(12-13-2016 12:14 PM)Wilkie01 Wrote: (12-12-2016 11:51 AM)Hallcity Wrote: Norm Wood @normwood 35m35 minutes ago
Babcock said #Hokies' athletic budget of $80 million has fallen to 10th out of 15 ACC schools and 40th among Power 5 schools.
My point is that there's a wrong assumption that big football stadiums equal big athletic department budgets. Contributions are a big, big part of the equation, probably a lot bigger than football attendance. Most people who post on sports message boards don't make contributions so they underestimate their importance.
Hokies need to invest enough money in their basketball program to make it a money maker like Duke, Louisville , North Carolina, and Syracuse have done.
I'm not sure how serious you're being here, but I'll bite - men's basketball has certainly seen more investment since Babcock's arrival.
The hiring of Buzz Williams was mostly seen as a coup for Virginia Tech, regardless of Buzz's motivations that seemed puzzling to many. In year 3, the program is already seeing dividends.
As far as Cassell Coliseum goes... yes, it's an old building and the athletic department is doing its best to maximize revenues there. There's little luxury seating options, but they implemented courtside "boxes" for donors willing to shell out that kind of cash (much to the chagrin and grousing of media members, who were moved to a new section behind one of the baskets). Additionally, the plan is to replace the old wooden seating over the next couple of years with new, wider, more comfortable seating.
Basketball in Blacksburg is a tough nut to crack. VT is never going to compete for the elite recruits in the country and geography doesn't make things any easier. It helps to have the right guy in charge, and I believe they've found that. Buzz is a guy who's proven he can develop talent (especially wings) into NBA caliber players, and that's reflected in the type of team he's building at VT.
Additionally, the majority of the alumni base is at least 3 hours from Blacksburg, which makes it incredibly hard to fill up the stands for midweek games. A winning program will mitigate a lot of the issues associated with basketball at Virginia Tech, and I feel confident that we're on our way there.