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Virginia Tech Upgrading Basketball Arena, Eyes Premium Seating At Lane Stadium

Premium seating on the east side of Lane Stadium and "extensive upgrades to Cassell Coliseum" are Virginia Tech AD Whit Babcock’s "top priorities as he anticipates the next university-wide capital campaign" in late '18 or early '19, according to David Teel of the Hampton Roads DAILY PRESS. VT this offseason will "replace 4,000 wooden seats with wider padded ones" at Cassell. Babcock said that the project "will cost approximately $400,000" and decrease the 9,567-seat capacity by "about 300." He believes the athletic department "will recoup that investment in two years by charging more for the improved seats." Babcock: "One of these days we really want to work on the concourses and the whole building." Lane Stadium has premium seating on the west side and in the south end zone, and in the next capital campaign Babcock "hopes to add the east (visitors’) side to the mix." Babcock: "Premium seating and comfort and amenities, it seems that’s the way things are headed.” VT began renewing football season tickets this month, and Babcock said that a 60% "bump in scholarship expenses during the last dozen years forced the Hokies to join all of their Power Five colleagues in asking donors for per-seat contributions." Babcock said that the "ideal renewal rates" are over 90% for football and 95% for men’s basketball. Babcock: "We’re tracking slightly behind last year." Teel notes VT in December "unveiled its 'Drive For 25' campaign to more than double Hokie Club membership to 25,000." Membership was "approximately 10,300 in late December," and the Drive For 25 website "showed 11,020" as of yesterday, a 7% bump. Babcock "hopes to reach 25K in no more than five years." Meanwhile, Babcock "has joined the NCAA baseball tournament selection committee," filling out the "remaining two years" of Purdue AD Mike Bobinski’s term (Hampton Roads DAILY PRESS, 2/23).

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