Across the Grounds with Steve Brindle: 2025-26 Sports Have Arrived on Grounds

When my 1st-year dorm buddies and I attended our initial UVA home football game in 1969, Scott Stadium seemed enormous compared to our high school fields although the official seating capacity was only 23,848 at Scott. I thought I was so collegiate wearing my blue blazer, khakis, open UVA shirt, and docksiders. The hidden flask was essential. (Drinking age for beer drinkers back then was 18). The football win-loss record during my years (‘69-‘72) was a miserable 15-28 overall and the ACC result was 4-19. Like baseball turnouts, many fans came dressed as empty seats. With no women on Grounds, dates had to come from afar but they seemed very excited to spend a weekend on our historic, beautiful Grounds with a UVA gentleman.

Futility kept fans at home until the George Welsh years. Between his arrival in 1982 and his retirement in 2000, Coach Welsh recorded 134 wins versus 86 losses and 3 ties. That period produced 12 Bowl appearances and a 10-win record in 1989. Welsh himself was ACC Coach of the year 4 times and National Coach of the Year once. During his tenure, UVA won 7 games in 13 consecutive seasons and for 2 weeks in 1990 UVA was #1. My mancave is full of framed photos of UVA athletes who have played their sport professionally. Welsh had coached many of them …. Jim Dombroski, Barry Word, the Barber twins, Shawn Moore, Herman Moore, and Anthony Poindexter. My mancave also includes a cabinet that I’ve converted into a Virginia Tech trophy case. To date, there are NO NCAA team trophies on display, not even the bass fishing championship in 2007.

Football is the essential revenue producer at UVA and elsewhere. Because of poor attendance driven by poor play, funds may not be available in the future for facility upgrades and student athletic payments in football and in the other 26 men’s and women’s sports on Grounds. UVA has been blessed to have had very significant alumni gifts in recent years that have been used to bring our athletic facilities near the top of ACC ranking. It also translates, however, into job insecurity for Tony Elliott and Carla Williams. She was hired away from football heavyweight Georgia to revive football fortunes in C’ville. Three years is getting to be sufficient time to judge a program and 11-23 with no bowl bids is not what the doctor ordered! I’ll be bold in saying, though, that the highly regarded portal class will contribute to 6 (bowl eligible) or 7 wins this fall, including an upset win over the Hokies. In Carla’s favor, the recent hirings of Ryan Odom in men’s bball and Chris Pollard in baseball seem to be home runs. We haven’t seen them lead the troops as yet but their recruiting has been absolutely amazing! I believe that the bball team will get a double bye in the ACC Tournament and earn a pass The Show. I believe that UVA baseball will be a top contender in the ACC, will be a regional host, and may just have what it takes to go to Omaha and kick Mississippi State’s butt.

In a wrap, the 2025-26 athletic calendar will shortly be filled up and our very special warriors will be on display this fall in football, field hockey, volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer. Several spring sports stay busy with fall games that can be attended by the public. The track team actually competed today in Eugene, OR. Go Hoos!