Blacksburg, Va. (Oct. 15, 2025) – The Board of Visitors recently approved a $229 million four-year planned investment for Virginia Tech Athletics. The athletics funding plan expressed a desire to improve both the experiences of hokie sports fans and the resources available for student-athletes.

​

Tom Booth, a Virginia Tech alumnus, shared his hopes that the new budget will better the product that fans see on the field.

“Anytime you can improve your budget … you are going to see results,” Booth said. “You are going to see a better product on the field and off the field as well.”

​

Hokie Sports shared elements of the plan aimed at improving football management and recruitment, as well as finding talented coaches for the athletics teams.

​

Josh Bickmeier, a student studying sports media and analytics, provided the University of Virginia as an example of how a budget can improve the quality of a team.

​

“[The University of Virginia] invested … into their football program and look at them now,” Bickmeier said. “They're beating schools like Louisville, they're beating Miami, they're beating Florida State.”

​

In July, the NCAA settlement permitted universities to pay their athletes directly, according to Streaking The Lawn. In response to this settlement, the University of Virginia allocated funds to remain competitive.

​

 “Simply put, competing at the highest level requires a financial investment to secure the future of Virginia Athletics,” said Carla Williams on X, the director of athletics at the University of Virginia.

​

Bickmeier hopes for a fan experience that reflects the funds and resources poured into Virginia Tech’s athletics. “Right now, I would say student morale is a little bit low going to the games these past couple weeks,” he said. “I want them to be able to go to the games, enjoy it, have fun, and stay all four quarters instead of just leaving at halftime when we are down by a little bit.”

​

Some students, like graduate student Alexandra Kennedy, express concerns with the allocation of funds to the athletic teams.

“I can understand why a lot of money goes into athletics because athletics brings in a lot,” Kennedy said. “But I also feel like on campus, there are a lot of things that maybe should be addressed first.”

​

Still, Kennedy attended a few football games while obtaining her bachelor’s and hopes that some of the funds will be used to improve fan safety. She suggested lowering the prices of food and beverages, giving out merchandise for fans or giving out clear bags.

​

With this increase in funding, the Virginia Tech hokies are excited to see what the future holds for athletics. “I'm excited to see what this team can do,” said Bickmeier. “You know, I love it here.”