I imagine VaTech will travel extremely well.
Many years ago, I was really close to going to VaTech. As it turns out, this area around Nashville had really won me over. So MTSU is where I chose to go. Following VaTech somewhat closely especially many years ago, I've sort of hoped MT could follow a similar path of football growth.
VaTech has not always been a power type program. In the grand scheme of things, VaTech is still somewhat of a younger program in regards to power conference football. So not only do they have large and motivated group of fans, VaTech still has somewhat of a new and novel feel with many in Virginia that helps boost fan excitement. As such, I would anticipate that many of their fans will eagerly come to M'boro since VaTech's home area sort of borders on MT's general region.
Regarding similarities with VT and MT, in my youth (80s) VaTech was an afterthought in football. In that region, particularly Northern Virginia it was predominantly a Pro Football minded population i.e. Redskins. For those paying attention to college football, UVA and even Maryland were the big players in the region. VaTech wasn't even much in the larger conversation. VaTech's football stadium was a fraction of the size it is now. Even then, they couldn't get close to filling it up. For the limited crowd that did attend, they saw losing football more often than not. Heck for those interested around the state, one would have difficulty even finding a radio station carrying their games not to even mention the limited TV coverage. Generally speaking of high school and college aged kids back then in the 80s, VaTech football was most frequently the brunt of jokes when brought up in conversation. VaTech was not taken seriously as a competitor at the highest level of football.
Of course Beamer stayed for the long haul to eventually build the program into a power player. Think back in the 90's, VaTech was playing football in the BigEast where they eventually started to win games vs mostly unranked opponents before usually playing U of Miami and losing late in the season. Most of you likely know the rest of the story. They eventually got over that hump as 2K approached and politics somehow helped VT land in ACC. The rest is history.
Maybe MT basketball is the program that more closely matches the path of VaTech's rise in football. Knowing VaTech rise sometimes serves as a reminder that even though things may not look too bright around MT football, big success could possibly happen in the years to come. It's been done before by others in a similar situation.
