Unlike football, where some teams have facilities that look like a cross between pro football facilities and a 5-star resort, the facilities for most wrestling programs are not so over the top. While a few may be better, they are not so much better that they are the "haves" and VT is a "have not." The VT facility improvements over the past few years have been impressive.

The bigger issue for VT in terms of recruiting is the inability to bundle other types of financial aid with the limited wrestling scholarships. Other schools really push the limits there, and Virginia schools do not compete. I read once why that is the case, but I can't recall all the specifics.

Also, when you look at schools like Penn State, Ohio State, and Iowa - they have a distinct advantage with in-state recruits because whatever portion of tuition is not covered by scholarship or that fuzzy "other financial aid" is much lower in-state tuition for the local wrestlers. Obviously, VT has that same in-state-tuition advantage with VA wrestlers, but VA (while a decent state for high school wrestling) is no PA, Ohio or Iowa in terms of depth or number of elite, D1-ready wrestlers. And yes, I know VA has some, and VT gets its share - like Devin Carter, Joey Dance, the Epperly's, Hunter Bolen - but a state like PA has 8-10 at every weight class starting D1 somewhere every year.