Report: Virginia Tech Expected to Add $50 Million To Athletic Budget

According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, Virginia Tech is targeting a head coach with experience and an addition of $50 million to the athletic budget.

Sep. 20, 2025; Blacksburg, Va.; Virginia Tech running back Marcellous Hawkins (27) runs the ball during the second quarter. | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

On Saturday, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported on the ESPN College GameDay show that Virginia Tech would add $50 million to its athletic department budget by the end of the month in an attempt to be more competitive in the ACC.

Thamel also remarked that Virginia Tech is looking for an experienced option for its new head coach.

“For the jobs at UCLA and Virginia Tech, I’ve been told they’re going to target experienced head coaches,” Thamel reported. “Both schools need to market themselves as better jobs and show real financial commitment. At Virginia Tech, a source told me that by the end of the month they’re expected to add nearly $50 million to the athletic department budget to show they can compete at the highest levels of the ACC.”

From ⁦@CollegeGameDay⁩ on Saturday. What’s next at Oklahoma State? And a nugget on Virginia Tech’s future, where nearly $50 million is expected to be added to the athletic department budget by the end of the month. VT is aiming to be competitive with top of ACC. pic.twitter.com/ATEF5arpLO

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 21, 2025

The process of determining who will lead the Hokies as head coach in 2026 and beyond is expected to be long and winding, with months of evaluation, interviews, and speculation ahead. Yet the first domino in that process may fall on Sept. 30, when Virginia Tech’s Board of Visitors convenes for its scheduled meeting. While no final hire will be made at that point — or likely, for several months — the session could carry significant implications, from outlining the financial commitment the university is willing to make to signaling other priorities in the search to clarifying the timeline for action.

What emerges from that meeting might not provide every answer, but it could set the tone for the months ahead and offer the first glimpse into how the program plans to navigate one of its most consequential decisions in decades.

If that investment materializes, it would mark a pivotal step for Virginia Tech at a time when stability and vision are badly needed. The Hokies have endured years of uneven results, a trio of head coaches since the start of 2015 and a strong desire for change from the fanbase. Committing significant resources not only strengthens the football program but also signals to recruits, alumni and the broader ACC that Tech intends to remain competitive in an increasingly cutthroat landscape with the way that name, image and likeness (NIL) has impacted college football.

Still, money alone won’t solve everything. The challenge will be pairing financial backing with the right leadership: someone capable of uniting the locker room, energizing the fan base and restoring an identity that has felt elusive for years. As the search unfolds, the upcoming months will shape not just the next coaching hire but likely, the trajectory of Virginia Tech football for the next decade-plus. This is a hire that the Hokies cannot get wrong.

In the meantime, Virginia Tech has a game to play, facing NC State in six days' time. The Hokies will square off against the Wolfpack on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. ET, with viewing available on the CW.