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Hokie Hoopsters Will Play Record Number of Home Games
by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com

If you are a Virginia Tech men’s basketball season ticket holder, look for the price of season tickets to go up a bit this season. That’s because the 2005-06 season will feature the most regular season home games in Cassell Coliseum’s history. The Hokies will host 17 games this season, including a round robin tournament to open the season.

First of all, let’s take a look at Tech’s number of home games in past seasons, dating back to the 1990-91 season. This includes postseason NIT games that were held in Cassell Coliseum.

The Hokies have already scheduled more games in Cassell this season than any past season. And if Tech makes the NIT again, that could mean even more home games. While the out-of-conference home schedule isn’t particularly strong, it still means increased revenue for the athletic department. VT will still sell its allotment of season tickets because of the ACC games. Whether or not those fans show up for out-of-conference games doesn’t matter, from a revenue standpoint. The money is still good.

The most important factor of having more home games than usual means the Hokies will probably have more wins than usual. Seth Greenberg is 24-7 at Cassell Coliseum in his two seasons as head coach. The Hokies have posted double digit wins at home in both seasons under Greenberg. Before Greenberg’s arrival, the last time a Tech team won ten or more games in Cassell came in 1996-97, Bill Foster’s last season as head coach.

For the next six seasons after that, the most wins that Tech could manage in a single season in Cassell was nine. The Hokies also posted the first losing season in Cassell Coliseum history in 2000-01, finishing with a 6-9 record in Blacksburg in the first season of Big East play.

Virginia Tech hosts nine out-of-conference opponents in Cassell Coliseum this season, and on paper, VT is better than every one of those teams. If the Hokies can win those nine games, plus steal an out-of conference road win on the road, they would set themselves up nicely heading into ACC play. With ten out-of-conference wins, VT would have to win five ACC games to finish the regular season 15-14. They would be NIT eligible with that record.

But if things fall right for the Hokies, they have a chance to be better than that. With the same out-of-conference record and an 8-8 ACC mark, VT would find themselves 18-11 and under strong consideration for the NCAA Tournament.

That’s why it’s critical that the Hokies hold serve at home in the out-of-conference portion of their schedule. As we saw last season, VT is capable of winning ACC games. With a few more wins out-of-conference last year, Tech could have found themselves in the NCAA Tournament rather than the NIT.

Here is the out-of-conference home schedule for the Hokies:

Not exactly murderers row, but that’s a good thing. With a good enough record, Tech’s RPI will be high enough just because of their ACC schedule. Home games against Duke, UNC and UVA will be fun, but the games listed above will go a long way in determining which tournament, if any, will select the Hokies.

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-- Will Stewart

2005 VT Football Preview: Special Teams
by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com, 8/25/05, 2:50 pm
Virginia Tech is nationally recognized for their excellent special teams play, but to be honest, certain aspects have fallen off in recent years. Punters have been dropping snaps, punts are getting blocked, and the Pride and Joy unit isn’t blocking as many punts. There have also been some critical field goals missed in crunch time. The Hokies must improve in these areas if they hope to run the table in 2005.
in Football

Practice Report: The Season Looms
by TechSideline.com, 8/24/05, 11:55 pm
The Hokie football team has just a few more days of practice left before they finalize their depth chart and start game week preparation for NC State. Our insiders tell us that Marcus Vick is ironing out the kinks in his formidable game, Jimmy Williams is flashing the ability that makes him the best cornerback in the country, and Nic Schmitt is finally hitting his groove.
in TSL Pass

ACC Preview/Prediction: Florida State, Atlantic Division #1
by Jeff Ouellet, 8/24/05, 4:00 pm
The days of the ACC being FSU and the seven dwarfs seem like a distant memory now, and, judging by the turmoil this offseason in Tallahassee, competitive balance is here to stay. It’s one thing to lose to Miami for a sixth consecutive year, but FSU lost to five-win Maryland and struggled mightily to beat Wake 20-17 last year.
in Football

Hokies Release 2005-06 Basketball Schedule
by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com, 8/23/05, 11:50 pm
Virginia Tech released the 2005-2006 men’s basketball schedule on Tuesday afternoon. It is highlighted by tough out of conference games against Ohio State and Stanford, while national powers such as Duke, North Carolina and Georgia Tech will be visiting Cassell Coliseum.
in News and Notes

2005 VT Football Preview: The Defensive Backs
by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com, 8/23/05, 2:20 pm
Virginia Tech lost some excellent defensive backs following the 2004 season, two of which have gone on to the NFL. Some of you might have seen Eric Green’s interception return for a touchdown this past weekend, and you might have seen Vinnie Fuller lining up for the Titans as well. Those guys are gone, along with starting rover James Griffin and backup safety Mike Daniels. So the Hokies must be a little thin on talent in the secondary, right? Hardly.
in Football

Advance Auto Parts Hokie Hotline Notes for 8/22/05
by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com, 8/23/05, 11:05 am
Monday night’s Hokie Hotline was the first of the 2005 football season and featured Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster, athletic director Jim Weaver and head coach Frank Beamer. Foster talked about the defense, Weaver discussed stadium expansion and an offer on the table for Frank Beamer, and Beamer talked about the program and the offense.
in Hokie Hotline Notes

ACC Preview/Prediction: Miami, Coastal Division #2
by Jeff Ouellet, 8/22/05, 1:25 pm
The Canes have the most talent of any team in the ACC, but they don’t have the surefire three to five upperclass first round draft picks that are par for the course with Miami. The offense is loaded with terrific prospects, but they are prospects at this point, not established players. The defense is the deepest and most experienced in the ACC.
in Football

The Year of Our Discontent: Conclusion
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 8/22/05, 12:55 am
In July of 1987, the results of the four-month investigation into Virginia Tech's basketball program had been revealed to the Virginia Tech administration, the media, and the public. A dozen NCAA violations were detailed in the report put together by Chicago attorneys Mike Glazier and Mike Slive, but despite all the hoopla, only two of the violations could be considered serious.
in TSL Pass

Scrimmage Report: Duane Brown Impresses
by TechSideline.com, 8/20/05, 11:50 pm
The Virginia Tech football team had another strong scrimmage Saturday (good enough that Frank Beamer is giving the team Sunday and Monday off), and we got a report from our man on the spot. "First of all," we were told, "that was a hard hitting, fun scrimmage to watch. The team looked pretty focused. Well played by both the offense and defense."
in TSL Pass

Brandon Pace, Defense Shine in Second Fall Scrimmage
by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com, 8/20/05, 11:15 pm
Brandon Pace put on a kicking clinic on Saturday afternoon, as the Virginia Tech football team held their second scrimmage of the preseason in almost unbearably hot weather in Blacksburg. Pace, last year's first team All-ACC kicker, went 4-4 on field goal attempts, including kicks of 37, 45 and 47 yards.
in Football

TSL Audio: Interview With Will Stewart on WRBZ Sports Radio 850 AM "The Buzz, Raleigh (MP3 Audio)
by TechSideline.com, 8/19/05, 4:40 pm
Will Stewart does an interview on "The Show With Chris Clark" on 850 AM in Raleigh, and Will and Chris talk about the Hokie football team, top to bottom, and their prospects for the coming season. (Time:18:26, Size: 4.3 MB)
in TSL Audio

ACC Preview/Prediction: NC State, Atlantic Division #2
by Jeff Ouellet, 8/19/05, 2:45 pm
On the heels of an unexpectedly poor 5-6 season, Chuck Amato lost arguably his top three assistants when defensive coordinator Reggie Herring went to Arkansas, offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone went to Ole Miss, and recruiting coordinator Doc Holliday went to Florida. There are a couple of schools of thought on the change, but overall I think the Pack will improve as the season progresses and arguably their three toughest intradivisional games fall in November (FSU, BC and Maryland).
in Football

"The State of the Program" Revisited
by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com, 8/19/05, 10:10 am
Last year at this time, Tech fans were anxiously counting down the days to the BCA Classic against USC. But at the same time, they were very uncertain about what the season would bring. Many didn’t expect much, believing that the Hokies would finish 7-5 or 8-4 and get a decent, but not great bowl invitation. Many were wondering about the future of the program as well, and if the best days were in the past. What a difference a year makes.
in TSL Pass