Nov 11, 2023; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; A Virginia Tech Hokies helmet rest on a table during the first half against the Boston College Eagles at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

Virginia Tech is set to undergo a critical coaching search after the 2025 season. Ahead of that process, the program has taken a major step toward making the job more attractive.

On Tuesday morning, the school's board formally approved an increase to the athletics department budget by $229 million over the next four years. The measure passed with a 13-1 vote, with the lone holdout coming over the increase in student fees that will come with the move, according to ESPN's Andrea Adelson.

"We have the opportunity to reset the organization to align with the new realities at the conference and national levels," Virginia Tech president Tim Sands said, per Adelson. "It's never been clearer that the future of Hokie athletics will depend on the institutional commitments to compete in partnership with our alumni and supporters. Today, we are stepping up to compete, and we ask our loyal fans and generous donors to step forward with us."

The Hokies will see a $47.1 million bump to their athletics budget for the current fiscal year, raising it to $190.1 million overall, with that number increasing to $212.1 million by the 2029-30 fiscal year. Sands added that he will appoint an athletics investment oversight committee to ensure that money is being properly appropriated.

The move comes in the wake of the decision to fire fourth-year coach Brent Pry after an 0-3 start to the 2025 season. Virginia Tech is clearly feeling the uncertainty of the future of the ACC and what college football will look like after the next round of realignment.

With this investment, which brings the program near the top of the ACC in terms of annual budget, the Hokies will hope to boost the value of the program as it looks to appeal to high-caliber coaching candidates in a carousel cycle that already features four Power Four openings and could see quite a few more in the coming weeks and months.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Virginia Tech approves $229 million athletics budget increase ahead of coaching search

Reporting by Tyler Nettuno, College Sports Wire / College Sports Wire

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