CavCamp Blog: Is Ahmad OK?
by John Galinsky
Aug 05, 2005

Ahmad Brooks has been cleared by doctors but isn't practicing yet.
Of all 104 players at Virginia's first practice of training camp, the one drawing much of the attention of fans (and reporter-types) isn't even wearing a jersey. Ahmad Brooks spends much of the session in a compression shirt looking like he's training for the Tour de France, not for football season. He pedals furiously on a stationary bike, jogs lightly on the sideline and does some agility drills. He also moves around with a slight limp and chats with head trainer Ethan Saliba, who examines his surgically-repaired right knee.

Which makes me wonder: Should we be worried or not?

Who knows? Brooks is UVa's best defensive player. We all know that. He's a physical marvel, one of the best linebackers in the country. We know that, too. What we don't know is whether he'll be ready for the first game, and how well he'll play whenever he does come back.

Brooks underwent offseason surgery to regenerate bone growth in his right knee. He already missed spring practice. Now he's off crutches and moving around, so that's good news. But he still appears to be far away from, say, leaping over the line of scrimmage and landing on a quarterback.

So is this serious or not? We can't ask Ahmad - players are off limits today. But Groh is asked during his afternoon press conference if he expects Brooks to play in the season opener.

“I don't have any expectations on that," Groh says. "We're just going to put him out there and go through it and see what happens. Right now he's out, so he's not in the plans. When he's back, he's back."

Groh does give more information about Brooks' situation. Apparently it was a degenerative bone condition that started well before he arrived at UVa. It gradually became uncomfortable enough that Brooks opted for surgery before spring practice.

Brooks has been medically cleared by team doctors but isn't ready to participate fully in practices, Groh says. And when he comes back, there's no telling if he'll be able to have the monster year that everyone is hoping for.

“It's one of the circumstances of life. These things happen, so you go on. But obviously this is a player of substantial talent and very special talent,” Groh says. “After two years of playing, we had a plan in place: OK, this is what we're really going to work on to magnify this special talent to its highest level, so next year will be different than the first two not just on talent alone, but through mastery of all these particular things.

“But, well, there really hasn't been much physical work on that since late December. The player that we had back then was pretty good, but it'll be one of the interesting things to see when Ahmad does come back to play, is this the same player that was playing in December - a very good player, but still the same player - or is this going to be a player that's had the opportunity to raise his game?"

Good question.

OK, let's look at who's actually on the field. And that's almost everyone, unlike spring practice, when half the guys were on stationary bikes, a peloton full of 280-pounders.

Brennan Schmidt is back. So are Keenan Carter, Connor Hughes, Tom Santi, Michael Johnson, Vince Redd, Bryan White, Marshal Ausberry, Kai Parham, Ron Darden and Brian Barthelmes.

Whew. So none of their injuries were major. Now if Brooks can come back, the offseason won't have been a disaster. Florida State wishes it was so lucky. The way it's looking, the Seminoles might not even escape the offseason with their nickname.

So many new faces at practice - 29 true freshmen, including walk-ons. All of them have been around, taking summer school classes, lifting and running. But thanks to the NCAA, they no longer get three days of freshman orientation. So they get thrown in with all of the older guys right off the bat. Wouldn't you be a little nervous?

Some of them look it. The rookie receivers drop their share of passes. The young quarterbacks are a bit erratic. Mike Brown, the kid cornerback, gets yelled at by Al Golden.

But physically, it's an impressive bunch. Brown is fast. So is Kevin Ogletree. Jeffrey Fitzgerald is a big dude, and that doesn't even describe Eugene Monroe. Wow. He's a massive, massive man. He even dwarfs D'Brick when they stand next to each other.

Vic Hall, on the other hand…not big, or tall. He and Hagans are the same height, give or take half an inch, and Hagans is much thicker. But you can tell Hall can ball. Plus he's still bigger than Andrew Pearman, who wears #21 and looks just like a miniature version of his brother. Call him Mini-AP.

A few interesting tidbits from Groh's press conference…

# He says that Bryan White, coming off back surgery, is “feeling better than he has in two years.” Likewise, Kai Parham has “trained marvelously and really wants to prove a point.”

# Chris Johnson, who started the final four games last season, is not on the two-deep chart at defensive end because “he didn't make as much progress in the spring” as the coaches wanted. He also had academic issues to resolve, so Chris Long, Brennan Schmidt, Kwakou Robinson and Allen Billyk are ahead of him on the depth chart.

# Keenan Carter's weight seems to be under control. “He's smaller. He has a zero in his weight. … The last time he had a zero in his weight, I think there was a three and an eight that preceded it.”

Some more random observations from practice…

# There should be an interesting competition at punter. As I watch them warm up, Chris Gould seems to have a much stronger leg than JUCO transfer Ryan Weigand. But Weigand uncorks some boomers during a drill minutes later, sending several high and deep. Gould also blasts a few. I already feel better about this position.

# The receiving corps has quantity. There are 10 wideouts in camp, including newcomers Maurice Covington, Brandon Woods, Kevin Ogletree and Andrew Pearman, plus returnee Ottowa Anderson. But is there quality?

# Anderson spent the past year regaining his eligibility and growing out his dreadlocks. His long dreads are matched by Mike Brown, who covers him in one drill in a dread-full matchup.

# Deyon Williams makes the nicest catch of the day, a full-stride, full-stretch, one-handed grab on a post pattern, drawing a nice hand from the fans.

# Eight players are wearing “Orange Crush” jerseys belonging to first-team defenders: Brennan Schmidt, Chris Long, Kai Parham, Clint Sintim, Jermaine Dias, Tony Franklin, Marcus Hamilton and Nate Lyles. You have to figure one is being saved for Brooks. But what about nose tackle and the other safety spot? Keenan Carter and Lance Evans are listed first at those positions but apparently haven't earned their orange yet.

Overheard on the practice field…

# “Energy, fellas, energy! Be the first guy to your group. Run, even if you're going five yards!” - Groh, instructing the players as they move to a new station

# “That's automatic! I like that.” - Marques Hagans, watching Connor Hughes drill field goals

# “OA! OA! Oh s-, you're back!” - Kwakou Robinson, shouting at Ottowa Anderson

(This article would normally be for paid subscribers only, but we wanted to throw one out to everyone as an example of what Sabre Edge has to offer. We will be providing regular reports, features and blogs throughout training camp, with more in-depth coverage of the open practices. So if you want to get the full scoop from training camp in addition to recruiting news, articles, special features and interviews, please sign up for Sabre Edge.)

UVa opens practice with new schedule
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
August 6, 2005

Al Groh spent the past few seasons planning every drill and detail of Virginia's preseason practice schedule.
And just when he thought he had it down to a science, Virginia's academic schedule threw a wrench in those plans.
"I kind of figured that we had that down the way that we wanted it to be and then that only lasted a year or two," Groh said on Friday.
All of the undergraduate students on Virginia's roster are currently enrolled in summer school, a session that will end with exams on Wednesday and Thursday. Fall classes will start Aug. 24, earlier than normal and before training camp ends.
Those factors forced Groh to spend a recent vacation reworking every inch of Virginia's 29-practice preseason schedule.
"Instead of sitting on the beach looking at the waves, I spent most of that vacation sitting on the beach with a legal pad," joked Groh. "In both the beginning and the end, we are trying to fit our practice sessions in around the players' academic responsibilities."
The first step in the process kicked off on Friday as the Cavaliers opened training camp at the University Hall practice fields.
Due to NCAA regulations, the players opened practice with their helmets as their lone "protection." That will be the case again today as the Cavaliers hold their second practice, which starts at 5:15 p.m. and is open to the public.
Groh said for practice on Sunday and Monday, the team "can add shoulder pads." The squad will not practice in "full pads" until Tuesday.
The team will not practice next Wednesday, a reading day on the academic schedule, but when they return for an evening practice on Thursday, Groh said "what we wear equipment-wise is our option."
Each practice is also limited in length, but Groh said that should not be a factor.
"None of the practices may exceed three hours, but that is a moot point for us because to practice at the tempo that we want to practice at, we'd never even consider being out there for that time frame," Groh added.


TACKLING THE TWO DEEP. A number of players that were on the two-deep depth chart in the spring practice period have lost those spots, including defensive end Chris Johnson.
The Charlottesville High product started Virginia's final four games in 2004 and led the team's rookies with 27 tackles.
Groh said nothing should be read into the demotion of Johnson or others and that it could change on a daily basis.
"The players well understand that the mentality on the staff [that] where we are today on Aug. 5 or where the depth chart is [currently] has nothing to do with what anybody did last year or what they did yesterday or with what they might do in the future," Groh said. "It's all about at this particular moment right now - who gives us a chance to put the best team on the field.
"And that is up for grabs everyday. It might be different tomorrow at a couple of positions if somebody demonstrates that as of that day that he gives us a chance to put a better team on the field."

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS. One player stood out on Friday and not for what he did on the practice field, but rather what he didn't do. Linebacker Ahmad Brooks did not practice with his teammates, instead working out on his own by running and riding a stationary bike.
Brooks had surgery on his right knee following last season, which caused the junior to miss all of the activities in the spring.
Groh said Brooks has been "medically cleared."
"The circumstance has resolved itself but he is still in his rehab and build himself back up stage," Groh added. "He hasn't been able to train hard enough up to this point to participate in what we are doing."
Groh said the training staff would monitor Brooks' progression before he returns to practice as a precaution.
"We'll watch his work on the side with the trainers and see how he is progressing with that and make sure it is not a circumstance where his knee is just fine but he [ends up missing] a significant period of time because he has a pulled hamstring or a pulled groin muscle or whatever because those muscles weren't given the opportunity to be properly conditioned," Groh said.
When asked if Brooks would be ready to play in the season opener against Western Michigan on Sept. 3, Groh could not answer definitively.
"I don't have any expectation on that," Groh said. "I don't have much thought on it. We are just going to put him out there and go through it and see what happens. Right now, he is out, so he is not in the plans. When he's back, he's back."

WEARING ORANGE. Eight defensive players were given the honor of wearing an orange jersey during the first practice. Wearing the orange jersey indicates a player is currently listed as a starter on defense.
Two of the potential starters - Brennan Schmidt and Chris Long - are defensive linemen. Jermaine Dias, Kai Parham and Clint Sintim would appear to be three of the four starters at linebacker. Cornerbacks Marcus Hamilton and Tony Franklin wore orange, as did safety Nate Lyles.
SOUNDING OFF. Kwakou Robinson got a chuckle from the crowd at practice on Friday, as he yelled out at Ottowa Anderson as the team started its stretching drills. "What's up O.A. You're back," Robinson shouted.
Anderson missed the 2004 season to serve an academic suspension, but was back on the field. If the senior lost a step, he was not showing it. Anderson displayed a quick first step and good hands during drills.

EXTRA POINTS. Placekicker Connor Hughes was perfect on all of his field goal attempts, including two 42-yard attempts near the end of practice. Freshman Stephen Eaton was not as fortunate, missing three straight attempts from 42 yards out. ? The competition for the starting job as Virginia's punter should be one worth watching. Chris Gould, a starter in the final three games last year at the spot, and junior-college transfer Ryan Weigand both punted the ball well on Friday. ?
A number of players practiced returning punts and kicks including newcomer Mike Brown, juniors Tony Franklin and Michael Johnson and sophomore Chris Gorham. ? Kevin McCabe worked out with the second-team offense, while redshirt freshman Scott Deke took a number of the snaps with the third team. ? Jeffrey Fitzgerald, a freshman from Richmond, was wearing a large brace on his left knee, but it did not keep him from practicing at defensive end. Fitzgerald played tight end and defensive end at Hermitage. ...
If Brooks is unable to play in the opener, the spot would likely be filled by Bryan White. The senior redshirted last season after having back surgery. Groh said White was very eager to get back on the practice field for the 6:15 p.m. practice. "I was walking through the locker room at 1:15 [Friday afternoon] and he was getting dressed," Groh said with a laugh. "He has a lot of football bottled up inside that he's ready to let go. I asked him if he was playing a doubleheader today." The other players working out at inside linebacker include two first-year players - Antonio Appleby and Darren Childs. ... Virginia's new men's basketball coach - Dave Leitao - was one of the faces in the crowd on Friday. ... Practice today will start at 5:15 p.m. and is open to the public. Sunday's practice, which is also open, starts at 2:45 p.m.

Cavaliers still in school daze as Groh opens preseason practice
By DOUG DOUGHTY, LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE, The Virginian-Pilot
© August 6, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE — The schedule was so tight Friday for the start of Virginia’s preseason football practice that head coach Al Groh expected freshmen to take the field at 6:15 p.m. without ever having attended a team meeting.

Special Offer! Groh said that 100 percent of his players had class Friday, an estimate he corrected after being reminded that fifth-year quarterback Marques Hagans had graduated in May.

“One hundred percent, minus Marques Hagans,” said Groh, whose roster actually includes several other May graduates, including offensive guard Brian Barthelmes, linebacker Bryan White and kickoff specialist Kurt Smith.

In the past, summer school at Virginia might have ended at this point, but because of NCAA and school scheduling changes, the second session of summer school will not end until Tuesday.

Groh will hold practice Tuesday morning, then not meet again with his players until the end of exams Thursday.

“We have no more practices than we’ve ever had,” Groh said, “but we’ll be in camp six days longer. We’ve got to make sure and keep our steam.”

Among the players Groh welcomed Friday was White, who played in the opening game of the 2004 season but required disk surgery and was granted a fifth year of eligibility by the NCAA.

“I was walking through the locker room at 1:15 (p.m.) and there was Bryan White dressed for practice already,” Groh said. “I asked him, 'Are you ready to play two today’”

As it turns out, White could have a bigger role than anticipated for this year’s team. He is one of the back-up linebackers on a team that is still waiting for the return of All-ACC selection Ahmad Brooks, who underwent offseason surgery to regenerate bone growth in one of his knees.

Groh said Friday that Brooks has been cleared by U.Va.’s medical staff but is still rehabilitating his repaired knee.

“Right now, he’s out, so he’s not in our plans,” Groh said. “When he’s back, he’ll be back.”

Along those lines, Groh said he could not predict if Brooks would be available Sept. 3, when the Cavaliers open the season at home against Western Michigan.

“I’ll be wondering, when he comes back, if this is the same player,” Groh said.

One returnee who isn’t the same player is Keenan Carter, a 6-foot-1, 324-pound sophomore who is listed No. 1 on the depth chart at nose tackle.

Groh said that Carter has lost weight.

“All I’ll say is that right now he’s got a zero in his weight,” said Groh, suggesting that Carter is between 300 and 309. “The last time he had a zero in his weight, there were a '3’ and an '8’ that preceded it.”

NCAA American Indian mascot ban will begin Feb. 1
ESPN.com news services

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA banned the use of American Indian mascots by sports teams during its postseason tournaments, but will not prohibit them otherwise.

The NCAA's executive committee decided this week the organization did not have the authority to bar Indian mascots by individual schools, committee chairman Walter Harrison said Friday.

Nicknames or mascots deemed "hostile or abusive" would not be allowed on team uniforms or other clothing beginning with any NCAA tournament after Feb. 1, said Harrison, the University of Hartford's president.

"What each institution decides to do is really its own business" outside NCAA championship events, Harrison said.

"What we are trying to say is that we find these mascots to be unacceptable for NCAA championship competition," he added.

At least 18 schools have mascots the NCAA deem "hostile or abusive," including Florida State's Seminoles and Illinois' Illini. The full list of schools was not immediately released.

Florida State President T.K. Wetherell blasted the NCAA and threatened legal action on Friday, the Tampa Tribune reported.

"Florida State University is stunned at the complete lack of appreciation for cultural diversity shown by the National Collegiate Athletic Association's executive committee. ... That the NCAA would now label our close bond with the Seminole Tribe of Florida as culturally 'hostile and abusive' is both outrageous and insulting," Wetherell said Friday in a statement.

The Seminole Tribe of Florida passed a resolution in June supporting the school's use of the nickname and tribal images. Seminole tribes in other states have disagreed with the Florida group.

According to the Tribune, the ruling likely won't affect Florida State's pregame football ritual in which a student dressed as Chief Osceola rides onto the field on a spotted horse and plants a flaming spear in the turf. Since the NCAA does not sponsor a Division I-A football tournament, it has no say in the matter. That control belongs to the Bowl Championship Series.

"I intend to pursue all legal avenues to ensure that this unacceptable decision is overturned, and that this university will forever be associated with the 'unconquered' spirit of the Seminole Tribe of Florida," Wetherell said.

Not all schools with Indian-related nicknames are on that list. NCAA officials said some schools using the Warrior nickname do not use Indian symbols and would not be affected.

North Carolina-Pembroke, which uses the nickname Braves, will not face sanctions. NCAA president Myles Brand explained said the school's student body has historically admitted a high percentage of American Indians and more than 20 percent of the students are American Indians.

Schools on the list could still appeal.

"I suspect that some of those would like to having a ruling on that," Brand said. "But unless there is a change before Feb. 1, they will have to abide by it."

Major college football teams also would not be subjected to the new rules because there is no NCAA Divsion I-A tournament or playoff.

Arkansas State University, whose teams are known as the Indians, said Friday that their use of the mascot is done with respect and the school's sports teams will continue to use it.

"It is our objective to represent Native Americans in a dignified and stately manner," ASU atheltic director Dean Lee said. "We believe that our use of the nickname 'Indians' and 'The Indian Family' as our mascot affords the Native American customs and history the fullest respect and integrity."

Vernon Bellecourt, president of the National Coalition on Racism in Sports and Media, was pleased with the postseason ban but had hoped for even stronger action.

"We would have hoped the NCAA would have provided the moral leadership on this issue, but obviously they've chosen to only go halfway," said Bellecourt, a member of the Anishinabe-Ojibwe Nation in Minnesota.

The NCAA two years ago recommended that schools determine for themselves whether the Indian depictions were offensive.

At the University of North Dakota, where the Fighting Sioux nickname has come under fire, officials said they wanted to study the decision before commenting.

"We just don't have enough information to know exactly what it means," said Phil Harmeson, a senior associate to school president Charles Kupchella.

The NCAA plans to ban schools using Indian nicknames from hosting postseason events. Harrison said schools with such mascots that have already been selected as tournament sites would be asked to cover any offensive logos.

Such logos also would be prohibited at postseason games on cheerleader and band uniforms starting in 2008.

Among the schools to change nicknames in recent years over such concerns were St. John's (from Redmen to Red Storm) and Marquette (from Warriors to Golden Eagles).

Fourteen schools have removed all references to Native American culture or were deemed not to have references to Native American culture as part of their athletics programs: California State-Stanislaus, Lycoming College, Winona State University, Hawaii-Manoa, Eastern Connecticut State, East Stroudsburg, Husson College, Merrimack College, Southeast Missouri State, State University of West Georgia, Stonehill College, San Diego State, Wisconsin Lutheran College and the University of North Carolina-Pembroke.

The College of William and Mary has been given an extension to complete its self-study on the mascot issue.

Other measures approved this week include stronger penalties for schools that repeatedly fall below the NCAA's new academic cutline. Harrison said schools would receive a warning letter the first year; restrictions on scholarships, recruiting and playing time the second year; and a postseason ban the third year. If a school fails to meet the standard four consecutive years, all teams at that school would be ineligible for postseason play.

"I'd fully expect that we never get to the fourth year," Harrison said. "A school should take stronger action before that. But I think this should send a message that there will be real, serious consequences if you don't."

Schools also would receive a bonus point if a player returns to school to complete his or her degree.

The board also approved a two-year contract extension for Brand. His deal was to run through Dec. 31, 2007 and now includes an indefinite two-year rollover.

Parham ready, but Brooks isn't
Bone problem keeping linebacker from practice as U.Va. begins camp
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Aug 6, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE - As a precaution during spring drills, the University of Virginia's football staff limited the participation of inside linebacker Kai Parham, who was coming off shoulder surgery.

Parham has since been cleared for full contact, and the 6-3, 250-pound junior looked as imposing as ever during U.Va.'s first session of training camp last night.

The report on the Cavaliers' other starting inside linebacker wasn't so positive yesterday. U.Va. coach Al Groh, at an afternoon press conference, said he wasn't sure when All-America candidate Ahmad Brooks would start practicing with the team.

Brooks, a Butkus Award finalist last season, missed spring practice after having surgery to correct a degenerative bone problem in his right knee.

Brooks' "condition has resolved itself," Groh said, but the 6-4, 260-pound junior is "still in his rehab-and-building-himself-back-up stage. He hasn't been able to train hard enough to this point to participate in what we're doing."

Asked if he was confident Brooks would be ready for the Sept. 3 opener against Western Michigan, Groh said: "I don't have any expectations on that. . . . We're just going to put him out there and go through it and see what happens. Right now he's out, so he's not in the plans. When he's back, he's back."

Brooks worked on the sidelines with a trainer last night, and U.Va.'s coaches will "see how he's progressing with that," Groh said. "We want to make sure it's not a circumstance where his knee's just fine but he misses a significant period of time because he's got a pulled hamstring or a pulled groin muscle or whatever, because those muscles weren't given the opportunity to be properly conditioned."

In January, after deciding not to enter the NFL draft, Brooks said he had unfinished business at U.Va.

"I felt I needed to improve on a couple things before I entered the NFL," Brooks told The Times-Dispatch then. "As far as playing linebacker . . . I don't feel like I've showed the world enough. I don't really feel I've lived up to the hype yet."

Brooks' bone problem was discovered after last season as doctors tried to determine the source of his pain. It had been developing for years, doctors told Groh.

"It's one of the circumstances of life. These things happen, so you go on," Groh said. "But obviously this is a player of substantial talent and very special talent."

As a senior at Woodbridge's Hylton High, Brooks was named USA Today's national prep player of the year for defense. He spent the following fall at Hargrave Military Academy then enrolled at Virginia in January 2003. He led the Cavaliers in tackles in '03 and again in '04.

After last season, Groh said, he and Brooks formulated a plan to "magnify this special talent to its highest level, so that the next year is going to be different from the first two, not just on talent alone, but on mastery of all these particular things."

Because of Brooks' surgery, however, there "hasn't really been much physical work on that since late December," Groh said. "The player that we had back then was pretty good, but it'll be one of the interesting things to see when Ahmad does come back to play, is this the same player that was playing in December - a very good player, but still the same player - or is this going to be a player that's had the opportunity to raise his game?"

Parham, the Cavaliers' second-leading tackler in 2004, recovered quickly from his shoulder surgery and could have played a more prominent role during spring practice. In the end, though, U.Va.'s coaches decided not to take unnecessary risks.

One of the team's strongest players, Parham is in superb condition. "He's trained marvelously and really wants to try to make a point here a little bit," Groh said.

UVa's Brooks slowly recovers
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
August 6, 2005

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Ahmad Brooks’ opening day of pre-fall practice consisted of some light jogging, a few mobility drills and plenty of time on an exercise bike Monday.

That might be his routine for a while.

Virginia coach Al Groh is keeping Brooks out of training camp drills for now. The junior linebacker, a preseason All-American by most publications, is taking the slow road back from offseason surgery for a degenerative condition in his right knee.

“Medically, (he is) cleared,” Groh said prior to Friday’s season-opening practice. “That is, the circumstance has resolved itself, but he’s still in his rehab. … He hasn’t been able to train hard enough to this point to participate in what we’re doing.”

Players were not available to the media after Friday’s practice.

A Butkus Award finalist last season, Brooks missed all of spring practice because of corrective surgery for the degenera-

tive condition, which caused him some discomfort late last season. Groh said the problem developed “well before he came to Virginia.”

Brooks showed up at the Cavaliers’ spring football festival on crutches with a sizeable brace on his knee.

While teammates wore helmets and went through drills for the first time since spring on Friday, Brooks, sans crutches, football in hand and clad in a distinctive orange workout shirt, did conditioning drills on the sidelines before jumping on a stationary bike for an extended period of time.

He showed no distinguishable limp doing his activities.

“We’ll watch his work on the side with the trainers and see how he’s progressing with that,” Groh said. “We want to make sure it’s not a circumstance where his knee is just fine but he misses a significant amount of time because he has a pulled hamstring or a pulled groin muscle or whatever because those muscles weren’t given the opportunity to be properly conditioned.”

Brooks missed part of last season’s pre-fall camp for “personal reasons,” returning a day after it was announced he would miss time. He did not wear the orange defensive starter’s jersey for all of camp and did not start the first game of the season against Temple, giving way to senior Rich Bedesem.

He started every game after that and made 90 tackles, tops on the team for a second straight season, the first linebacker to do so in his first two seasons at UVa since Charles McDaniel in 1982-83.

As for Brooks’ opening-game status this season, Groh didn’t have any expectations.

“I don’t have much thought on that. We’re going to put him out there and see what happens,” he said. “Right now, he’s out, so he’s not in the plans. When he’s back, he’s back.”

Refund plan in works for Lane Stadium suite owners
BY MIKE HARRIS
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Aug 6, 2005

BLACKSBURG -- Virginia Tech will consider a refund plan for those who have purchased suites in the expanded west side of Lane Stadium.

The school announced last week that construction will not be complete before the Hokies' home opener Sept. 17 against Ohio University. The stadium will be operational, associate athletic director Tom Gabbard said Thursday.

"The functionality of the space will be there," Gabbard said. "What won't be there is carpeting, painted walls . . . air conditioning. The question is, how many games is it going to be affected like that? The answer is, I don't know yet."

The expanded west side features 23 luxury suites, all of which have been sold and require a five-year commitment. Some went for $55,000 a year, some for $65,000 a year and some for $100,000 a year.

"There's certainly some provisions to provide for some refunds," Gabbard said. "I know that decision is being contemplated -- how much, how do we do that? We fully expect to be in front of that one."

Gabbard said construction crews began working around the clock a week ago. During the day, as many as 500 workers are on hand to try to get as much done as possible on the $52.5 million project before the first home game.

That game is the first of three in a four-week period, and getting more work done once games begin will be difficult. Cleanup after games takes considerable time, limiting time available for further construction.

"We're a little concerned with that to be honest with you," Gabbard said. "It depends on how far along they really are past what we think they're going to be."

Gabbard insisted that the stadium will open on time and that 65,000 of the 66,232 it will hold won't notice anything wrong.

"There have been some questions about safety issues," he said. "You can't get any kind of temporary occupancy permit. If they say it is OK, it is OK."