When athletic director Whit Babcock met with the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors last month, he made a plea for more funding for the athletic programs. Virginia Tech was well behind the current times and other ACC schools when it came to money.
Staying where they were was not going to change things and make things any better. It would push Virginia Tech further from not only the top schools in the conference, but also nationally. That all changed on Tuesday morning.
Virginia Tech's Board of Visitors voted 13-1 to grow the budget to $229.2 million over the next four years, which includes a $47.1 million addition in the FY2026, bringing the budget to $190.1 million. That would put Virginia Tech in the top quarter in the ACC. Game-changing.
Virginia Tech getting much-needed money from BOV
This was necessary, and it was even more necessary after the football team started 0-3, fired Brent Pry, and began a roster turnover before October. That's not what you want to be doing. However, this should help attract a head coach who can turn things around quickly with more money, NIL, and the Transfer Portal.
"Today we are stepping up to compete and asking our generous donors and supporters to step up with us,'' Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said.
According to Kolby Crawford of VTScoop, the money will be generated by philanthropy ($120M), institutional support ($48.3M), student fee increases ($21.3M), and bridge funding ($39.6M). Student fees are set to rise by $100 annually beginning in FY2027. Board member Nancy Dye voted against the proposal, citing concerns about raising student fees, according to Crawford.
Virginia Tech is facing a pivotal hire as its next football coach, and getting this in place before the search and interviews begin was vital. This is the next step in Virginia Tech turning things around on the football field sooner rather than later.