One year ago today, things were moving along as usual when it came to Virginia Tech athletics. All of their head and assistant coaches were trying to build rosters to be able to compete in the ACC with some of the top-funded programs.
Let's not beat around the bush. Virginia Tech was far from an athletic department that was anywhere close to competing with the top athletic programs in terms of funding. However, the direction of that was beginning to change last year, before the athletic season began. Some major changes in the fall changed everything.
After a 0-3 start to the football season, the school fired head coach Brent Pry. As expected, things went downhill even further the rest of the season to the tune of finishing 3-9. However, after the regular-season final, a 27-7 loss to Virginia, things were already looking up.
James Franklin was hired a couple of weeks before the end of the season after he was fired from Penn State in October, and you knew that if he took the job, times were changing in Blacksburg. That, in fact, has been the case. On Thursday, things took a huge step in terms of funding for the athletics program.
Virginia Tech receives record $75 million commitment
What had been rumored for days became reality on Thursday when Virginia Tech received a $75 million donation that will support the Hokies' athletics and extend innovative Honors College learning experiences.
This is a game-changer going forward. Franklin hasn't been the only one to speak about this, as women's basketball coach Megan Duffy did so earlier this week.
“This transformative commitment will have a tremendous impact on our football program and the young men who wear the Virginia Tech uniform,” said Franklin in a school-issued statement. “Football is the front porch of the University, and sustained investment is critical to competing for championships at the highest level. This generosity provides the resources necessary to recruit, develop, and support elite student-athletes while positioning Virginia Tech Football for long-term success. We are incredibly grateful for this belief in our program and our vision for sustained success.”
Look, whether or not Franklin was the football coach or not, this needed to be done. There needed to be an investment in athletics, and more money was needed. This is certainly a game-changer and proves the school's commitment going forward, which is big for many reasons, including helping Franklin build the program that fans have been waiting for. This is certainly a huge step in the right direction in Blacksburg.
This is the second donation that the school has received after it received a $20 million donation over the winter.
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