ESPN and Marvel Comics have revealed six college football kickoff weekend comic book covers including one for Virginia Tech’s season opener against West Virginia at FedExField on Sept. 3. The artist for the Tech-WVU cover, Jose Luis, paid homage to John Romita and his artwork for issue No. 10 in volume one of “The Defenders”. Ohio State-Indiana, Michigan-Florida, Florida State-Alabama, BYU-LSU and Tennessee-Georgia Tech also received custom covers by Marvel.
Two days after being named Virginia Tech’s honorary captain for the season-opening game against West Virginia, former Hokie head football coach Frank Beamer made an appearance at Wednesday’s news conference and talked mostly on things pertaining to the Tech-West Virginia rivalry.
Beamer expressed his honor at being chosen to serve as the captain, and he also expressed gratitude at being a part of the pregame ceremony with former West Virginia coach Don Nehlen. As most know, Beamer and Nehlen were – and remain – good friends despite coaching against each other in what became a bitter rivalry between the two fan bases.
“We always got along great. Had a lot of respect for him,” Beamer said. “Thought he did a great job there. Sometimes our fans didn’t get so along well, but I think even though with that, there’s a lot of respect from our fans for their program and their fans the same. It goes back the other way.”
Beamer reminisced on some of the games between the two schools. Of course, everyone, including Beamer, remembers the 1999 game in which Michael Vick made a long run to set up Shayne Graham’s game-winning kick as time expired to keep the Hokies’ national championships hopes alive – Tech subsequently went undefeated during the 1999 regular season and played Florida State for the national title.
Also, in 1989, Beamer got his first victory over a ranked team when Tech beat West Virginia 12-10 in Morgantown. Two years later, the Hokies stopped West Virginia at the 1 to preserve a 20-14 win in Morgantown.
Those games, though, came when both teams were members of the BIG EAST. Conference re-alignment and differences in scheduling philosophies forced the cancellation for the series until this season. Tech and West Virginia also face each other in 2021 and 2022.
Count Beamer among those happy to see the two schools playing again.
“I think it’s a game that needs to be played as often as possible because you’re the next state over and we both have great fan bases,” Beamer said. “They’re going to fill our stadium. We’re going to fill their stadium. There are so many positives about playing this game that I’m glad to see it back on the schedule and hope it can come back as often as it can fit into both schools’ schedules.”
Beamer has been quite busy this summer for a retired man, as he took two separate trips out West to promote the athletics department’s “Drive for 25” initiative – a program designed to increase membership into the Hokie Club to 25,000 members. Beamer serves as the spokesperson and attended events in San Francisco and Dallas in an attempt to seek new members and ultimately raise money for athletics scholarships.
“There’s no question in my mind that we are going to reach that,” Beamer said. “I was out in California recently and went to Dallas. Great to have some meetings there. There’s just a lot of excitement about Virginia Tech and where it’s going and what the school in general is doing.
“I’m going to do all I can to help us get to that 25,000, but we’re counting on our fans to jump in there and everybody kinda join arms and get this thing done. We need it. Our athletic department certainly needs it.”
Beamer joked that he has read several preseason football magazines for the first time to prepare for his role as a member of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. He attended a meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado in early August
“There’s a lot to this thing,” Beamer said. “When you think about it, picking the final four teams and the financial part of it to the universities, recognition and having a chance to win a national championship. There needs to be a lot to it, but it’s very detailed.
“Halfway through the year, we go to Dallas every Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning and meet. I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to getting to know people on the committee a lot better … It’s different people and working with that group to get to the final four teams … I think it’s going to be interesting.”
–Jimmy Robertson, VT Athletics
