BLACKSBURG -- The days of the media enjoying carte blanche during Virginia Tech's football practices are history.

In a change of policy from his first 20 years as Tech coach, Frank Beamer has opted to cut back on media access to his club's preseason and regular-season workouts. Media members, whom in the past have been accustomed to watching an entire practice, are now allowed to view only the first half of the club's two-hour workouts.

Media are allowed to return near the conclusion of practice for a 15-minute period to conduct interviews with players and coaches.

Starting Sunday and continuing throughout the season, practice will be open to the media on Tuesday and Wednesdays for the first hour only. All other workouts will be closed to the media.

The new practice policy also goes for professional scouts and program contributors, such as Hokie Club members who often stop by practice to get a quick glance of the squad.

Suddenly, what's been one of the nation's most media-accessible Division I-A programs isn't nearly as welcoming to outsiders. Beamer admitted he thought his program may have become too "on-display" for its own good.

"We went back and checked with all the teams in the ACC and we're probably much more in line with those teams now," Beamer said Thursday.

Beamer noted he learned a valuable lesson during his club's preparations for last year's Chick-fil-A Bowl, in which he team lost 31-24 to Georgia.

"We practiced out at Georgia Tech and we let all kinds of people through there ... people we didn't really know," Beamer said. "And I thought it hurt us in the bowl game. I'm not blaming anybody ... but I thought Georgia knew exactly what we were doing in several situations.

"What we've done is when we get to 'team' type stuff we're closing practice down. I think that's in our best interests. I want to give our football team the best opportunity to win on Saturday."

The Hokies' first two Saturday preseason scrimmages -- Aug. 11 and 18 in Lane Stadium at 3:15 p.m. -- will be open to the general public for the first time in years. However, the club's final preseason scrimmage on Friday, Aug 24, will be closed to all, including the media, for the first time in the Beamer era.

Tailback done for year

In an injury that occurred after the media was flushed from Thursday's practice, redshirt sophomore tailback Elan Lewis reinjured the right knee he hurt during his freshman year. Dr. Marc Siegel, Tech's orthopedic team physician, evaluated Lewis' knee Friday and determined there was ACL damage that will require season-ending surgery.

The 5-foot-8, 226-pound Lewis entered preseason drills seventh among the eight players listed the depth chart at the Hokies' crowded tailback position. In eight games last season, he rushed for 47 yards on 28 carries and one touchdown.

Area depth charges

Here's the depth-chart rundown for Timesland-area players: Redshirt sophomore tight end Sam Wheeler (Blacksburg) and senior short snapper Scott King (Radford), both entered camp No. 1 at their positions; fifth-year senior Kory Robertson (Magna Vista) and redshirt freshman Daryl Robertson (Liberty) are Nos. 3 and 4, respectively at nose tackle; redshirt sophomore Brandon Dillard (Bassett) is No. 3 at flanker; sophomore Brandon Holland (Northside) is the No. 4 right guard; freshmen Jeff Wardach (Cave Spring) is fourth at stud defensive end; and freshman Danny Coale, a Lexington native who played for Episcopal, is sixth at split end. ... Orion and Cam Martin, who played at G.W. Danville and now live in Martinsville, are Nos. 1 and No. 2, respectively at defensive end and whip linebacker.