For the first time in State of the Program history we are opening up the mics and cameras to the listeners. This episode has always been a joint celebration or commiseration with fellow fans and we're taking that literally this year. The James Franklin era is upon us in Blacksburg, the staff is starting to take shape, and the portal window is on the horizon. Join BCP and let us know what has you most exciting about the James Franklin era and what things are still giving you pause.
In this episode we welcome our friend Matej Sis from VT Scoop to help us break down the Signing Day blitz from James Franklin and the Hokies. Also, while nothing official has dropped from Virginia Tech, national media are reporting the Hokies are set to (re)hire Brent Pry as defensive coordinator on James Franklin's new staff. Brent Pry returns just 3 months after being fired by the Hokies as Head Coach. Reports are also swirling that Franklin has tapped Ty Howle to be offensive coordinator. Each with their own implications, we breakdown these perspective hires and what we think the rest of the staff looks like as it continues to take shape ahead of the transfer portal opening in January.
A depleted Hokies roster walked into Scott Stadium uninspired and outmatched, leaving Charlottesville with a 27-7 defeat that was hard at times to watch. We Tell the Truth about the end of a season that was lost weeks ago. We then touch briefly on the feverish rush to Early Signing Day, how James Franklin's staff might look, and make our Big Screener picks of the week.
James Franklin is officially the new head football coach for the Virginia Tech Hokies. The committee zeroed in on their primary target early and the process and after much hand wringing were able to close the deal on one of the best coaches available. We talk about the effects of this hire before opening it up to the audience to give their takes on what the James Franklin hire means for the Hokies.
We come off a bye still without a coach and facing one of the teams most linked to our top candidate James Franklin. We welcome Jesse from Plant the Spear onto the show to talk James Franklin rumblings and help us preview the Hokies road matchup at Doak Campbell Stadium.
This week we Tell the Truth about the Hokies loss at home to the Louisville Cardinals. While the Hokies showed heart throughout, inconsistent play and ill-timed mistakes ultimately doomed the Hokies upset bid as Louisville handled Virginia Tech in the second half. We also dive further into the James Franklin flirtations and make our Big Screeners picks of the week.
The Hokies were able to prevail in a wild back and forth contest in Lane Stadium on Friday night, taking down the Golden Bears in 2OT with a final score of 42-34. We Tell the Truth about a fun but chaotic game in Blacksburg. We then turn our attention to Louisville as we get to Know the Enemy ahead of Saturday's 3PM home tilt. We wrap as always by picking our Big Screeners of the week.
The Hokies come off a much needed bye week geared up to host the 5-2 Cal Golden Bears. With the schedule only getting tougher in November, Virginia Tech will need to take care of business in Lane Stadium on Friday if they hope to add to their win total in 2025. We also make our Big Screeners picks of the week.
This week we recap what was an altogether expected outcome in Atlanta with the Hokies showing solid effort and inconsistent play en route to a 35-20 loss to Georgia Tech. We then open up the mics and let our listeners get off their takes on who they want as the next head coach in Blacksburg.
This week we're back to preview the upcoming trip to Atlanta to face the thirteenth ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. We also Tell the Truth about a disasterfest of a Homecoming for the Hokies as they fell 30-23 to Wake. We wrap as always by giving you our Big Screener picks for the weekend.
This week we Tell the Truth about a victory against NC State that none of us we saw coming. There was a different Hokies team that took the field in Raleigh that looked like they were genuinely having a good time taking the field together. We also discuss the BOV meeting that formally approved the budget increase for athletics and make our Big Screeners picks of the week.
This week we welcome Cam Lemons Debro from the Demon Deacon Digest and the Inside the Forest podcast to help us get to Know the Enemy ahead of Saturday's tilt against Wake Forest in Blacksburg.
In this episode we take a deep dive into the BOV athletics department budget proposal and the implications it has for the program, the athletic director, and Virginia Tech's place in the college football landscape. We also briefly recap the Wofford victory and make our Big Screeners picks of the week.
This week we welcome our friend Evan from the Red & White Podcast to breakdown the Hokies road matchup with the NC State Wolfpack in Raleigh.
The Monarchs came into Blacksburg and smoked the Hokies in an embarrassing low point for a once great program. While the program officially died last week against Vandy the Pry regime came to an end Saturday, a regime bookended by unexpected losses to the Monarchs. This week we close the Brent Pry era and start looking towards the future and whether the BOV and hiring committee can find a Lazarus Pit to bring this program back to life.
We regret to inform you that, after a 12 year battle with mediocrity and irrelevance, the Virginia Tech football program was pronounced dead on September 6th 2025 at 10:57PM in Blacksburg, VA. The program is survived by living legend Frank Beamer, Bud Foster, and a myriad of football alumni that helped build a rough around the edges but beloved team into a perennial ten win program and Championship contender. Wake will be held September 9th 2025 at 9PM. Bring booze and, if you wish to eulogize this once great program, a mic and camera. See you there!
We now turn our attention to Vanderbilt with the specter of last year's opener still blazed in our memory banks. Will the Hokies get right against their second SEC opponent of the early 2025 season or will Diego Pavia and Company work some magic in Blacksburg?
This week we recap what was both a hopeful and frustrating outing for the Hokies down in Atlanta. Virginia Tech matched South Carolina blow for blow for four quarters but a couple big plays and consistent execution errors by the Hokies led to a 24-11 loss. We Tell the Truth about a game where the Hokies never looked outclassed yet still came out on the wrong side of a two score loss.
It was our pleasure to sit down with the great writer and educator Roland Lazenby. This 90 minute interview focuses primarily on his most recent piece in the Roanoker Magazine highlighting his time spent around Coach Brent Pry and the Hokies over the course of this Spring and Summer through the prism of NIL and the modern college football landscape. We dive into more big picture questions for the Hokies beyond the 2025 season: Can we keep up in the NIL era? Is this sustainable for college football at large? Is Pry the right man for the task? Be sure to checkout the piece, Love in the Time of NIL, by subscribing or grabbing the latest issue of the Roanoker Magazine.
If you want more Roanoker Magazine content you can visit:
Roanoker Magazine Virginia Tech landing page: https://theroanoker.com/VT
Roland Lazenby's Exclusive sit-down with Coach Pry: https://theroanoker.com/VT/Coach-Pry-Exclusive/
Get a copy of the issue: https://leisuremedia360.lpages.co/get-our-special-vt-issue/
Roanoker Magazine YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@roanokermagazine
The Hokies are set to start their 2025 campaign in Atlanta in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game against the South Carolina Gamecocks. Storylines abound but the most intriguing is Shane Beamer facing off against his alma mater and the school where his dad became a legend. We look at this revamped USC team to see how the Hokies can pull off the upset. We also announce the Countdown to Kickoff Giveaway winner and give our Big Screener Picks of the Week.