MAILBAG: Football excitement, Scott Stadium and basketball additions

Readers submitted questions — here are some answers

Tony Elliott signals during the Virginia football game against James Madison at Scott Stadium. | Virginia Athletic

The offseason is starting to winnow down, but before fall camp and then football season begin, let's answer a few mailbag questions.

From @MrEd315:

Q: What vibes are you sensing from the Virginia football program for this season? Great, warm & fuzzy, meh, or something else?

A: Within the program, there is an expectation that this team is going to return to Charlotte and come back with a trophy this time around. Virginia could sit and ponder if things would have been different with Kam Robinson, Monroe Mills, Dakota Twitty, and Makilan Thomas (and others) healthy, but that has not haunted them. 

Instead, the Cavaliers have flushed out the previous heartbreak. Beyond that, they say that they have flushed out the previous season. Ask any player, and they will tell you that every win and loss from 2025 is in the past — this is an 0-0 football team that must earn everything.

I’ll throw out some words that best describe the vibes within the program — hungry, eager, motivated, and competitive. Tony Elliott and company feel that they have the best all-around competitive depth they’ve ever had. This is a confident football team. 

From @uva_tfon4:

Q: Any more NIL-backed Scott Stadium improvements in the near future? The new video board was a great value add in my opinion.

A: The next development at Scott Stadium is the 1931 Club, premium club seating that will take the space of the current press box. Renovations start after the end of this season, and the 1931 Club will be completed before the start of the 2027 season.

Luckily for Virginia, all major components of Scott Stadium have been updated over the past few years — the video board, sound system, and light system, most importantly. In the revenue sharing/NIL era, funding for stadium renovations is a luxurious cost that is not realistic for some athletic programs. 

I think people would be surprised to see how many major collegiate athletic departments are operating at a yearly deficit in the millions. Virginia is in a fantastic spot — there are new stadiums and training facilities and major renovations that were all completed in the 2020s. 

From @thomashughes_05: 

Q: What are your thoughts on the additions for UVA MBB?

A: Wildcard answer — in a reality in which every player is essentially a free agent every year, Virginia’s best additions were retaining its own players. Factoring in retention, the Cavaliers had one of the best offseasons of any team in the country. Thijs De Ridder, Johann Grunloh, Sam Lewis and Chance Mallory could have chased major money elsewhere as starters for other ranked teams. Instead, the Cavaliers kept every eligible returning role player. 

Virginia did make some role-playing additions too — Christian Harmon, Jurian Dixon, Jan Vide and Kalu Anya each bring something valuable. Shooting and team defense will be strengths. 

The most interesting addition in my opinion is Nolan Adekunle, who has star potential as a three-and-D wing who can also be a slasher and occasional playmaker.