Tuesday, December 21 Tech sending about 600 to Sugar Bowl
Associated Press
BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Virginia Tech is making millions of
dollars from its Sugar Bowl appearance. It's spending millions,
too.
The school is sending nearly 600 people to New Orleans, where
the Hokies will play Florida State for the national championship
Jan. 4. Normally the school would send about 150 people to a road
game.
The Sugar Bowl will pay the school between $11 and $13 million
for its appearance, but Virginia Tech must share that money with
other members of the Big East Conference.
Athletic Director Jim Weaver said Tech's Sugar Bowl payout
should come out to $4 million. The trip will cost at least $2.25
million.
All 115 players, including the practice squad, will be making
the trip, along with 24 cheerleaders, three mascots, 12 coaches, 20
managers and trainers and some spouses and children. The team and
support staff will leave Dec. 27. A second chartered plane will
leave Dec. 30.
About 345 band members, along with 30 staff members and
chaperones, will leave Jan. 2.
"It's a large mess of people," said David McKee, director of
the Marching Virginians.
The band has reserved about 100 rooms, so band members will
sleep four to a room.
McKee said nobody should feel sorry for the band because of the crowded conditions: "They're getting an all-expenses-paid trip to
New Orleans and the Sugar Bowl. I think they can tough it out."
Senior associate athletic director Sharon McCloskey said staff
members who need additional rooms for family members must foot that
bill themselves. For example, coach Frank Beamer reserved a room
for his mother and sister, and Beamer is paying for it.
The Bowl Championship Series organizers allotted Tech 600 game tickets. Most of those are being sold to big donors, but some
school administrators are getting free tickets. Seven Tech vice
presidents get two complimentary tickets each, as do the eight
deans and 14 members of the board of visitors. Tech spokesman Larry
Hincker said they will have pay their own airfare and
accommodations.
The notable exceptions are four high-ranking executives: The
president, executive vice president, provost and vice president for
development and university relations will get free hotel rooms and
plane tickets along with free tickets, Hincker said.
"They are considered to be on official business," Hincker
said, "and they do work."
