In college football these days, the SEC is the place to be.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a talented recruit or a school looking to join the conference that’s won the last six BCS national championships; the new trend is to head south.
This gravitational pull of the NCAA’s premier football conference is so strong that in these slow summer months, the rumors start to swirl about potential new members for the conference, and Virginia Tech has been one of the many possibilities bandied about.
While it may be wishful thinking on the part of many Hokie fans, given the administration’s devotion to the ACC and the fact that Florida State and Clemson don’t seem to be leaving just yet, the SEC would seem to be a good fit for Tech in a variety of ways.
There have been plenty of people saying that the ACC is holding Tech back from becoming a legitimate football power, and a move to the SEC would certainly put an end to that conversation. However, the recent Stadium Woods debate and subsequent recommendation by the committee formed to solve the problem indicates that Virginia Tech simply isn’t ready for a jump southward.
Tech often acts as if it’s simply another southern football school, and while the huge crowds and devoted national fan base are similar to many SEC schools, it’s simply not on the same level. Many like to act like the Hokies are on the same level as schools like Alabama and Florida, but the behavior of the university just doesn’t bear that out.
Forget the difference in the talent the team attracts- that’s merely a product of conference affiliation. Instead, examine the athletic department’s revenue.
A USA Today report recently revealed that the department raked in a hefty $66 million last season. It may seem like a lot, until you consider that Alabama brought in nearly double that at $124 million.
A version of this article appeared in the Jun 7 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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If we can learn anything from the SEC, it is that sometimes you have to kill a tree or two to prove a point.
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Dave,
Ha! Well done, sir.
This must be satire. Mr. Koma's opinions are so weak and unfounded it can't be a legitimate argument piece FOR all-things-football >> (academics || univ. master plan || why the ACC is a good fit for VT).
Sincerely,
A Southern Hokie with a Degree
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ASHwaD,
Bless your little pea pickin' heart!! But you've said nothing son.
What is that degree of yours in???
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Chemical Engineering, and a masters from Clemson. Old enough to remember VT's two win seasons, and wise enough not to be your son.
But since you want a counter-argument, Ashwad, I would rather pwn the ACC than suffer mediocrity in the SEC.
Let me guess--you're studying $pelling & grammerr? Just another troll lacking character.
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If we can learn anything from the SEC, it is that sometimes you have to kill a few trees to prove a point.
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Hold on there, For Chainsaw- do you look as confused as you sound??
Don't worry, it happens to all the pseudo intellectuals. You ain't the real deal and you don't have the azz to pull it off, son.
BTW, you do realize you're ASHwaD in these emails, don't you, Mr. Clemson Masters?
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Dude, Everyone reading your posts know who the ASHwaD is.
Are you even affiliated with VT, or are you just a fan? Cuz you sound local.
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I get it, ASHwaD is the guy who claims to be A Southern Hokie with a Degree.
Who is the Anon guy who doesn't know how to conjugate a verb?
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Hey Chainsaw, Why are you trolling on this guy? It's a lousy article. Read the other posts.
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If the SEC has taught us anything, it is that sometimes you just have to kill a few trees to prove a point.
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Wow, what great journalism. Apparently, Tech cant over the hump b/c of the landscape of the stadium. Geez, why didn't we think of that earlier?
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Well I'm sure Auburn can attest to the tree issue after having theirs poisoned. So saving trees is an SEC thing. The inability of Beamer to not bring in an OC that rivals Foster's abilities is of bigger concern.
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$124 mil. isn't more than double $66 mil.....oh no
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good catch, tim, the error's been corrected. that's what happens when this communication major tries to do math too quickly haha
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Can you fix the other errors in your logic?
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Part 1: I agree that in many ways, VT isn't on the level of the $EC; compared to many $EC schools, Tech has a pretty decent academic reputation. However, Vandy, UF, and UGA are all pretty solid in this aspect. Yet, I have no reason to believe VT drops-off in its academic reputation if it joins a more football-savvy conference (i.e. the Southeastern Conference). In fact, I believe Tech would be able to maintain its strong research partnerships with fellow ACC schools, in addition to new joint ventures with the Southeastern schools.
...
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Part 2: ACC Basketball is all well and good, but it doesn’t generate the excitement for the entire Hokie community that football does. This is not unique to Tech Football, either. If the conference turns its back culturally on FBS Football, then I wouldn't blame FSU, Clemson, NCST, and/or Miami for bolting to a better football conference. I certainly believe our beloved University’s administration recognizes the importance of the Football program to the entire Hokie Family. I would prefer to lose tough games in the high-powered $EC, as opposed to beating up on the numerous cupcakes of the ACC (living up to the farcical "Almost Competitive Conference" moniker, more and more every year)! I'd rather watch Tech play away games at Bama or Arkansas on the TV, than travel to such yawn-inducing venues as Duke or Maryland! Make no mistake about it; VT is not on the competitive level of Bama or LSU now or in the near future.
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Part 3: However, should VT become another addition to the $EC, it will take some serious investment in facilities and methodology to become a perennial power in the Southeast. Recruiting, play books, coaching methodology, and training & conditioning will all need to be boosted to succeed in the $EC. VT likely won’t find itself in the running for an $EC title the first few seasons, but I do believe it could hold its own in the current $EC East Division. I think our talent and mentality is much like UGA at present. We all want to see that crystal football grace the trophy case made for it, but the FBS system has become geared more favorably to the powerhouse conferences of the Pac-12, Big 12, B1G Ten, and most of all, the $EC. VT could theoretically go 13-0 this year, and still not get a shot at the FBS National Title Game purely due to perceived strength of schedule! The flaws of the FBS are certainly worth discussing, but leave that to another day.
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Part 4: What a fantastic prospect a 160,000-strong crowd at Bristol would be like, between the Hokies and the Volunteers! I imagine that could become like the Black Diamond rivalry of old!
Proud to be a Citizen-Soldier, Thank God I'm a Beta, and LET'S GO, HO-KIES!
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There is unpredictable weather in games, deal with it. VT isn't going to be playing in any domes, so why should they train in one?
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There is unpredictable weather in games too, which the team will be playing outside. VT won't be playing in any domes, so why train in one?
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"Forget the difference in the talent the team attracts- that’s merely a product of conference affiliation" False statement. Attracting better talent comes from coaches scouting, evaluation, and recruiting prospects other things that make schools attractive include winning which trech has done a lot of minus BCS bowls, conference affiliation rarely has an effect on recruit as many state publicly after signing (see Eddie Goldman's interview after commiting to FSU on signing day). And the ACC is not holding VT down. whats keeping them back is they always find a way to lose atleast one, usually two, games each year that they are favored in ( see Boise St/James Madison in 2010, ECU in 2008, Boston College in '06 the list goes on. Had VT gone undefeated in any one of the past 10 years they would have easily had an equal chance at a national title with the SEC. another part of the equation which might be being ignored is the fact that VT has had there chances at beating the elite and simply hasnt done it.(USC in '04, LSU in '07) The ACC isnt holding VT back, the Hokies are doing it themselves. Its the same arguement with florida state had these two teams been winning championships this past decade the acc would be a power conference(both on the field and in the media deal market as well) and would be hauling in the revenue that sec teams are enjoying now.
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Personally, I would love to see Va Tech join the SEC. I am so tired of paying full price for season tickets, so I can watch us play Austin Peay or worse lose to JMU. Th e only problem is I would have to retire, so I could fire up the motorcoach to make all the away games because the south really knows how to tailgate. And theirs start on Thursday. Speaking of Thursday, if we go to the SEC, we won't have to play these silly Thursday night games. But then again, if I am retired who cares? Let go south HOKIES.
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Austin Peay and JMU aren't in the SEC.
75% of ACC schools are in the South.
Just sayin...
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What you say sounds nice, but it's actually baseless. How is moving to the SEC gonna make us dominant when we can't even dominante the ACC? And we keep blowing big out of conference games....and...there is a program called Boise State that is not in the SEC that beat us badly and is still ranked ahead of us every year since. Have you ever been to Boise? They can be Top 5 every year being way out in Boise but yet we can't crack that nut being located in the talent rich south. The only thing we need to do is win in the ACC and win our out of conference games, big and small.
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Football isn't the biggest money maker for the school, academic research is.
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By "beat us badly" I assume you mean "won by 3 with a touchdown scored with 1:09 left in the game."
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