Virginia Tech and ODU agree to a 2 for 1 series.

[RadioFan]

http://hamptonroads.com.nyud.net/2012/12/virginia-tech-odu-play-3game-football-series


Virginia Tech has agreed to a three-game football series with Old Dominion, including a contest in Norfolk in 2018 that will give the Monarchs their first home game with an ACC school, officials said Monday.

ODU athletic director Wood Selig and Tech AD Jim Weaver said in addition to the 2018 game, the schools will play in Blacksburg in 2016 and 2019. Weaver said some details need to be worked out but that “no serious differences” remain and that a contract should be signed in a week or two.

ODU officials said the agreement is a scheduling breakthrough for the Monarchs, who began playing football just four seasons ago.




Pretty nice. That's one positive I see about the possibility of App St. moving up. I'd like to see a similar deal with NC State or ECU.

[Twentysix]

That is awesome. Congrats ODU!

[md64179]

Very cool for ODU

[slostang]

That is awesome. Congrats ODU!

+1

[Laker]

Pretty nice to have VA Tech come to your place.

I remember going to LA-Monroe with the Gophers after they moved up to FBS. People were incredibly friendly and thanking me all night for coming down to their school for the game.

[Bison56]

Thats awesome! Good for ODU

[theasushow]

That's great news but I am honestly shocked by this. I have a few cousins that go to VT and it is like pulling teeth trying to get VT to play ANY OOC game away from Lane Stadium, let alone a FCS game....huge props!

[PantherRob82]

That's great news but I am honestly shocked by this. I have a few cousins that go to VT and it is like pulling teeth trying to get VT to play ANY OOC game away from Lane Stadium, let alone a FCS game....huge props!

ODU is done with FCS

[theasushow]

ODU is done with FCS

Ah touche', for some reason I was thinking that the VT game was coming before the move, but it clearly isn't. My mistake.

[gataeagles06]

That's awesome! Congratulations ODU!

[bluehenbillk]

That's a great get for ODU.

[Lehigh Football Nation]

Nice for ODU... as long as VT holds up their end of the agreement. It might pay for some of the added scholarships, it might not.

[MplsBison]

That's a great get for ODU.

Agreed!

Man...it does hold out just the slightest, tiny little sliver of hope that the Gophers football team might play in the Fargodome someday...

[344Johnson]

Agreed!

Man...it does hold out just the slightest, tiny little sliver of hope that the Gophers football team might play in the Fargodome someday...

If NDSU was FBS, I'm sure they would consider working something out.

Way to go Old Dominion.

[SpeedkingATL]

Sweet!

[MplsBison]

If NDSU was FBS, I'm sure they would consider working something out.

Way to go Old Dominion.

Kill doesn't ever want to play NDSU again in TCF. Let alone going to Fargo...

Honestly, it'd be about like last time Oregon went to Boise. That was that.

[walliver]

Nice for ODU... as long as VT holds up their end of the agreement. It might pay for some of the added scholarships, it might not.

The financial issue is: Can ODU profit $2 Million from a home game with VT ($2M is what VT would otherwise pay for two home games with ODU)? And equally important, Is this $2 Million more than they would collect from any other home game?

Obviously, the game would be a sell-out, and they will jack up ticket prices for the game, but I don't see any financial windfall.

What they do get from this deal is prestige and respectability.

[grayghost06]

Pretty sure this deal is contingent on ODU having a new stadium by 2018. Don't think VA Tech is going to play in a 20k stadium.

[MplsBison]

The financial issue is: Can ODU profit $2 Million from a home game with VT ($2M is what VT would otherwise pay for two home games with ODU)? And equally important, Is this $2 Million more than they would collect from any other home game?

Obviously, the game would be a sell-out, and they will jack up ticket prices for the game, but I don't see any financial windfall.

What they do get from this deal is prestige and respectability.

If I was ODU, I'd try to link getting tickets for the VT game into some kind of season ticket deal or at least a package of tickets.

IE, you can't buy a ticket for the VT game unless you also buy tickets for ____ additional games. Or perhaps unless you make a minimum $___ donation to the [insert ODU football booster club name here].

[MplsBison]

Pretty sure this deal is contingent on ODU having a new stadium by 2018. Don't think VA Tech is going to play in a 20k stadium.

Why would that matter?

VT is getting 2 home games with an FBS team out of the deal. That's the price.


I know plenty of Big Ten teams who have played at MAC teams with stadiums in the 20k's range.

[elon77]

Pretty sure this deal is contingent on ODU having a new stadium by 2018. Don't think VA Tech is going to play in a 20k stadium.

I would almost bet you a RC Cola that by 2018 they have a stadium that will seat 35-40 thousand fans. They have enough people on a waiting list to put that many people in the stands now. But, if they start loosing that list could dwindle down. I'm still thinking in 5 years something bigger will be in place.

[asumike83]

If I was ODU, I'd try to link getting tickets for the VT game into some kind of season ticket deal or at least a package of tickets.

IE, you can't buy a ticket for the VT game unless you also buy tickets for ____ additional games. Or perhaps unless you make a minimum $___ donation to the [insert ODU football booster club name here].

You can bet that something very similar will be done. The ODU administration has been very savvy in their revival of football and I'm sure they will capitalize on this.

I believe that expansion plans are already in place and I'd be shocked if capacity was not at least in the 30-35K range by 2018.

[PantherRob82]

If I was ODU, I'd try to link getting tickets for the VT game into some kind of season ticket deal or at least a package of tickets.

IE, you can't buy a ticket for the VT game unless you also buy tickets for ____ additional games. Or perhaps unless you make a minimum $___ donation to the [insert ODU football booster club name here].

ODU has been sold out basically every game since they started.

[fatmonarch]

ODU has been sold out basically every game since they started.

We have sold out every home game.

[BluBengal07]

great deal ODU! you all stay doing big things.

[MplsBison]

ODU has been sold out basically every game since they started.

What's better than a sellout?

A sellout of season tickets.

[soccerguy315]

for those of you less tied into VA, ODU is in the best recruiting area in the state... an area that VT recruits heavily. This provides VT a chance to offer recruits a chance to play a game close to home and try to solidify their recruiting in the area over other BCS schools.

[MplsBison]

Wow, 310 miles by road from Norfolk to VT. Didn't realize VA was that wide. Fair enough.

[fatmonarch]

What's better than a sellout?

A sellout of season tickets.


What's better than a sellout of season tickets?

A season ticket waiting list of ~4000

[DFW HOYA]

Congratulations to ODU--they have made huge strides in four seasons. Would that it were so in Washington.

[woffordgrad94]

Sounds exciting for Monarch fans.

[elon77]

What's better than a sellout of season tickets?

A season ticket waiting list of ~4000

I have been told that most of the names on the waiting list want 3 to 4 tickets which adds up to more than 4000. I'm burried in there somewhere.

[fatmonarch]

ODU says our waiting list adds up to 15,000 tickets. This means we could have sold approximately 30,000 season tickets this past year.

[grayghost06]

Why would that matter?

VT is getting 2 home games with an FBS team out of the deal. That's the price.


I know plenty of Big Ten teams who have played at MAC teams with stadiums in the 20k's range.

The Big 10 teams that do 2 for 1s w/ MAC teams fall into one of three categories- at least in the last ten years or so.

1) They are almost exclusively the bottom dwellers in terms of Big10 attendance- ie: IU, NW, and Minnesota-occasionally a Purdue or Illinois. Those schools average between 36-47k. Virginia Tech sells out 66k every game and hasn't played a game in a stadium as small as Foreman Field since a game at Richmond in the mid 80s.

2) They play the MAC home game at a NFL stadium. NIU playing Iowa at Soldier Field or WMU playing Illinois at Ford Field. Again, it allows the Big10 school to get their fans into an "away" game in a big city.

3) On the rare occasion a good drawing Big10 team does a 2 for 1 deal w/ a MAC school, it's usually at a place that has a 30k stadium that they fill up with their own fans. Central Michigan played a home game against Michigan State this year. That game set the CMU stadium record crowd of 35k. It beat capacity by 2k and their average attendance by 20k. Foreman Field seats 20 thousand w/ no room for temporary seats. They sell out all their games. Tech fans, who travel well regionally, will not be able to attend in their usual numbers.

I give ODU mad props for getting this done and I do believe they will fast track a new stadium or expansion. But stadiums take time to fund, plan and construct. They need to move quickly. Even more props for publically saying that Va Tech is the only school they would do a 2 for 1 with. I just happen to think that if there is not a larger stadium in place by 2018, either the game will be pushed back a bit OR it will be played at FedEx.

[GOODY26]

Good deal ODU, now I don't have to travel to Blackburgs to watch Tech play.xthumbsupx

[MplsBison]

The Big 10 teams that do 2 for 1s w/ MAC teams fall into one of three categories- at least in the last ten years or so.

1) They are almost exclusively the bottom dwellers in terms of Big10 attendance- ie: IU, NW, and Minnesota-occasionally a Purdue or Illinois. Those schools average between 36-47k. Virginia Tech sells out 66k every game and hasn't played a game in a stadium as small as Foreman Field since a game at Richmond in the mid 80s.

2) They play the MAC home game at a NFL stadium. NIU playing Iowa at Soldier Field or WMU playing Illinois at Ford Field. Again, it allows the Big10 school to get their fans into an "away" game in a big city.

3) On the rare occasion a good drawing Big10 team does a 2 for 1 deal w/ a MAC school, it's usually at a place that has a 30k stadium that they fill up with their own fans. Central Michigan played a home game against Michigan State this year. That game set the CMU stadium record crowd of 35k. It beat capacity by 2k and their average attendance by 20k. Foreman Field seats 20 thousand w/ no room for temporary seats. They sell out all their games. Tech fans, who travel well regionally, will not be able to attend in their usual numbers.

I give ODU mad props for getting this done and I do believe they will fast track a new stadium or expansion. But stadiums take time to fund, plan and construct. They need to move quickly. Even more props for publically saying that Va Tech is the only school they would do a 2 for 1 with. I just happen to think that if there is not a larger stadium in place by 2018, either the game will be pushed back a bit OR it will be played at FedEx.

Fair enough, great post!