Good evening, Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) sports fans.
Today, Virginia Tech Athletic Director, Whit Babcock, announced that Virginia Tech would not be holding a spring football game. The Virginia Tech Athletic Department based their decision on novel coronavirus (COVID-19) discussions with Commonwealth of Virginia public health and campus officials.
As my friend @TalkinACCSports will tell you, I’ve been all about cautious conduct during the pandemic. We are both strong supporters of social distancing, vaccination, and safe conduct in a pandemic. If you do this, you’re going to get back to normal activity faster.
I do have a few issues with the Virginia Tech Athletic Department’s decision, though:
1.) They have to engage the fanbase more actively (I know this is an understatement – and it’s been a problem for a while). The 2020 football season – while not normal at all (we are in pandemic, after all) – was the first losing season in 30 years. Having a spring game is something that can engage the fanbase after somewhat of a disappointing year. And you don’t have to have many spectators there – just the players’ and coaches’ family members – and televise it (use the ACC Network to your advantage).
2.) Even if you don’t have spectators there, Virginia Tech could still have a spring football game in an empty stadium – it would give the Virginia Tech fanbase something to be excited about – the spring game is something that excites many Hokies.
VT should have held the game with no fans, allowed it to be streamed on @ACCNetworkExtra or broadcasted on @accnetwork, told fans to stay away and not tailgate, and then policed the lots. #Hokies fans want to see Jordan Williams, Braxton Burmeister, et al.
— Will Stewart (@WillStewartTSL) March 23, 2021
3.) At a minimum, even if you don’t have a spring game, then televise the extra practice – let the Virginia Tech fanbase get an inside view to the football program.
4.) It seems to weird to me that Virginia Tech and Louisville are the only two ACC programs not having spring football games. The weird thing about all this is that Virginia Tech just completed a season where it competed in a pandemic – the Hokies did find a way to navigate those issues – but it seems that there should be methods where a game like this can be played because there are 10 other ACC teams who seem to be finding a safe way to go forward.
Like I said before – I’m one of the strongest supporters of safety in a pandemic – but I’m not getting this decision because I didn’t see that there was any middle ground approach. 2021 is a big year for Justin Fuente – he needs a successful year – he needs to engage the fanbase.
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