Recent Comments
Actually, VT has a total subsidy of about $7 million according to USA Today. The school basically gets $3 million of that back every year from athletic department operations...the negative $4 million profit is another way of saying net subsidy.
I don't donate to HC. I donate to the general fund, for a few reasons:
1. My last year at Tech (02) I worked at the calling center, which is literally the worst job I've ever had. Great cause, good pay, but calling recent grads, seniors about to graduate and parents of students to ask for money is not fun. Hey, you know how it's awkward to say no? It's awkward as hell for them because they KNOW you're about to say no and they have to ask anyway. Be nice to those kids when they call, talk to them a bit to kill as much of their four hour shift as you can. They'll appreciate it.
2. I barely give anything useful to them because, as noted above, I am kid poor. F you, daycare.
3. I've always had a hard time mentally justifying giving money to the athletic side of the house when the academic side needs it as well. As soon as I can, I'll probably start doing both.
4. As mentioned above, I've never been called about an athletic donation. The calling center ALWAYS finds me and calls because I would forget otherwise. So even when I think about finding to HC, it's in an abstract way while I'm driving or something and I forget before I have a chance to do anything about it.
Since I have graduated in May 2012 I have already acquired an additional $41,000 in debt from student loans. If my dreams and aspirations come true and I end up attending a medical school that will be an additional roughly $240k. I would love to join, but its not happening anytime soon. Maybe in 10 years when I have job and can even begin to imagine paying off the mountain of debt that I will already have.
OK, my turn. I haven't annually donated to the Hokie Club. After graduating in 2005 I moved to New Haven, CT so I never considered buying season tickets. Because I never went through the ticket buying experience as a graduate I had no idea the Hokie Club existed until I moved back to Virginia and tried to buy season tickets for the 2011 season.
From conversations with friends I had a general understanding that a donation had to be made before ordering tickets, and the amount donated would impact the quality of the seats. I still didn't really understand that the donation went to the booster club, not the athletic department. Anyways, I missed the deadline to donate the previous years, however because the demand for tickets was low I was able to order them anyways. (The seats were the last row in Lane.)
Because of my website responsibilities, I didn't make all the games in 2011. I believe I went to Clemson and UNC. As a non-credentialed entity, it's much easier to produce something substantial from the couch and not downtown Blacksburg. Because I only planned on making at most two games, I didn't reorder tickets in 2012 or 2013.
I tried to support the Athletic Department whenever I could. I bought my tickets through VT even though there were cheaper options on the secondary markets. I went to the local events like the Bud Foster Chalk Talk and Cav's recruiting night, bought shirts, and made small donations in person. I traveled to the neutral site games, and was able to swing the Orange and Sugar Bowls.
Personally I think the athletic department and Hokie Club have both made mistakes. It's become obvious from reading this thread and my Twitter that many folks were like me and didn't know the deal with the Hokie Club. It doesn't seem like the younger fans are all that involved.
It's hard to keep the fan base energized after a 7-6 and 8-4 season, but the athletic department / Beamer Co. could have put a smile on everyone's face for 5 minutes by rolling out all-maroon uniforms. As stupid as it sounds, a lot of fans care about uniforms. A simple gesture of goodwill by the program may have made it easier for a few folks to stroke checks. Also, making the conscious decision to opt-out of the Thursday night game really hurt the program. Many folks bought season tickets just to ensure they got a good seat for the Thursday night game. It's no coincidence the sellout streak ended this season. That's a double whammy because not only did the athletic department piss Hokies offs and miss out on a national broadcast, but they lost money in the process. Tickets, concessions, donations, etc... help ensure competitive salaries for coaches among other things in the college football arms race.
In conclusion, I hope to do two things.
1. Work an annual donation into my budget.
2. Reach out to the folks at the Hokie Club and give them feedback.
No because I'm poor. But I'm also unemployed, so that's my excuse. Graduated last May. Once I have steady income I will undoubtedly donate.
A step up from Rettig, but only a little. He's got decent receivers to throw to which should help him.
He probably sucks, but might be an improvement on what either BC or VT have for 2014.
This sounds like Les may have someone on an NFL staff in mind. They might be available in 7 days or so. One wonders who that might be.
I think that my talking points will echo most of what has already been said. I currently did/do not donate to the HC for a few reasons.
1. Two kids under 3 years old takes the majority of my free time (i.e. gamedays are difficult to get to).
2. Until about a week ago I was not close enough to attend more than one game a season. The military keeps me moving around and the idea of only making one game a season wasn't strong enough to get me to spend $$ on the HC.
3. The home schedule the last two years hasn't really been a motivating factor regarding jumping on board. It is difficult to get a group of buds together and pumped about investing a weekend to see a WCU/Marshall game.
4. Increasing frustration with many of the decisions regarding the previous staff (specifically the 08-12 seasons). The new staff has me a bit more interested in the programs future, however.
I have contemplated the idea of donating on the chance that I would be in a position to attend in the future. The disposable income isn't the issue so much as the fact that the VT athletic department has never contacted me since I graduated in 2002. That isn't to say that I feel that they should call me in order for me to donate, but it seems like fundraising isn't really a priority (at least from my point of view). So for me, if I can't attend most of the games and I don't get a letter, phone call, or email reminding me then it becomes an issue of me finding other things to invest money in.
Although I now live between D.C. and Baltimore so hopefully I can get a little more involved in all things Hokie.
Used to, back in the mid to late 90s after I graduated until I effectively got priced out in the '00s. Even rejoined HC at one point when I could specify that my contribution would go to support the MVs (even though I had no intention of buying tickets) until Weaver nixed that too (don't get me started on that guy).
Now I just give directly to the MVs. They deserve it more than the AD IMHO.
Other than that, it's just a hassle to drive down for a noon kickoff, pay too much for crappy parking, and try to eat/drink as quickly as possible all for some FCS opponent.
Nevermind on the incremental giving, was just informed of Hokie Matic form, maybe that adds to the idea of giving more awareness of Hokie Club giving that I didn't know about it.
I am currently giving at the Golden Hokie level. My husband and I have been members for ~20 years. We started giving to support the football program, but have since been enjoying other sports such as baseball, indoor track and field (David Wilson was amazing), and basketball. I am lucky to have a decent job, a spouse who loves the Hokies as much as I, and no kids! We live for our trips to Blacksburg, bowl games (yes, we went to El Paso), and away games. Win or lose, I couldn't be prouder of our student athletes and even our coaches. The coaches don't try to screw us over and make bad decisions, shit just happens and sometimes things don't go our way (it WAS a freakin catch). We never leave games early - I want every second I can get in Lane or in Cassell - win or lose.
I encourage everyone to look into becoming HC members - you can pay $10 a month - this adds up and it will help all sports, not just football. When I was an undergrad, women's soccer and softball were only club teams. The funds from the boom of the HC helped develop these new teams.
I do hope the new AD brings back some of the spark we have been missing in the football program - I know Weaver did a LOT for us, but I still get so damn mad when I think about the Stick It In cheer - I was furious, and still am, but that doesn't impact how I feel about supporting my Hokies no matter what. And those paper airplanes...sigh. I love my Hokies, I love the opportunities I have to support them, and I love meeting and supporting fellow Hokies. The best feeling is when a complete stranger sees me in my VT attire and yells, "Go Hokies!" from across a mall, an airport, or on a crowded street.
It was a catch. I obviously need to let some things go....
I've been a Hokie Club member for a couple of years mainly for the opportunity to purchase season tickets and I've been at the O&M level. I'll probably move up this year or next to get to the level of getting a parking pass also to help out more with athletics. I've given to Pamplin too over the past couple of years.
I agree there's a lot more that Hokie Club could do to get more people involved. I think a giving level that starts below the current $100 minimum could help, taking a quick look at the FSU athletic boosters page they start at $60. Also feel like there should be more reaching out to young alums, I didn't know about the recent grad program on the website until I was looking around on the site. As for advertising of course I get the Hokie Respect banners but feel like it would be nice to get something during the game on the jumbotron for the Hokie Club.
I think one thing that could help out a lot as well is if there was an incremental way to pay as well. I'd love if there was a way to just set up getting billed every month for part of the yearly Hokie Club donation and not having to remember the deadline. For the price of 1 rail a month someone could be a Hokie Club member, for 3 rails a month a Hokie could be an O&M level HC member, put in that context it doesn't seem as much.
I thought he was going to end up at Tech honestly. I guess rumors of a transfer QB fell apart.
I agree. I am also a Michigan State basketball fan in my spare time not being a hokie and one of Izzo's calling cards as a great coach is making his team play one of the hardest schedules in the country every year. I get that with the tournament its a completely different deal, but you cant discount the toughness and preparedness you get from playing those teams.
This to me is what makes this site so valuable. It is a community, and this is an unpleasant discussion about the state of the program that ties into everything from economics, allocation of funds, the structure of the athletic fund's fundraising arm, and the very personal impact the football program has had on families. The conversation could have been very hostile, and instead has been respectful, reflective, and honest. As I wrote on my Twitter feed, this is a thread that decision-makers in the athletic department need to see, and they need to look for solutions.
My hat is off to each of you.
Very good. Thx for posting
That 98 game felt worlds closer to me that the game in Death Valley. That's the only time I've felt the Hokies were playing in the wrong league
This will become a big test for a brand new AD. Hopefully he will stay, but if it is a raise AND an SEC team you go to think he will take the job.
What about the '98 Gator bowl vs tarholes?
I went to school at Millersville so, I feel yer pain.
Come on up to Roanoke and stop by mine.
Work at a brewery so, when I say that stuff it generates a 10 minute discussion before so embody has to add more hops to the boil or something similar.
I want to note, this isn't new. After the 97 Orange Bowl loss to Nebraska the Hokies had a 7-5 season and a 9-3 season that included losses to UVA and Temple. I didn't see the same enthusiasm dip then (perhaps because it was so new), and the foundation was built to the point where when Michael Vick was landed the program exploded in terms of popularity. Grimes, this recruiting class, those are the same kind of pieces that were being solidified during those down years. But, because the money may not be there, we may lose the chance to have a foundation in place if and when they score that transcendent player you need for a legitimate run.