“This announcement represents a game-changing event for Virginia Tech Athletics,” Whit Babcock said. “We are grateful to the Board of Visitors and President [Timothy] Sands for their willingness to undertake this partnership that will not only showcase the many great attributes of Virginia Tech and our athletics programs, but will also provide invaluable experience to Tech students who aspire to pursue career opportunities in the broadcasting field.
“We are making a significant investment today, while allowing ample room for growth and the incorporation of emerging technology in the years to come,” Babcock continued. “This project will raise the visibility of our entire campus and the many impressive accomplishments of our students, faculty and coaches. It will also help showcase many of our programs that haven’t previously enjoyed substantial television exposure, in addition to giving fans increased access to all our teams’ games and events. From career development to recruiting, there are a myriad of benefits that this ambitious project will provide for Virginia Tech and our students.”
While most of these studios will be located in current media areas underneath the South End Zone of Lane Stadium, there will also be studio space for HokieVision located under the West Stands at Lane Stadium. The plan also calls for the student involvement in HokieVision to increase immensely from 20 to roughly 100 students. The biggest thing with this investment is that Virginia Tech will have the ability to provide ACC Network coverage for simultaneous athletic events, something that will be important as a significantly higher number of VT sporing events become televised. The Virginia Tech Athletic Department is steadily making their preparations for the launch of the ACC Network with today's news being the next step in those preparations.
