VIRGINIA TECH
$20 million gift comes to Hokies athletics
Virginia Tech athletics received a record anonymous gift of $20 million, following the university’s announcement of an ambitious budget plan to better position teams to compete at the highest level. The gift will advance the university’s strategy, known as Invest to Win.
The budget plan calls for a $229 million investment in athletics, coming from operational and philanthropic sources. The record gift is a major step.
“We are deeply grateful for this extraordinary and timely gift,” school president Tim Sands said in a statement. “Doing more with less, while a testament to the talent of our staff and student-athletes, is no longer an option.”
The previous record gift to athletics was $15.2 million, donated in 2017.
VMI opts in to House settlement for 2026-27
Virginia Military Institute will opt in to the House vs. NCAA settlement for the 2026-2027 academic year. The decision comes after declining to opt in for the initial year.
LtGen David Furness, a class of 1987 member who is now the VMI superintendent, said in a statement, “Opting in to the settlement while implementing efforts to build and reinforce the VMI
culture throughout athletics gives the Institute the best chance to be successful.”Opting in to the House Settlement allows VMI to provide direct compensation to cadet-athletes for retention and recruitment purposes. Direct compensation would be derived from private contributions for such purposes and not from tuition and fees.
Eight of the 10 Southern Conference members opted in to the settlement for this academic year. The Citadel has since announced its intention to opt in, leaving VMI as the last SoCon member to opt in.
Furness made the decision based on a recommendation from a working group made up of staff, coaches and alumni and after consultation with the VMI Board of Visitors president, Jamie Inman (class of 1986), and the board’s Athletics Committee chairman, Teddy Gottwald (class of ’83).
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
FCS Football Central honors W&M’s Jones
William & Mary cornerback Jalen Jones, a Deep Creek High graduate, added another accomplishment with his selection to the FCS Football Central All-America first team. He had 39 tackles (1.5 for loss) and ranked 14th nationally with 1.09 passes defended per game. He was chosen as the Defensive Back of the Year in Virginia by the Touchdown Club of Richmond.
JMU’s Knight awarded by AP
James Madison running back Wayne Knight was named an Associated Press second-team All-American all-purpose player. This is the fourth FBS All-America nod for Knight, who was previously honored by USA Today, Sports Illustrated and On3. Knight also collected Hero Sports Group of Five first-team honors.
COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
53-point game lands honor for Parker
Radford guard Dennis Parker Jr. was named the Big South Player of the Week. Parker, a guard who played for Richmond’s John Marshall High and North Carolina State, broke the conference and Radford record with 53 points in Sunday’s win over Coppin State — the most scored by any Division I player since Dec. 13, 2019.
Va. Wesleyan at No. 12 in nation
The d3hoops.com top 25 continued its major Virginia presence, including Virginia Wesleyan (7-1) sliding one spot to No. 12 after an idle week. The Marlins play at 7 Tuesday night at Christopher Newport, which missed inclusion in the survey by two positions.
No. 2 Randolph-Macon, No. 5 Mary Washington, No. 13 Roanoke and No. 16 Hampden-Sydney joined VWU as top-25 teams from Virginia.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Spartans’ Clark repeats MEAC award
Norfolk State guard Da’Brya Clark repeated as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Week. She totaled 39 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and six steals during a week including a loss at Georgia Tech and a victory over Dillard, when he she netted a career-high 34 points.
HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
2 Grizzlies earn all-state honors
Grassfield Grizzlies juniors Benisa Moore and Ryann Bothof, a libero, made the VHSL Class 6 all-state first team.
James Madison junior outside hitter Laila Chadwick was the Player of the Year, and Stephanie Noriega of championship team West Springfield was named the Class 6 Coach of the Year. Chadwick is a 5-foot-8 outside hitter bound for the University of Oklahoma.
HORSE RACING
Colonial Downs to host 48 racing days in 2026
The Virginia Racing Commission approved an expanded and adjusted 48-day live racing season for Colonial Downs in 2026. This will be the most live racing days ever held in one season at Colonial Downs in the New Kent track’s nearly thirty-year history.
Most weeks will feature racing Thursday through Sunday, with a standard post time of 12:30 p.m. The season will begin with a three-day meet anchored by the $500,000 Virginia Derby on Saturday, March 14.
https://www.dailypress.com/2025/12/15/virginia-tech-athletics-receives-record-gift-of-20-million/
