Virginia Tech fans can forget about seeing Marcus Vick on the football field this season.

Hours before Vick was convicted Tuesday of reckless driving and possession of marijuana in New Kent County, the school announced that the troubled quarterback has been suspended from the university for the fall semester.

The younger brother of Atlanta Falcons quarterback and former Tech star Michael Vick was fined $300 and had his driver's license suspended for 60 days under the terms of the plea agreement approved by General District Judge Bruce Long. He avoided jail time by agreeing to complete a first-time offender's program that requires drug education and counseling.

Vick, 20, was pulled over by state police at 2:30 a.m. July 3 after being clocked at 88 mph in a 65-mph zone on westbound Interstate 64, about 25 miles east of Richmond. The drug charge resulted from the traffic stop.

That incident happened seven weeks after Vick and two teammates were convicted of contributing to the delinquency of three underage girls. Vick was sentenced to 30 days in jail and fined $2,250 in that case. All three players have appealed the verdicts.

Vick, who already was suspended indefinitely from the football team, will be eligible to enroll in school and rejoin the football team at the start of January's semester. The Newport News native was informed of the university's action Monday afternoon by Tech Athletic Director Jim Weaver.

Vick refused to answer reporters' questions outside the New Kent courthouse, but his lawyers distributed a written statement. Vick apologized and vowed to do right and return to Tech and play football.

"It is now clear to me that I have hurt many people," Vick said in the statement. "I am very sorry. I want to be a member of Virginia Tech's football program and I want to be a member of the university.

"I will work hard to improve myself as a person. I want to bring pride to the Hokies. I want to bring pride to the Vick name. ... I am asking that Virginia Tech, and the other people who care about me, not give up on me.

"The only person I have to blame is myself. The only person who can fix this is myself," he said.

In addition to being expelled from fall classes, Vick faces an additional year of "deferred suspension," where any new disciplinary action and conviction would trigger an automatic suspension from the university.

Furthermore, Weaver informed Vick that any further violations, either criminal, university judicial, or of athletic policy, will result in a permanent dismissal from Tech athletics.

"The university is doing the right thing in the name of discipline," Weaver said Tuesday. "I think Marcus understands where he is right now. I personally believe he wants to right the Vick name."

Football Coach Frank Beamer also released a statement supporting the suspension.

"Marcus Vick is a young man with a good heart who has made some poor decisions but still has an opportunity to have a bright future," Beamer said.

Vick gave Tech officials permission to release the particulars of the student disciplinary action. Normally, a student is protected from public disclosure of such sanctions by federal privacy restrictions.

The school's judicial system can take action based on known student behavior, regardless of what has or hasn't transpired in court, school spokesman Larry Hincker said.

"It's really highly unusual, but frankly there is just a tremendous amount of media interest and we feel like it was important, as Marcus did, to let the public and the world know what his status will be," Hincker said.

Hincker said that it's not unusual for students to be suspended from school for misdemeanor convictions.

"I don't know the exact numbers, but during the course of a year it would be at least a handful and sometimes more than that," Hincker said.

Tech President Charles Steger said he thought the university's judicial system's sanctions were in line in this case.

"This is a stiff penalty," Steger said in a statement. "Vick won't play this year and loses that year of eligibility. If there is any more trouble, his Virginia Tech career is effectively ended. But just as important, this offers a compassionate, last-chance opportunity for Vick to get his personal life in order."

In the New Kent County courtroom, Long also had strong words for Vick.

"I have standing in front of me a young man with enormous potential who seems to be on a self-destructive path. Am I wrong?" the judge asked.

"Yes sir," Vick replied.

"Are you going to prove to me that I'm wrong?" the judge asked.

"Yes sir," Vick responded.

"I hope you'll take advantage of it, turn yourself around and get headed in the right direction," said Long, adding that he would show no mercy if Vick doesn't meet the requirements of the first-offender program.

"I will put you in jail, no questions asked."