Recent Comments

Yep, exactly. All public schools would have to be treated the same. That's a slippery slope and extremely costly. The bubble is going to break before too long. The road we're on isn't sustainable on any level.

An interesting part of the discussion today was Olympic sports. Football drives revenue and most, if not all, other sports consume money. Basketball might turn a profit at some schools. So effectively, universities across the country are subsidizing US Olympic sports. Sands wondered if at some point, the taxpayers would be asked to make a choice as to whether they want their dollars to pay for the US Olympic program and free up money for the revenue generators at universities. It was an interesting thought.

Yeah this is where I start to draw the line. Money from the university is one thing - I know people say "ah but it should be all about education!" And I agree to an extent, but relatively little of VT's operating funds come from the state these days. Universities are like businesses and investment funds these days with these large endowments and various sources of income. I'm aware a large chunk of that comes from tuition and student fees, but that's the price that comes along with attendance at a large P4 university honestly. Athletics and the exposure it brings is a massive part of that equation. If you want it to be all about the education, attend a school that deemphasizes athletics.

However, if we are talking sizable appropriations from state tax revenues to bank roll VT athletics...yeah, I'm starting to be out. It should not fall on the tax payer and general tax revenues to support athletics at large state universities. This is starting to border on insanity if that's what the ask truly will be.

Rowdy fans in lower North can be deemed the "Grease Pit", sponsored by Smithfield.

"That Smithfield sponsorship brought to you by Oscar Meyer"

He spends as much time in Richmond these days lobbying for various causes (yes, that includes athletics) as he does in Blacksburg. I'll leave it at that. I'm trying to give you all a peek behind the curtain but there are some things I know that I am not going to post, even behind a TKPer wall. And some things are so up in the air, I wouldn't feel confident projecting. But the man is working.

Sorry, what are these figures?

We're maxing out at the House settlement level for NIL revenue sharing at $20.5M, and that has been a lift. And that's from the central university budget, per the provisions of that settlement.

Times 5 years because eligibility doesnt exist any more and you get $4m, right?

Hash brown hash marks

Welcome back, and I think most of us agree.

Texas did not pay Arch Manning $6 million.

Yup. As much as we love sports and want them all to succeed, they are just a part of what makes up VPI and Sands is ultimately responsible for all of it. What I dont really like from that quote is it sounds like he's aware of the changes that are necessary and has not shown any evidence that he's taken the steps to help usher those changes along.

This is not a leak. BOV materials are routinely posted ahead of time. The information and meeting itself is technically public, although the invitation list to the retreat where it will be presented is very small, by design.

I was in a meeting today and the BOV clearly would dump lots of money into football if it were feasible. It will take political pressure to change laws in VA or otherwise advocate for contributions from the General Assembly. What I was told today by President Sands was "the BOV would tell us to pour $50M into athletics today, but there are structural challenges (that they understand) that will require legislative action."