Beamer: ESPN offered to let Hokies drop Alabama

BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said the Hokies were approached by ESPN in the spring and offered a chance to opt out of the Alabama game this season. They declined.

“We said, ‘No, we want to stay with Alabama,’” Beamer said during Wednesday’s ACC teleconference. “I think for our fans’ sake, that’s the game they want to play. And for our kids’ sake. They like the challenge of playing the No. 1 team in the country.”

ESPN’s Brett McMurphy reported in April that the Hokies considered backing out of the game if Logan Thomas turned pro, although Virginia Tech denied that was true. That report said Louisville would have played Alabama instead.

Beamer said ESPN came to the Hokies in the spring with an alternate opponent for the Hokies in the opener, with another team lined up to play Alabama.

“I won’t get into all the specifics,” Beamer said. “But last spring we had a chance to play another team.”

Beamer wanted to stay in the game against the No. 1 team in the country, however, even though it resulted in a 35-10 loss last Saturday.

“I think from an overall standpoint, we know more about our football team right now than we would if we beat someone 50-0,” he said. “I think we know more about our football team.”

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