Recent Comments
Looks like we are really starting to recruit with the big dogs.
🏈 STICK IT IN! 🏈
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2 months 2 weeks
# | Whit Babcock Announces his retirement effective June 30, 2026 I'm waiting for Guitarman to chime in. Don't know how much he'll be able to say safely though.......I'm guessing not much.
I have disliked sands for most things he has done
I'm with you on both counts.
All in all it's just another brick in the wall. Franklin's cookin' with gas.
Thats what i said!!!!!!!
Twelve years too late
I watched/read a lot of interviews. This whole thing has been fascinating. So a narrative emerging is aggressive BOV members didn't like direction the school was going with athletics. Sands wasn't focused on it and turned it over to Whit. Whit wasn't really able to effect change all while the industry was rushing past him and his skill set. We needed a reset. But Sands protected him / delegated athletics to him. In order to make change it had to start at top with Sands and then Whit.
So in summary we fired our president, who oversees and educational institution, because of football. Is this mostly true? Or were there things Sands did on the educational side we didn't like. I graduated in 2003 and VT as an academic institution is miles ahead of where it was when I graduated, but maybe there's more to the story.
And yes, I get football is not just revenue from sports but marketing for new student applications.
Anyone on here have a POV on this?
Don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you
Related to the Balleins... Well the wife was walking her dog on campus 10:30 this morning so she's obviously all in on hoops transfer portal etc. /S
ATLIEN
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2 months 2 weeks
# | Hope Springs Eternal: In Person Observations of the 2026 Virginia Tech Spring Game Join The Key Player's Club to read comments posted in exclusive content and its members only forum.
ATLIEN
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2 months 2 weeks
# | Hope Springs Eternal: In Person Observations of the 2026 Virginia Tech Spring Game Join The Key Player's Club to read comments posted in exclusive content and its members only forum.
I obviously don't think Whit was infallible, but I do think he was a scapegoat and often handcuffed.
I do believe he elevated us in the post-weaver years, but ultimately, the decision Weaver made in 2010/11 to stay in the ACC instead of the SEC doomed us. Whit worked with what he had. I think he did better than most would have, but ultimately he couldn't fundraise enough to get us over the ACC hump.
The typical hiring cycle for a University President is 6-12 months. BoV is trying to get the hire made before there is any turnover on the BoV (terms end July 1) and (I'm guessing this is what the post is about) before the 2026 primary/general elections start (so new candidates/elected officials won't factor into the mix).
he was proven reactive again and again to the changing landscape of revenue sports
I do wonder how much of that is Whit vs Sands.
That was announced at the BOV meeting on 4/13. I was surprised I hadn't seen anyone mention it here.
#Hokies AD Whit Babcock is at the lectern for his presentation. Going through his roster of lieutenants in the athletic department. Says long-time VT employee John Ballein will be retiring in June.— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) April 13, 2026
Ah, darn.
Yeah, a lift high enough to rach the top of the board but also narrow enough to fit down that narrow lane.
🍺MAKES "BEER" ⚗️🦃
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2 months 2 weeks
# | Hope Springs Eternal: In Person Observations of the 2026 Virginia Tech Spring Game Join The Key Player's Club to read comments posted in exclusive content and its members only forum.
Ballein is name I've heard.
No real concern. I've been in organizations where a prominent person needed to be fired but it was messy for various reasons so they just moved that person to another role they created and called it a promotion.
I am betting he is going to assist in overseeing the Olympic sports.
I am going to give the guy the benefit of the doubt, CFB changed so far and so rapidly, only a handful of people were able to keep up.
lets hope it is the right ones
Agree, but it wasn't just the ADs - every athletic department, every university president, every BoV, every state legislature had a different set of circumstances, and very few were lucky enough to have the right combo to figure it out early and adjust to the new landscape.