ATHLETICS
REACH FOR EXCELLENCE BOLD VISION OUTLINED FOR HOKIE SPORTS TO BECOME PREMIER PROGRAM IN ACC
Tim Sands Virginia Tech president
PLAYBOOK: Head Women’s Golf Coach Carol Robertson, Athletic Director Whit Babcock, Virginia Tech President Tim Sands, and Head Football Coach Justin Fuente at the April announcement of Reach for Excellence.
22 | DRILLFIELD | ATHLETICS
“Athletics is an important part of the Virginia Tech experience, supporting the university and our local economy and creating national visibility that engages our worldwide community of alumni, friends, and fans,” Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said while highlighting the Reach for Excellence campaign alongside Athletic Director Whit Babcock and other university leaders. “Whit and our roster of talented coaches are doing a great job. To take Virginia Tech Athletics to the next level of competitiveness, we need
to resource athletics in the top-third of the ACC and the Power Five programs. To reach that level, we are committing to enhancing support from all sources, including significant private support from this campaign.” The Reach for Excellence campaign will leverage the momentum of recent successes on the field and in fundraising, such as adding about 10,000 more Hokie Club members in the past five years and opening the Student-Athlete Performance Center thanks to a record gift. Still, leaders acknowledged that the athletics enterprise needs an infusion of revenue in order to compete at the top of the ACC. Reach for Excellence is the largest ever campaign for Hokie sports and is part of a broader, $1.5 billion fundraising ini-
DAVE KNACHEL
“ATHLETICS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE VIRGINIA TECH EXPERIENCE, SUPPORTING THE UNIVERSITY AND OUR LOCAL ECONOMY AND CREATING NATIONAL VISIBILITY THAT ENGAGES OUR WORLDWIDE COMMUNITY OF ALUMNI, FRIENDS, AND FANS.”
IN FEBRUARY, VIRGINIA TECH announced a $400 million fundraising campaign to propel Hokie sports to the forefront of the Atlantic Coast Conference, prepare generations of student-athletes for success, and raise the university’s profile nationwide.
