Tim Thomas

FEATURE: Is there a way to leverage NCAA Tournament expansion to enhance college basketball's regular season? Check out my idea to create a new group of auto bids that will ensure top mid-majors like 2024 Indiana State and 2026 Belmont don't miss out here: techlunchpail.com/blog/how-to-le…

INSIDE THE COMMITMENT: Why did talented DB Elijah Butler choose Virginia Tech over Oregon, Alabama, and others? Check out why Butler chose the #Hokies, for TLP Insiders here: techlunchpail.com/blog/three-sta…

Tobi Lawal just had one of the best vert jumps in the history of the NBA Draft Combine. Impressive. Lawal boosting his draft stock and his odds of being a second round pick #Hokies

The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie has Virginia Tech F Tobi Lawal being selected 53rd overall to the Houston Rockets in his latest NBA Mock Draft #Hokies

FEATURE: Johnny Garrett seemed very likely to start again on Virginia Tech’s offensive line entering this spring. However, Garrett now is under pressure to earn a #Hokies starting OL job after a disappointing spring. Check out more for TLP Insiders here: techlunchpail.com/blog/johnny-ga…

SCOOP: Virginia Tech Men’s Basketball has already added six transfers this offseason, but the #Hokies aren’t done yet and are looking at some 2026 HS recruits too. Check out the latest on three HS targets that VT is pursuing, for TLP Insiders here: techlunchpail.com/blog/2026-high…

@egmcold Not outside the 45-minute radius and Roanoke isn’t that much farther mileage wise either.

@TimThomasTLP @AndyBitterVT Roanoke and Salem are both outside 30 miles. Come on, Tim.

Oregon, LSU, and Texas Tech all have graduation next weekend and all are hosting. Not a good look for Virginia Tech to be deemed unable to host when other Power 4 schools in smaller towns in cases like Oregon and Texas Tech are able to do so with graduation happening too.

@davykevinp The individual cities are bigger but if you factor in Roanoke which is largely within the 30-mile/45-minute radius, then it becomes comparable in terms of the size of the whole area within the radius

@TimThomasTLP Eugene and Lubbock are smaller than Blacksburg?

Virginia Tech’s Tuesday game at Marshall has been canceled. Not a shock as most bubble teams cancel games like this that provide no RPI upside, especially since teams schedule more than the minimum number of games ahead of time. Still a shame for fans at Marshall #Hokies

@dondraperssoul @ChrisMcBride_12 Metro is just used to describe the NRV region and categorize population centers of all sorts of sizes whether it’s 100k among two cities or something as big as NYC. Blacksburg is technically part of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford MSA: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacksbur…

@TimThomasTLP @ChrisMcBride_12 Lived here 26 years. First time I've ever heard "Blacksburg metro" in a serious conversation. Maybe you ought to ask them Metallica fellas about how big Blacksburg is.

@kjf3009 @AndyBitterVT @AWLinVA To be fair, graduation didn’t overlap with the last time they hosted so this is a little different circumstance. @TechSideline got a couple statements on the matter with VT feeling they had what was needed and the NCAA pushing back with their 30-mile/45-minute radius rule

@AndyBitterVT @AWLinVA @TimThomasTLP This should have been known to all days ago-the graduation date and hotel reservations were set months ago. What did they do the last time they hosted?

@tjeberle I don’t think it’s on Pete at all. Don’t think he would have a role in planning that out nor should he.

@TimThomasTLP This issue is squarely on Pete, Whit and the administration but the committee also said that VT was not selected as a host anyway

30-mile radius would make me think Roanoke is in play but maybe my math isn’t great. Most of Roanoke is within an hour which isn’t perfect but hasn’t been an issue in the past. If Roanoke isn’t able to be included, then yeah you have some challenges. If it is, then you’re talking about two metros with a combined 500k that should be capable of hosting. Graduation obviously adds a challenge that VT didn’t have the last time it hosted a regional but you’d think a Power 4 program could get it sorted out to host.

@TimThomasTLP Eugene has 178,000 people. Lubbock is 270,000, with presumably more hotel accommodations. Blacksburg’s 44K. Not remotely in the same neighborhood, especially if Roanoke is out of the radius considered.

Roanoke metro is about 315k and Blacksburg metro is about 180k. 30-mile radius means all that area matters and could provide options for multiple events. Lubbock metro is about 350-400k so it’s similar sized and there isn’t a lot else around there to boost it further. Eugene metro is around 300k and I don’t think Portland is close enough to factor.

@TimThomasTLP Not to be that guy, obviously wanted to host too Eugene, Lubbock and Baton Rouge are massive compared to Blacksburg Lubbock has almost 300k ppl Eugene almost 200k ppl Baton Rouge is the state capital and over 200k ppl. Bburg, Cburg, Radford, Roanoke all together is less.

@GregOConnell4 @VTFish1 Texas Tech and Oregon have 50-60,000ish stadiums too.

@TimThomasTLP @VTFish1 They can also accommodate ~90,000 plus for a home football game, so I'm guessing they have many more hotels than Blacksburg / Roanoke.

That did not look like a happy Virginia Tech Softball group upon seeing the news that they didn’t get a top 16 seed and rightly so. How are the #Hokies stuck behind those SEC teams when they went 6-0 vs the SEC (including 2-0 vs Georgia) and were a top 3 ACC team. Absurd

@VTFish1 If that’s the case, then once again, what are we doing here, figure it out. LSU has graduation next weekend. That clearly isn’t an issue for them. It’s the same for Oregon and Texas Tech too yet it isn’t an issue for them either.

@TimThomasTLP I agree! But admin shut it down more than a week ago from what I was told. Hotel rooms were 1 of the issues

@VTFish1 I’m guessing there will be other schools hosting a regional that have graduation going on that same weekend. Plus, if you get the chance to host, you take it. You’re VT, if you can’t figure out those logistics, then what are we doing here

@TimThomasTLP I heard they couldn't host a regional even if they were top 16 because of graduation. I think they'll be happy at Baton Rouge. LSU is the lowest seed to host.

Virginia Tech: 46-10 overall, 4-3 vs the top 15 overall seeds, 8-4 vs Q1 LSU: 37-17 overall, 3-11 vs the top 15 overall, 11-16 vs Q1 Yes, the #Hokies had 3 Q3/4 losses & a weaker SOS but at some point, it has to be about how you did vs the best. VT was better vs the best.