For example, my father played football at VT in the 70s, and we were essentially a regional institution at the time. We weren’t very good at football, compared to now, and the Tech students at that time did not live and breath football on Saturday’s in the fall.

Frank Beamer brought excitement and success in the 90s and 2000s. Maybe 20 years of total excitement. Historically strong schools have years and years of alumni who hold the football team close to their heart. We’re in the early stages of building that.

Additionally, we are far from cities and population bases. (Really hurts in basketball, not as much in football. But more rural football powerhouses also have the years of history behind them.)

And yes, the Beamer years were incredibly successful. You could say our athletic departments rise to prominence was extremely unlikely. We could very well be where ECU is right now. We were not too long ago. We hit it at the perfect time, and had some VA politicians pull strings for us at the right time to join the ACC. If we hadn’t made it into the ACC, who the hell knows where our athletics would be right no.

Personally I appreciate where we’ve made it, and I have faith we can keep rising. But I don’t take it for granted where we are now.