When Marshall sets foot in Lane Stadium for Saturday’s 4:30 p.m. game, Virginia Tech (0-1) will get a second chance at dealing with the unknown. Even with a week’s worth of game tape, the Thundering Herd (1-0) likely will be full of surprises.

With more than half of the starters who played key roles in last year’s 24-17 win over the Hokies in Huntington, West Virginia, no longer on the roster, Marshall brings in a team that is full of transfer-portal talent and younger players who are still trying to prove themselves.

The Herd avoided revealing many of the bells and whistles in its offense during a 45-7 season-opening win over FCS opponent Stony Brook. Marshall coach Charlie Huff said his team struggled in the first 10 minutes of the game, but then took advantage of a 90-minute rain delay to make the necessary adjustments to cruise after that.

The Hokies never seemed to get their footing at Vanderbilt. Their first two offensive drives ended with an interception and punt, and the Commodores were up 17-0 until the final seconds of the first half. Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry listed multiple issues that led to the outcome:

• The Hokies’ offense, which was considered in the preseason to be very balanced and led by one of the most experienced offensive lines in the ACC, struggled to establish a run game, which led to quarterback Kyron Drones spending much of his day on the run and out of sync. He threw for 322 yards and two touchdowns but was also sacked once and threw a costly interception on his team’s first drive.
• A special-teams mistake — two players wearing the same number were on the field during a punt — led to a penalty. That moved Vandy close enough to successfully attempt a field goal, which proved to be costly later in the day.
• And while the defense started to hold its own against Vanderbilt’s option-style offense late in the first half, the Hokies started to look worn out late in the game in steamy Nashville.

“I think they all understand we didn’t play our best today — that’s the first thing,” Pry said after the game. “Secondly, it’s humbling. Maybe we needed some of that. As much as we preach about ignoring the noise, maybe we felt a little better about ourselves than we needed to.

“I don’t think that will be the case next week.”

Trying to bounce back with a home game also has its advantages. Since 2014, only two Group of Five-level teams have beaten the Hokies at Lane Stadium. They also will be playing on a day that the program’s most celebrated team — the Michael Vick-led 1999 group that reached the national championship game — will be honored.

Tight end Benji Gosnell added that he believes this Hokies team has the proper character and experience needed to return from a loss.

“We took a really mature approach to it,” said Gosnell, who caught four passes for 61 yards. “We covered the bases that what happened on Saturday was not OK. But great teams have mature approaches to losses — you either win or you learn. That was how we approached it late Saturday and Sunday.”

If Virginia Tech’s players can avoid the hype this week, they may be the only ones. Despite last week’s outcome, the Hokies enter Saturday’s game as a bigger favorite against the Herd (20½ points) than they were against Vanderbilt.

Virginia Tech will be facing similar challenges from Marshall that had been cast by Vandy.

The Hokies’ defense will see as many as three quarterbacks, as Huff said he has yet to settle on just one guy. All three threw TD passes in the win over Stony Brook, and all presented different challenges.

Marshall also plays a high-energy, charging-style defensive scheme, which means Drones will need to make quick decisions early in the game on which of his many weapons are available on each snap. The Hokies do not want to let another underdog gain confidence early in the game.

“This is a good team we’re playing,” Pry said. “It’s a group that’s beaten Notre Dame recently, that’s beaten us and took North Carolina State to the wire. They’re going to give us their best effort.”

Marshall (1-0) at Virginia Tech (0-1)

When: 4:30 p.m.

On the air: The CW, 790AM, 910AM, 107.5FM

The Thundering Herd: Coach Charles Huff’s team displayed a balanced attack in last week’s 45-3 win against Stony Brook, throwing for 290 yards on 32 passes and rushing for 259 on 36 attempts. A.J. Turner is part of a three-player rotation at tailback and was the most impressive against Stony Brook. Though he did not start, Turner rushed for 119 yards on just eight carries, including an 80-yarder. Starting QB Stone Earle, a transfer from North Texas, and Braylon Braxton threw two touchdown passes apiece. The Herd added 45 new players and six new assistant coaches in the offseason.

The Hokies: QB Kyron Drones started slowly against Vanderbilt but finished with career highs in completions (22) and yards (322), and he threw two touchdown passes before leaving the game late in the fourth quarter with cramps. The Hokies are 20.5-point favorites but will be without safety Jalen Stroman, who suffered an undisclosed injury against Vanderbilt. Jaylen Jones and Mose Phillips III should see increased playing time, according to coach Brent Pry. — Associated Press

The graduate transfer from New Mexico State, last season’s Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year, needed four plays to put the Commodores ahead in overtime. He finished rushing for 104 yards and throwing for 190 yards.

“People wanted me, but it was never Power Five, and I just feel like I’m the best player in the country and I’m here to show it,” Pavia said. “That’s what I want to do week in, week out. Whatever it takes to win.”

It was the first overtime win for Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea at his alma mater and the program’s first since beating Mississippi on Nov. 17, 2018.

Virginia Tech tried switching quarterbacks on its possession in overtime, with Kyron Drones cramping on a sweltering day after throwing for 322 yards and two touchdowns.

“He just ran out of gas at the end,” Tech coach Brent Pry said.

Backup Collin Schlee ran for 14 yards to the 11 on Tech’s first offensive play of overtime, and Bhayshal Tuten gained 2. Then Drones came in to pick up 2 yards on a run, making it third-and-6. Then Schlee was sacked for a 5-yard loss, and his fourth-down throw toward Da’Quan Felton went out of the back of the end zone, starting a big celebration by Vanderbilt.

Pavia nearly won the game in regulation. After Virginia Tech took its only lead at 27-20 with 4:12 left, he capped a 70-yard drive with an 8-yard TD pass to Sedrick Alexander with 1:51 left. He set up Brock Taylor for the potential game-winning 43-yard field goal that missed wide right, sending the game into overtime.

Pavia helped Vanderbilt stun the Hokies, who came in favored by 13 1/2 points and looking to build on the momentum from winning the Military Bowl to go 7-6.

Pry called it a humbling loss after an offseason filled with expectations.

“Maybe we needed some of that,” Pry said.
Virginia Tech outgained Vanderbilt 397-371, but Vanderbilt played keepaway by holding the ball for more than 34 minutes.
Coach Clark Lea not only lured Pavia from New Mexico State, he also hired Jerry Kill as his chief consultant and senior offensive coach, along with bringing offensive coordinator Tim Beck to Music City.

Vanderbilt sold out this game with its south end zone closed to fans while under construction, though enough Hokies faithful filled the stands to make it feel like a Virginia Tech home game.

The takeaway

Virginia Tech coach Brent Pry was a co-defensive coordinator at Vanderbilt during the Commodores’ best three-year period in decades, as they made three straight bowls and won nine games in back-to-back seasons between 2011 and 2013. The Hokies had all 11 starters back on offense and 19 of 22 overall.

Lea made many changes on his coaching staff, with essentially importing the key pieces of a New Mexico State squad that won 10 games last season. Lea also took over coordinating the defense, which came up with four sacks and an early interception to set up the Commodores’ first TD.

Costly penalty

Vanderbilt might not have had a chance at overtime if not for a costly penalty in the third quarter. The Hokies forced Vandy into a delay-of-game penalty with Taylor missing a 54-yard field goal, only to then draw a penalty with a pair of Hokies wearing the same No. 0 on Vanderbilt’s punt.

That allowed Taylor another shot with the ball moved a little closer, and he made the 53-yarder for a 20-10 lead.

Up next

Virginia Tech hosts Marshall on Saturday.

Vanderbilt hosts Alcorn State on Saturday.

Besides, he still has some personal unfinished business in Blacksburg, where he transferred in the spring of 2023 after playing two seasons at Florida. “I want to score a touchdown,” he said.

That kind of goal is certainly not far-fetched for Powell-Ryland, who established as much in his very first game for Tech at Lane Stadium last fall. The defensive lineman immediately became a nuisance for opposing offenses.

The Portsmouth native and former Norcom and Indian River high star spent quite a bit of time in Old Dominion’s backfield on opening night, finishing with two sacks and forcing a fumble in a 36-17 Hokies win. The rest of the ACC was immediately put on notice, as were NFL scouts, who are always looking for linemen who specialize in chasing down quarterbacks.

Powell-Ryland was aware of his options and the possibility of getting picked in the 2024 NFL draft. But shortly after the Hokies completed the 2023 regular season with a 55-17 victory over Virginia, Powell-Ryland said he would not only play in Virginia Tech’s bowl game, but he would be back in Blacksburg for the 2024 season as well.

The number of positives, he said, outweighed the negatives by a landslide.

“Being drafted — I wanted to be drafted a lot higher than what I heard — was part of the reason,” Powell-Ryland said. “But being on this team was a big reason, too. Even if (my draft status) had been a little higher, I definitely was going to come back. As far as the team environment, it was crazy out here.”

Experts outside of Blacksburg are confident that Powell-Ryland is as good of a talent as the Hokies have on their roster. ESPN ranked him No. 63 among its preseason top 100 college football players. His final 2023 stats — Powell-Ryland had 15 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks — are a big reason for that recognition.

But when Powell-Ryland met with his coaches for an end-of-season evaluation, he was told if he decided to stay, he should not be satisfied with just matching those numbers.

“Don’t come back and be the same person — that’s the message that came from the head coach to the position coach to the coordinator,” said Hokies defensive line coach JC Price, who was part of those conversations. “If a guy has the opportunity to go to the league but decides to come back, don’t come back and be the same person. Everybody has issues. Nobody’s perfect, and he’s definitely working hard on the fundamentals and the things we discussed in the offseason that he needs to get better at.

“He’s definitely working on those, and he’s been a joy to coach.”

Powell-Ryland said the combination of having Price deliver a consistent message during the offseason — focus on the fundamentals, and success will follow — as well as having veteran teammates on the defensive line such as Keyshawn Burgos, Cole Nelson, Jorden McDonald and CJ McCray made the offseason seem rather short.

“I feel like we had fun with it,” Powell-Ryland said. “It’s not even about having fun (outside of workouts). We really had fun with the work and embracing it.

“Being able to know (the plan) is always easier. When you’ve been through it, you’re comfortable with it. You go in, and when you come out, you’re better at the things you needed to work with.”

Returning to the Hokies for another year also means that more of Powell-Ryland’s family and friends from the Hampton Roads area can see him play.

“Having my family being able to come down here and watch, it definitely gives you an extra edge,” he said. “And it’s big for me because where I come from, people don’t have the chance to see this or be in it.”

There were always plenty of fans of No. 52 making the trek across the state to Lane Stadium, and then many of Powell-Ryland’s backers got the front-row treatment in Annapolis, Maryland, at the Military Bowl last December. He will make his return this year to Hampton Roads in Week 3, when Virginia Tech visits Old Dominion in Norfolk.

“That’s going to be crazy!” he said. “I’m already trying to see about getting tickets. I’m going to try to pack that place up.”

The road Copeland took to become a Hokie — that included a few more bumps and detours than what might be considered standard.

“I’m a person that for whatever I do and set my mind to, I just have to do it,” said Copeland, a Kellam High graduate who transferred last December to Virginia Tech and is projected to be part of the rotation on a deep and experienced defensive line. “Coming here was one of my dreams. I always wanted to play (for) Virginia Tech, and if this is what I had to do to get here, then I would do it.”

Copeland had to do plenty. When he suits up later this month for the Hokies’ season opener at Vanderbilt, he will be representing his third team in as many seasons.

The recruiting interest in Copeland, who was rated the No. 28 senior in Hampton Roads by The Virginian-Pilot after the 2021 season, came mostly from FCS schools such as VMI, Fordham and William & Mary. At the FBS level, offers came from Army, Navy and Marshall.

The 6-foot-3, 280-pound defensive lineman ultimately opted for Army and headed to West Point a few months later. The 2022 season went well for Copeland, who appeared in seven games as a freshman, including the Cadets’ 20-17 win over Navy to conclude the year.

While he saw limited action that first season, Copeland said he realized that football could be part of his life beyond college. The small taste of Division I football convinced him that there could be a professional career ahead for him. But that can be a problem when you play for Army, which in almost all cases requires graduates to fulfill their military commitments.

“I knew I wanted to play Power Five football,” he said during Virginia Tech’s preseason media day. “I felt personally I could get a better chance to get to the league here than I would at Army.”

So shortly after the season ended, Copeland informed his coaches that he wanted to move on to a school that could help improve his chances of an NFL career. It took some time to convince anyone that this was a good idea.

“It was definitely hard,” Copeland said. “The coaching staff was hard on me (when I told them). They called my parents — both my mom and my dad. Oh my. … My parents come from military families. They were hard on me and said don’t do it.

“But I feel as a man, sometimes you have to make (hard) decisions about your life.”

Copeland held his ground and resigned his commission. However, there were more barriers ahead.

While he hoped to land at another Division I school when he entered the transfer portal at the end of the 2022 season, he said transcript issues left the junior-college route as his only option. But it wasn’t a dead end. Iowa Western Community College, located near the Iowa-Nebraska border and more than 1,300 miles from Virginia Beach, was one of the best.

The attention came early. Iowa Western’s spring game was attended by several college scouts. Offers started to come long before Copeland played his first official game for the Reivers.

“As far as (playing) JUCO, it was a lot of fun.,” said Copeland, who said he was offered by schools such as Tennessee, Auburn, Texas A&M and Oregon State. “Coming from Army and then going to JUCO, it made it a lot easier because of how hard Army was. JUCO was definitely easier than that. It was hard being out there in Iowa. I’m from Virginia Beach, so being all that way out there was hard, but I had to do it if I was going to make it to the next level.”

Copeland helped Iowa Western to a 12-1 record and a spot in the NJCAA Division I football championship game, where the Reivers beat East Mississippi 61-14. More importantly, he was contacted late midway through the regular season by a coach who used to visit him when he was in high school — Virginia Tech defensive line coach J.C. Price.

Those visits came when Price was working as an assistant for Marshall, one of the schools that offered Copeland when he was in high school.

“I remember in October, Coach Price called me, and I was like ‘What! Virginia Tech? I might be able to go home now!'” he said. “Once he called me, I knew it was the school for me. It was also a sigh of relief. Because with the current process, coaches call you 24-7, and I was still trying to focus on football and stuff.”

Price said Copeland’s decision to spend his sophomore year in the Midwest probably led to some “late-night conversations with himself,” but Price said he also saw someone who still had the same personality qualities from high school but had matured and had found his place on the football field.

“I knew he was going to be a D-lineman way back then, even though he was playing ‘Mike’ linebacker back at Kellam,” Price said. “It’s been great to see this thing come full circle for him. He always wanted to be here, and it shows to never give up on a dream, keep working, and no matter what obstacle they put in front of you, just keep fighting.”

Copeland said his time with the Hokies so far has gone fast, but that’s because he has enjoyed his experiences. That includes the spring practices, where the action on the field was sometimes overshadowed by who was watching on the sidelines.

“Seeing guys like (former Hokies quarterback) Mike Vick … and being in the same spotlight as him now is something I have to get used to,” Copeland said. “It’s been crazy seeing guys like Tremaine Edmunds. I came on a visit here, and we went to the locker room at halftime and he was in there. I was like ‘this guy is as big as heck.’ Being in the same vicinity as these guys is a blessing.”

Virginia strong safety Jonas Sanker landed at No. 39 on EA Sports’ list. The senior is listed with a 92 overall rating.

Sanker is coming off a junior campaign that landed him a first-team All-ACC selection. His 107 tackles last year led Virginia and were No. 4 in the ACC. Sanker was third in the ACC in pass deflections with 11.

Sanker’s rating of 92 overall makes him the highest-rated strong safety in the game.

Top 100 @JonasSanker x @EASPORTSCollege #UVAStrong | #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/Oat9apnNti

— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) July 10, 2024

Virginia Tech cornerback Dorian Strong landed at No. 66 on EA Sports’ top 100. The graduate student is listed as a 91 overall player.

Strong was a third-team All-ACC selection last year and was named to Action Network’s All-American second team. Strong defended 11 passes last season, tying him with Sanker for No. 7 in the ACC.

Strong’s rating of 91 makes him the ninth-highest-ranked cornerback in the game.

Sanker and Strong are the fourth- and eighth-highest-rated players from the ACC in the game, respectively.

Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com

Christian Gurdak, a 6-9 center rated as a four-star recruit and top 100 player by 247Sports, has committed to Virginia Tech for the 2025 class, according to multiple reports.

The Gonzaga College High School (Washington, D.C.) standout chose the Hokies over Notre Dame, Clemson, Maryland, Penn State and Iowa among other schools.

Gurdak becomes the Hokies’ second commit in the 2025 class, joining Churchland High forward Sin’Cere Jones.

ODU to face BC in tourney opener

Old Dominion will face Boston College in its first game at the Cayman Islands Classic at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 24.

It will be the Monarchs’ first meeting against the Eagles.

Here are the other Nov. 24 matchups of the Cayman Islands Classic: Hampton vs. Boise State, 11 a.m.; South Dakota State vs. Duquesne, 1:30 p.m.; Missouri State vs. High Point, 5 p.m.

ODU will play additional games in the tournament on Nov. 25 and 26 at John Gray Gymnasium in George Town, Grand Cayman.

HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER

Two 757 teams make national poll

Two Hampton Roads teams landed in the final United Soccer Coaches national Top 25 high school poll.

Kellam’s girls team is No. 6, while Cox’s boys are No. 18.

WOMEN’S COLLEGE GOLF

Three ODU stars earn academic honor

Old Dominion’s Sarah Mardani, Leiu Yuenyong and Puneet Bajwa have been named to the Women’s Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar Team.

To earn the honor, players had to have a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or higher, be on the team’s roster through the end of the season and play in at least half of the program’s scheduled rounds.

LOCAL BASEBALL

Pilots improve to 5-0 in 2nd half

Corbin Shaw hit a two-run double and Dalton Barham tossed three scoreless innings with six strikeouts as the Peninsula Pilots edged the Wilson Tobs 2-1 on Monday night in Wilson, North Carolina.

The Pilots (21-8 overall) improved to 5-0 in the second half of the Coastal Plain League season and have won eight straight overall.

The Tobs dropped their first game of the second half, falling to 4-1.

Shaw finished with two hits along with teammates Henry Garcia and Ryan Dooley.

Briefly

• William & Mary will offer a new field-level gameday experience at all six Tribe football home games this season at Zable Stadium. The Tribe Touchdown Club, located directly behind the south end zone (formerly Tailgate Terrace), will offer food, beverages and enhanced amenities. More information is available at TribeAthletics.com/TouchdownClub.
• Wayne Block, who led Christopher Newport’s Sports Information Department for 27 years, died at his home Tuesday in Arizona at the age of 79. He was a fixture at Captains games from 1983 until his retirement in 2010.
• UVA women’s lacrosse player Madison Alaimo has been selected to the 22-player roster for the U.S. Women’s U20 National team. The squad will compete in the 2024 World Lacrosse Women’s U20 Championship on Aug. 15-24 in Hong Kong.
• UVA women’s soccer player Yuna McCormack has been invited to participate in the U.S. U20 Women’s Youth National Team Training Camp, which starts Monday and continues through July 16 in Athens, Georgia.
• Liberty will host the 2025 Atlantic Sun Women’s Lacrosse Championship for the first time in program history. The past two ASUN tournaments have been held in Jacksonville, Florida. The Flames joined the ASUN in 2019.

The ACC’s expansion west officially started Monday as the league welcomed SMU, California and Stanford. SMU officially became a member Monday, and Cal and Stanford join Aug. 2 to expand the Atlantic Coast Conference to the Pacific Coast.

SMU left the American Athletic Conference, and Cal and Stanford departed the Pac-12. All three begin ACC competition in the fall.

The ACC makeover comes as programs leave their conferences for more stability — and money — in college athletics. Before summer’s end, Southern California, UCLA, Oregon and Washington leave the Pac-12 for the Big Ten, while Oklahoma and Texas bolt the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference and Utah, Arizona State, Arizona and Colorado join the Big 12.

Closer to home, the ACC now has 18 members (17 play football because Notre Dame plays as an independent).

“This summer marks a momentous occasion for the ACC with the addition of three prestigious institutions — Cal, SMU and Stanford,” ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said in a release officially welcoming them on Monday. “Since our announcement last September, the conference has been diligently preparing to become an 18-member league that spans from coast to coast. We look forward to the future of this incredible league and extend a warm welcome to the student-athletes, coaches, staff, campus communities, alumni, and supporters of Cal, SMU, and Stanford into the ACC.”

___

How often has the ACC expanded?

The newcomers this summer mark the ACC’s seventh expansion since the league was established in 1953 with seven charter members. Virginia joined later in 1953 to make it eight. Georgia Tech joined in 1979 and Florida State followed in 1992. Virginia Tech and Miami joined in 2004 and Boston College in 2005. Syracuse and Pitt were welcomed in 2013, along with Notre Dame in all conference-sponsored sports except football. Louisville became a full member in 2014.

___

How will scheduling work?

Most sports will be organized to ease travel — teams headed west will likely make stops at Cal and Stanford on the same trip when possible, Phillips said last month during a Q&A in Charlotte at the Associated Press Sports Editors annual conference. For football, East Coast teams are expected to travel to the West Coast to face Cal and Stanford every other year, and Cal and Stanford will travel east three to four times per season.

A recent breakdown of expected ACC travel by bookies.com shows Cal logging a league-high 20,660 miles for football in 2024, followed by Stanford at 14,017 miles. Stanford plays ACC road games this season at Syracuse, Clemson and N.C. State and also visits Notre Dame in a non-conference game. Cal visits Florida State, Pitt and Wake Forest in football this season.

___

Newcomers vs. UVA, Virginia Tech

Virginia and Virginia Tech play only one football game each against the ACC’s new members. UVA is at home Nov. 23 against SMU, and Virginia Tech plays at Stanford on Oct. 5.

___

#TheMustangsHaveArrived pic.twitter.com/BIZCvNHGqa

— SMU (@SMU) July 1, 2024

About SMU

Southern Methodist University, a 12,000-student school located in Dallas, is coming off its most successful year in the AAC (eight conference championships). The Mustangs have won 10 national championships overall. Notable athletic alums: Pro Football Hall of Famers Raymond Berry, Eric Dickerson, Forrest Gregg, Lamar Hunt and Doak Walker.

___

About Cal

The University of California, Berkeley, has an enrollment of more than 42,000 and is located along the San Francisco Bay near Oakland. The school’s athletic program has produced 104 national championship teams and 223 Olympic medalists, including 121 gold medalists. Notable Golden Bears athletic alums: Aaron Rodgers, Jason Kidd, Natalie Coughlin, Marshawn Lynch and Jaylen Brown.

___

About Stanford

The school just south of San Francisco has 7,800 undergraduates and 9,600 graduate students. No college has won more than Stanford’s 136 team national championships, and the Cardinal have won at least one NCAA team championship during each of the last 48 seasons dating back to the 1976-77 campaign. Notable athletic alums: Tiger Woods, John Elway, Andrew Luck, Christian McCaffrey, Michelle Wie and Katie Ledecky.

___

What about the ACC’s legal fight?

The league and two longtime members are embroiled in a legal battle that is unrelated to the arrival of SMU, Cal and Stanford. Florida State and Clemson are both suing the ACC to escape the league’s Grant of Rights agreement that keeps member schools in a TV contract through 2036. The ACC has countersued both schools.

“We’re going to fight it with every effort that we can,” Phillips said in Charlotte during a Q&A at the Associated Press Sports Editors annual conference. “With what has been agreed upon, twice, the Grant of Rights deserves to be executed. And so we have taken that position.

“So we’re going to fight,” Phillips added. “I’m going to fight. And the courts will ultimately decide. And we believe that everybody knows what was in that contract back then. And it was celebrated. And people were excited.”

“I want to be very clear that had the NIL rules been in place when I was in college, I would not have had an NIL deal,” joked Youngkin, who averaged just 1.4 points game in four years as a basketball player at Rice University.

Youngkin signed into law a bill that grants Virginia colleges unprecedented freedom to administer name, image and likeness benefits to athletes.

House Bill 1505, boasting wide-ranging support from administrators, permits state colleges and universities to create and negotiate NIL deals — and pay athletes — without NCAA restrictions. The measure is believed to be the first of its kind.

“What an exciting moment,” Youngkin said, “to actually take this very important next step and making Virginia the most competitive place, to not just to participate in college athletics, but also the most competitive place for our universities to really take care of our athletes and drive them to the next level.”

The bill’s sponsor, Del. Terry Austin, R-Botetourt, joined Youngkin and coaches and administrators from across the state for the ceremonial signing. Among those in attendance were football coaches Tony Elliott (Virginia), Brent Pry (Virginia Tech) and Dawson Odums (Norfolk State); and Sen. Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach.

Rouse was a star athlete at First Colonial High and played football at Virginia Tech before embarking on an NFL career.

“This legislation protects athletes and permits Virginia’s institutions and collectives to create and negotiate NIL opportunities,” Rouse wrote on X. “I’m proud to (have) worked with Delegate Austin to move this ball forward & thank Gov. Youngkin for signing it into law.”

College athletes have cashed in since the NCAA enacted its NIL rules in 2021. Among a few examples across the state: Old Dominion football players have been paid to sign autographs, and UVA basketball players have inked endorsement deals with a store that sells arch supports.

Those and other NIL deals have been directed by a third party.

“This is saying that the institutions can get involved in all of that,” ODU athletic director Wood Selig told The Virginian-Pilot on Thursday. “It’s giving us permission to do all that.”

Added Christopher Newport University AD Kyle McMullin: “The NIL law will give us new flexibility in the future to support our students, but our immediate priority is to direct all available resources to funding the day-to-day commitment to excellence in competition and in the classroom.”

The law takes effect July 1. Among the bill’s provisions: Student fees are not permitted to be used in paying athletes for NIL.

“I am thrilled about the groundbreaking and progressive NIL legislation signed by Governor Youngkin this morning,” NSU athletic director Melody Webb said in a statement. “This legislation not only protects in-state schools and their student-athletes but also paves the way for positive change in collegiate athletics.”

Most colleges — including ODU, NSU, Hampton University and William & Mary — have started collectives to help negotiate NIL deals, and those are expected to stay relevant.

“We’ll continue to work with our collective, which is the Pride of ODU,” Selig said. “We’ll continue to work with our 757 Club, which is membership-based with membership benefits. So we’re going to continue to do business as we have for the last year or so, and then we have to talk to our peer institutions, our fellow institutions in the commonwealth, and kind of get a sense for, where are the advantages?

“Where are there potential pitfalls in this opportunity, and what works best for ODU? What works best for ODU may not be what works best for UVA, or vice versa.”

UVA athletic director Carla Williams echoed those sentiments at virginiasports.com, saying the legislation gives colleges “much-needed flexibility, but we haven’t made any (final) decisions about which provisions within the law we’ll actually activate.”

“We’ll continue to support Cav Futures,” Williams added, referring to the school’s NIL collective, “we’ll continue to discuss our options internally, we’ll monitor the environment, we’ll talk with our coaches, our student-athletes, and we’ll make a decision that’s best for UVA.”

Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock said in a release the school was thankful for Youngkin and the state legislature’s “proactive work in the NIL space.”

“Not only does this position us more competitively among other states during this critical time,” Babcock said, “but it also allows for more school involvement as we continue to enhance our recruiting and retention efforts to bring the most talented student-athletes to Virginia Tech.”

William & Mary athletic director Brian Mann said Thursday the school “is still in the process of thoroughly evaluating how this new legislation impacts our programs. We understand the importance of NIL and are committed to continue to find ways to support our student-athletes and coaches in this space.”

Staff writers David Hall and Marty O’Brien contributed to this story.

Center Elizabeth Kitley was a second-round selection of the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA draft on Monday night in Brooklyn, New York. She was the 12th pick of the round and 24th overall.

Kitley appeared to be a lock as a first-round pick, but she suffered a torn ACL in the Hokies’ regular-season finale on March 3. She’s expected to miss the upcoming WNBA season, which starts May 14.

The accolades the 6-6 Kitley compiled during her college career are numerous. Some of the highlights include:

• Two-time All-American
• Three-time ACC Player of the Year
• Two-time ACC champion
• Four-time All-ACC first-team selection
• Four NCAA Tournament appearances

Kitley averaged 22.8 points and 11.4 rebounds a game this past season, leading the Hokies to their first ACC regular-season title in program history. She holds many school records, including total points (2,709), field-goal percentage (55.2%) and blocks (331). She also owns ACC records for rebounds (1,506) and double-doubles (76).

Virginia Tech reached the Final Four for the first time in the 2022-23 season.

The Hokies have had a player selected in the WNBA draft for three straight years for the first time. Kayana Traylor was the 23rd overall pick last year by Chicago and Aisha Sheppard went No. 23 to Las Vegas in 2022.

Also on Monday night, guard Ashley Owusu, who spent a season at Virginia Tech before finishing her career at Penn State, was a third-round selection of the Dallas Wings. She went 33rd overall. She averaged 17.7 points a game for the Nittany Lions.

Former James Madison star Kiki Jefferson was a third-round pick of the Minnesota Lynx, going 31st overall. She played her final college season at Louisville, averaging 15 points and 6.5 rebounds a game.

Duffy, 39, guided the Golden Eagles to a 110-46 record (64-30 in the Big East) and three NCAA Tournament appearances.

She agreed to a six-year contract and will replace Kenny Brooks, who left to take the head coach job at Kentucky after going 180–82 in eight seasons.

“I am thrilled to welcome Coach Duffy and her husband Kevin to Virginia Tech,” Babcock said via hokiesports.com. “An accomplished player and coach, Megan has a relentless work ethic and a demonstrated ability to develop talent and build successful programs. She is a proven winner and committed to continuing our women’s basketball program’s momentum.”

Duffy has seven years of head coaching experience. She started at Miami (Ohio) in 2017, where she went 44-20 in two seasons.

Marquette started 12-0 this season and finished 23-9, earning a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament and falling to No. 7 seed Mississippi in the first round.

“I am ecstatic to join Virginia Tech Athletics as the leader of the women’s program,” Duffy said. “The opportunity to continue the winning tradition with Hokie Nation and to be a part of the passionate, savvy Blacksburg community makes this a dream job for me. The ACC is the best conference in the country with deep talent and outstanding leaders.”

Duffy, a Kettering, Ohio, native, played at Notre Dame from 2002-06, helping the Irish reach four NCAA Tournaments and two Sweet 16s.

She served as an assistant coach at St. John’s (2009-12), George Washington (2012-14) and Michigan (2014-17) before taking over the program at Miami (Ohio).