The Money Has to Come From Somewhere

I hope you didn't think the additional funding outlined in the Invest to Win initiative would magically appear.

Virginia Tech Athletics announced it is changing its season-ticket model for football, men's basketball, and women's basketball for the 2027-28 season. The changes are significant, as the department aims to fill its coffers and provide more resources to its athletic teams.

Tech announced the price hikes on Monday via a promotional video from legendary Hokie Bud Foster. Here's a breakdown of some of the increases for football, courtesy of Virginia Tech.

Essentially, Virginia Tech will require a minimum donation for each season ticket, the amount of which depends on your seat location. The better your seat, the more you pay.

The department's announcement led with the disparity in pricing between Virginia Tech and some elite football programs. For example, Tech claims that the average all-in ticket cost for games at Lane Stadium trails far behind that of many of the larger Power 4 programs.

Tech's 2027 season ticket price structure would vault Virginia Tech ahead of Oklahoma, Alabama, Florida, and Clemson.

In the end, this is all about generating additional revenue from Virginia Tech's biggest and best attraction — home football games. Currently, the Hokies are leaving lots of money on the table.

An important note — most of the teams in this chart have higher stadium capacities than Virginia Tech. However, Oregon's Autzen Stadium has a capacity of 60,000, and the Ducks make almost $10 million more in ticket revenue.

You can view the specifics for men's and women's basketball here.

I get it. Rampant inflation has impacted millions of people, and family entertainment continues to be more expensive. When it comes to Blacksburg, securing a hotel room can be a nightmare, and more expensive tickets and parking passes make attending a game at Lane Stadium even more difficult.

While all those things are true, Tech fans have been clamoring for a better on-field product for more than a decade. The Board of Visitors and department leadership built a plan to fix that, and it includes money. A lot of money.

Where did folks think that money was going to come from? Sure, some of it will come through additional sponsorships, a new apparel deal, and other monetization efforts. But much of it would always come from the students and fans themselves.

Higher student fees. Higher prices for season tickets. Required donations. These are realities that fans must accept.

College football has been a land of lawlessness for the better part of 15 years. Chaos rules the sport, and programs have scrambled to keep pace. If you're upset about Virginia Tech raising its prices, direct that displeasure toward the NCAA, the Power 4 conferences, ESPN, CBS, FOX, and the United States Congress. 

Do not direct it at Virginia Tech.

Raising prices is a natural and necessary response to meet fans' demands for a more competitive program. Fans wanted to win games, and Virginia Tech is doing its best to deliver. The Hokies hired James Franklin, shelled out millions for a better roster, and pledged more money down the road.

The funding for those items doesn't just appear out of thin air.

If you're mad at Virginia Tech, then don't complain if James Franklin pursues alignment elsewhere. The biggest reason Franklin took this job in the first place was that Tech's leadership promised it would finally get serious about winning.

This is what getting serious looks like.

If you want Virginia Tech to continue winning games and competing at a high level, accept this as a necessary action to fund that desire. If not, realize that a return to 3-9 is a lot closer than you think.