Recent Comments
Don't beat yourself up! No one would want you to go if it ended up breaking the bank for you right around the holidays. Just start yelling at everyone else to go!
One way to estimate the regional variances is to look at Google search traffic. For instance, according to Google Insights for Search, the term “college football” is searched for about 5 times as often in Birmingham, Alabama as it is in New York City, relative to overall search traffic.
I don't need to search for University of Michigan Football because I know where the sites are. Another example of the flaws in that report are evident when you look at the fact that it says Auburn has more fans that Alabama. Auburn is the #2 football school in AL.
While I don't doubt VT has more fans, I wouldn't rely on this data at all.
From the link StLHokie posted... http://www.commoncensus.org/index.php
I just realized that since this "census" is updated with info from people going to this site that it really could be easily skewed by fanbases visiting more than others. I looked at Jacksonville FL (lived there for 7 yrs and hope to go back soon) out of curiousity and of course Florida was #1 but saw that UVA was 4th with 4 votes and VT only had 2. There is a pretty big VT Alumni association there and never saw a UVA fan in the city. Imagine if that VT alumni association was given the link and they all registered as fans, then VT would be 2nd in the whole city (not true). Polls are only as good as the data put into it...
btw I put my old Jacksonville address in and now VT has 3 votes for Jax...stupid uva...
Buy your tix from the school. Or buy then resell on stubhub. I bought tickets through VT yesterday-- row 3 section 142. That's first level, 50 yard line. Paid $140 each. Closest thing on stubhub yesterday was 2 row behind me for $300 each. Don't believe the hype--the school's tickets are decent to good and currently priced lower than stubhub for equivalent value.
Coupling the expense with a 2 year old and one on the way, this trip is not feasible for us. It sucks. I read on twitter and other media outlets the poor VT sales, and I know that I would've bought from VT and I am part of the problem.
Just curious, but where are you flying in and out of? $1,000 a ticket is the highest I've seen anyone pay. Mine were $700 total out of Reagan.
You can get a to-go cup to finish your beer outside the bar in Vegas & Coconut Grove/South Beach, but I see your point..It's precisely why those are some of the greatest cities I've ever visited and am super stoked about going to New Orleans.
I see your point about wanting to be cheap, but support the Hokies at the same time. Go cheap, so you don't regret the trip/break the bank with it. You showing up supports the school in itself. If Denard Robinson can hear you, the Hokies automatically benefit :)
Yea, Bourbon street is dirty and the locals are weird. But, the atmosphere is a party and the food is, hands down, the best of any city I've been to. Ok, maybe NYC is better, but NOLA rivals San Francisco in culinary experiences. Furthermore, where else in the US can you go to a DRIVE-THROUGH alcoholic slushie bar? (The only reason it's legal is because they don't put the straw into the drink.) Where else will you get a TO-GO cup to take finish your beer outside the bar? There are also some neat touristic things to do, such as an alligator tour. But, the reason I'm going is 3-fold: Hokies, Drink, and Food. I don't think there is a better bowl city than NOLA.
To answer your question about tickets, I haven't bought mine yet, as some of my family are still undecided on whether they are going or not. I have been watching the secondary market and VT ticket sales, and the secondary market prices have dropped every day. I still want to support VT, so I'm conflicted about being cheap or supportive.
Grandma and Grandpa coming to the house to take my 2 young kid's. $1K / each round trip plane tickets and $150 / each hokie sports game tickets all on the credit card. C'mon gang, when do you guys think we will get a chance to play in a Sugar Bowl again? It was a honor for us to get selected and we need to step up to the plate. We love our Hokies and I am hopeful we sell out our 17.5K or we will never hear the end of it from the BS / KS fans.
Again, after going to New Orleans, I don't want a single dime of my hard earned money going to benefit the local economy in New Orleans. It was well stated that the whole place is a cesspool, and the tourists are the marks. I wish the Hokies well, but the next time I go to a bowl, I want it to be the National Championship and I want it to be played in Pasedena.
For a student-athlete to receive a Medical Hardship Waiver per Bylaw 14.2.4, the following four conditions must be met:
- The student-athlete may not have participated in more than two contests or dates of competition or 20 percent of the team's completed contests/dates of competition.
- The injury or illness must occur prior to the completion of the first half of the season.
- The injury or illness does not have to occur during practice/competition, but it must be incapacitating.
- Appropriate medical documentation must exist and be provided.
All percentages are calculated according to contests or dates of competition, depending on how your sport's competitive opportunities are counted. Only contests or dates of competition occurring during the championship (traditional) season are included in the calculations. Conference championships/tournaments are counted as one contest or date of competition, regardless of the actual contest/dates used.
If the percentage calculation for the 20-percent rule results in a decimal -- any decimal -- the whole number preceding it is always rounded up. For example, if the softball team competes in 56 games, 20 percent of 56 is 11.2. Due to the "rounding-up," a softball team member who competed in 12 games does qualify for a medical hardship waiver.
To meet the first-half-of-the-season requirement, all competition must cease prior to the start of the contest or date of competition that begins the second half of the season. For example, a soccer player competing in the 10th game of a 19-game season does not qualify for a medical hardship waiver. Also, a student-athlete who is injured in the first half of the season, then attempts to play in the second half and aggravates the original injury, does not qualify for a medical hardship waiver.
NOTE: A STUDENT-ATHLETE RECEIVING A MEDICAL HARDSHIP WAIVER IS PERMITTED UNLIMITED PARTICIPATION IN THE NON-TRADITIONAL (NON-CHAMPIONSHIP) PORTION OF THE SEASON.
http://www.athletics.vt.edu/compliance/competition/seasons.html
By the first rule he wouldn't be eligible because he played in 3 (21%) of the team's games. He meets the criteria of the other four rules. However, I think a bowl game would fall under the non-traditional portion of the season. Assuming that, and I'm reading everything correctly I think he would be.
I would go in a heartbeat... except a grad student stipend covering the living costs for two people doesn't exactly leave much pocket change. Also, I already burned my one trip from my parents... on a trip to NOLA this past week. Derp -_-
For reals though, all y'all who go should get the "I got bourbon faced on shit street" shirts as the unofficial TKP Sugar Bowl trip shirts. I thought about y'all every time I saw one, hehe
How many pancakes has the beard alone gotten him this year do you think?
Unfortunately I'll be in the Dominican Republic with the wifey. But i'm told they pick up TV from Miami so should be able to at least watch from the beach! I'd love to...even though I'm still bitter from the only time i've been to that dirty town (National Championship of course).
Game in the middle of the week right after holidays with 2 young kids makes it impossible for me. My TV will be getting an earfull.
I would give anything to see to my hokies play michigan but with my new addition to the family it is going to be hard to afford. My 4 month old hokie is cutting into my expenses. Priority right now is my little girl. If you had the resources though this is a no brainer, how could anyone not want to be at this game. There is so much history and so many athletes involved in this one I can't imagine anyone staying at home unless you are in a similar situation as me. Maybe next year my little hokie will be big enough to go with me.
"Or are you burnt out after 4 BCS games in the last 5 seasons?" Can't have an elite program if the fans are already tired of that!
Hell no I'm not burnt out! I bought four tickets (off PrimeSport.com, lower-level corner endzone tickets 22 rows back for $171 each)! Everyone please come! I've been preaching all over Facebook, Twitter, and text messages to get as many Hokies to help me take over New Orleans as I can! I've never been either and I hope neither the game, nor the locals suck. The underwhelming amount of tickets that have been sold makes me really nervous. With the mobility of Denard Robinson and the possibility of media backlash, we need as many Hokies there as we can get!
My group bought tickets through the school, which at the time seemed legit, considering the scale of both the game and the opponent. None of us wanted to have to worry about scalping 4 tickets together if we waited til right before the game, knowing that UM would probably sell out their allotment. Also, I went to the Sugar Bowl in '05, and thought it was an amazing experience, even if I was underage and just hanging out with PappaSparach most of the time. Now it's time to go BALLZOUTNAWLINSALLOFTHEBOURBONZ.
Sort of an aside, my bucket list is to go to every BCS game, and a December game at Lambeau. Obviously I'd prefer if the Hokies were participants (Frozen Tundra aside, duh). I have been to two Oranges ('08, '11). The only way I see Tech playing in the Rose Bowl is if it's for a National Championship, so that might be a pipe-dream. I would love love LOVE to go to a Fiesta Bowl, the stadium itself seems pretty incredible. If we are able to beat UM, and continue having 10-win seasons, perhaps in the future we would be considered for an at-large in Tempe. This game is big for the long-term sustainability of our program.
For your responses, I appreciate them tremendously.
Does anyone know what the Wang news means for his extra year of eligibility? Thought the coaches were pursuing that after shutting him down early this year.
Ive opened a credit card for the first time in my life this weekend. I should have years ago, but thought I didnt want the ease of fledgling into a debt spiral at the time. Depending on my limit Ill buy a ticket down once the airfare goes down below the $400 range. If I chose not to I've vowed to buy two Proxy tickets for military in the area. I suggest those who cant go do the same. Ut Prosim.
Beamer's worse then Shepard on the Citadel.
Tickets only went on sale to the general public today at noon, and guess what I find when I search the first time? 4TH ROW SEATS ON THE 50 YARD LINE FOR $150 AFTER FEES. I want them so badly.
I can afford the tickets, and would buy those in a heart beat, but I can't afford the rest of the cost of the trip. 4-5 tanks of gas, 2 nights in a hotel, and booze money is the real killer this year.
Got just as good of tickets as VT was offering for $74 ea. I have never been to New Orleans, always have wanted to go, but have always feared what previous comments suggest about the locals. But I figured I would go this once and probably never again.
This is an expensive trip for anyone to make, let alone college students.
BCS BS aside, this is a high profile game that VT needs if it ever wants to get over that final hurdle! I plan to enjoy myself in a city I have never visited and see a great football game while I am there.
When I first looked hokietickets.com were not releasing the seat information. Now they are, and for the best available I purchased 2 tix in Sect 143 2nd row for $140 each. Not bad. However, I wonder about the 9,000 that already purchased their seats? Are they getting this good of seats? Anyone that purchased their seats blindly, did they get good seats? Do you know yet?