All articles tagged with #virginia tech
Virginia Tech’s fall camp under James Franklin blends NFL-style summer OTAs and a new sports-science emphasis led by Shaun Huls to optimize recovery, mobility and situational practice. The core values remain—discipline and accountability—but the program is pursuing smarter loading and deeper installation to make the Hokies more game-ready, with transfers noting a more efficient, data-driven approach ahead of the season.
The Pentagon has realigned its military education partnerships, cancelling fellowships at Ivy League schools and naming UNC-Chapel Hill and Virginia Tech as the new hosts for the 10-month Senior Service College Fellowship, with more universities expected to join soon.
Virginia Tech coach James Franklin says the Hokies’ rebuild will blend Beamer-era identity with modern football, stressing on-field evidence over offseason buzz. Backed by a large transfer haul (including Penn State alumni), renewed recruiting, and heavy athletic investments, VT aims to show progress through wins and playing style, not just talk, as Franklin balances tradition with modernization.
Brian White officially started as Virginia Tech’s athletic director, outlining a vision focused on fan experiences and entertainment while boosting revenue to fund top programs, under a five-year, $1.6 million-per-year contract.
Virginia Tech named Brian White as vice president and director of athletics to lead its 22-sport program in a rapidly evolving landscape; a two-decade veteran most recently at Florida Atlantic, White helped FAU secure a conference move, bolster fundraising, and land major sponsorship deals, and will start June 24 to succeed Whit Babcock.
Virginia Tech announced a record $75 million commitment—the largest in its history—from a four-generation Hokie family, largely directed to athletics via the Invest to Win initiative and to the Honors College through the Calhoun Honors Discovery Program. Most of the athletic funds are endowed to provide a permanent funding stream, with the remainder for current use, and part of the gift supports Hokie Ventures, a nonprofit created to assist athletics. The gift signals strong momentum for the university amid leadership transitions and ongoing efforts to boost competitiveness and educational innovation.
Virginia Tech's Board of Visitors approved forming Hokie Ventures to bolster athletics revenue and donor relations, authorized four new residence halls and related renovations to support campus housing renewals, discussed opportunities in national security research funding, and approved a flat $2.5 billion budget for 2026-27 with graduate assistant pay and benefits increases. The meeting also included the withdrawal of a Living-Learning Program affordability proposal, the closure of the Department of Religion and Culture with teach-outs, governance restructuring, and announced faculty appointments; next meeting is Aug. 24–26 in Blacksburg.
Virginia Tech's Board of Visitors approved an affiliation with Hokie Ventures, a nonprofit created to modernize athletics operations, drive self-generated revenue, enable faster decision-making, and expand NIL opportunities while maintaining university oversight, as part of its Invest to Win strategy to keep VT competitive at the national level.
In an elimination showdown in Los Angeles, UCLA rallied with two solo homers and an RBI single in the ninth to defeat Virginia Tech 6-5, ending Tech’s run in the Los Angeles Regional.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger removed Virginia Tech’s rector John Rocovich for conduct violating board-appointment rules and a Virginia code clause allowing removal for malfeasance, incompetence, or gross neglect of duty. Ed Baine, a Dominion Energy executive and VT Board member, will complete Rocovich’s term through June 30 of next year, and Sharon Brickhouse Martin will join the board immediately. Spanberger praised the appointees’ service, while Virginia Tech did not comment further; the exact misconduct was not disclosed and the case is developing.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger fired John Rocovich, rector of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, citing ethics violations; Dominion Energy president Edward Baine will complete Rocovich’s term through June 30, 2027. Spanberger had recently named four new appointees ahead of a presidential search, with Sharon Brickhouse Martin taking Rocovich’s remaining term immediately before starting a full term. The move is part of a broader effort to reshape the largely Youngkin-appointed board, drawing praise from Democrats and calls for explanations from Republicans as the board prepares to meet.
A deformed late-Triassic skull, once dismissed, was reassembled with CT scanning by Virginia Tech undergraduate Simba Srivastava, revealing Ptychotherates bucculentus, a previously unknown carnivorous dinosaur. The discovery, published in Papers in Palaeontology, suggests early dinosaurs diversified earlier than thought and that the Herrerasauria lineage persisted longer in the American Southwest, reshaping our understanding of dinosaur evolution before T. rex.
Virginia Tech athletics director Whit Babcock will retire on June 30, 2026, and serve as Athletics Director Emeritus and Special Advisor to the president and the new AD through 2029. In 12 years he led record fundraising, major facilities upgrades, and landmark coaching hires, elevating Hokies’ competitiveness and academics while laying groundwork for future football success under new leadership.
During Virginia Tech's spring game, a skydiver collided with the video board and became stuck, prompting emergency crews to rescue them. The skydiver is reported stable, while the Hokies begin the James Franklin era on a five-year, $41 million contract after a 3-9 season.
A skydiver crashed into the Lane Stadium scoreboard during Virginia Tech's spring football game, was secured and is in stable condition after a quick rescue, and the incident caused a delay to the game's start; the skydiver's name has not been released.