ban them. Hopefully this happens after separation. But then Alabama, FSU, etc... won't be able to play Charleston Southern or South-east-west-central- north Tennessee State in November.
Actually, I'm looking forward to playing Richmond in a few years. It's a bit of a family thing, as my wife went there, and we haven't played them since the 80s.
I don't mind playing the in-state FCS schools. As I've said before, that can be kind of fun, because I know people with connections to just about all of them. I'm sure that's true of many folks here. However, I don't see any need for VT to be playing an out-of-state FCS school (short of maybe North Dakota State). That being said, I do want to keep those type of games in September, within the first couple of weeks.
On the contrary, I thought UVA losing to Richmond was hilarious.
How's the move and getting settled into new job going?
Hasn't really started yet. Close on the house in ~3 weeks, then move during July. I'm still working at my current position through it all but I'm just swamped so I'm not around as much. Don't get my new office until August.
My wallet certainly appreciates knowing there will always be at least one game each year thatll be cheaper, should be low stress, but is still real live Hokie football.
This stood out to me (bolded emphasis mine):
Whit has certainly delivered in his relatively short time at VT, but I hope that people see how important Weaver was as his predecessor. He certainly had his faults as an AD, but the fact that he kept the finances in such good shape should not be underestimated in today's climate where many athletic departments have mountains of debt.
While it is good to keep debt low, being too frugal can mean you are not making the necessary investments to stay competitive. Weaver kept the department in the black, but Tech got behind on coaches salaries and facilities. The result is now Whit spending millions to make up ground. Whit is polite and won't say anything negative about his predecessor but he knows there is a lot of work to do, hence answers like this:
Debt can be bad, but debt that brings in more money than the AD pays out in interest is a way to make money with someone else's money.
So you're saying that you have to spend money to make money?
It's also a concern given that Babcock came from a school whose athletic department is under a mountain of debt (https://www.thecollegefix.com/post/22381/). $700k is nothing and it may very well be just a one-year blip from having to pay off former coaches and bring in new football coaches. It could be a problem down the road. Maryland tried the whole "spend money we don't have to make money" thing and it blew up on them as well.
I am not going to lie, I'm very much looking forward to learning more about this "major Cassell Renovation" he's publicly referenced more than once the past few months. Given what's currently going on with our basketball programs, a major reno that brings Cassell up to and possibly surpassing its ACC peers could help push us over the top.
Here's a few more clues, from Andy Bitter's two part Q&A with Whit:
http://www.roanoke.com/sports/virginia_tech/whit-babcock-q-a-part-ii-replacing-his-no-hiring/article_cd507720-4152-11e7-89a1-d73311e4e13b.html
Woah! A reno of Cassell that could cost upwards of $50m is in the works right now? That's in line with what both Georgia Tech and Clemson have done in recent years to overhaul their stadiums, and both included a complete gut-job, including a tear down of the roof.
That's a HUGE nugget of information.
Love that they're keeping Cassell too. Such a great building with a unique atmosphere and distinct home-court advantage. Plus those arches are fun to run up drunk
Honestly not sure the arches are long for this earth at that price range. Put it this way... McCamish's renovation for GT cost $45m and consisted of completely demolishing the existing seating bowl . Littlejohn's renovation at Clemson cost $55m and consisted of a partial demo of the seating bowl and a complete teardown of the roof and support structure.
If that's the price range we're considering, its fair to say that the facility we know as Cassell will have a completely different look and feel in the near future.
I'm not familiar with the underbelly of Cassell, but aren't there other facilities like offices down there?
A complete gut renovation will have a huge effect, probably more than we realize right now. Anyway, thought you'd find that interview bit fascinating (I certainly raised my eyebrows when I read it).
Yeah it is really old down there. They renovated locker rooms, gyms, training rooms and the entire football floor, but it still looks like the 80s down there if you are not in any of the areas I mentioned above.
Thanks for the insight.
TSL also has a new (and free) interview with Tom Gabbard that goes in-depth with some specifics of athletics facilities upgrades, including Rector Fieldhouse, English Field and Cassell Coliseum improvements (including a graphic of which sections will receive new seats!). Read it here:
http://virginiatech.sportswar.com/article/2017/05/25/virginia-tech-athletics-facilities-update/
I have a Big Ass bobble head on my desk. It makes me happy.
Man, that is one big ass fan.