Passion For Podcasting

PAT FINN ’17 LOVES HIS JOB as an account executive for SalesForce, a cloud-based computer software company.

But he gets really excited about his sideline gig as a sports podcaster on the “Sons of Saturday,” a podcast about Virginia Tech sports that he and two others founded almost two years ago.

“‘Sons of Saturday’ is the passion project,” Finn said.

The original idea came from Billy Ray Mitchell ’17, a former Virginia Tech football player who wanted to expand his own podcast by bringing in Finn to talk about college football and Grayson Wimbish ’18 to discuss entertainment and pop culture. But Finn and Wimbish expressed doubts.

“Both of us were very much lukewarm to the idea,” Finn said. “The both of us kind of rejected it. We didn’t know specifically what we’d like to talk about or how to build an audience.”

Finn’s attitude changed after joining Mitchell in Athens, Georgia, for a Georgia-Notre Dame football game in 2019. The pair enjoyed the incredible atmosphere, and when Virginia Tech announced future games with select SEC opponents, Mitchell convinced Finn and Wimbish to join him on a podcast to discuss the upcoming games.

“We talked about our SEC wish list,” Finn said. “Who would we like to play? Whose stadium would we like to visit? How would we rank them?

“That’s how ‘Sons of Saturday’ podcast was born.”

An independent venture unaffiliated with the university, the podcast focuses on Virginia Tech football and recruiting, with occasional visits from special guests—a list that includes Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians ’74, ESPN writer David Hale, Hokie basketball coaches Kenny Brooks and Mike Young, and Camille Schrier ’18, Miss America 2020.

During the pandemic, the team used their extra time to expand operations. They formed an LLC, established a business checking account, filed a trademark, and built a website. They added sponsors and started selling merchandise. They brought aboard students and alumni to write stories for the website and manage social media accounts, and added a webmaster and a graphic designer.

“Sons of Saturday” has accrued more than 6,000 followers on Twitter and 7,000 on Instagram, and now features additional podcasts—“Sons of Saturday Notre Dame,” and “Sons of Saturday National,” with Josh Parcell ’12 and Ross Tudor ’12 as the hosts, and the team wants to add podcasts for more Power 5 programs.

Leaning into the university’s motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Mitchell, Finn, and Wimbish often promote the Hokie Club’s fundraising efforts for scholarships and facilities, and they use their platform to encourage participation in community-related events.

“We never thought it would be this big,” Finn said. “But it’s been a blast.”

The “Sons of Saturday” can be followed on social media, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.