A framed portrait of Michael Vick hangs beside the entrance to Michael Vick Hall, the football meeting rooms in Virginia Tech’s Merryman Athletic Center. Over the football stadium flies a banner bearing his No. 7, along with 10 other retired numbers, to honor the star quarterback, who in 1999 led the Hokies to an 11-0 regular season.

On Monday that same star quarterback said through a lawyer that he would plead guilty to federal dog-fighting charges, an admission that is likely to lead to prison time and could end his lucrative pro-football career. But Tech officials said they had no plans to remove the emblems honoring their football hero, according to the Chicago Tribune.

“Michael Vick earned those honors when he was an undergraduate, long before the dog-fighting activities,” said Jim Weaver, Tech’s athletic director. “I don’t think it should impact his name and picture remaining on that door.”

Mr. Weaver said he had received about a dozen telephone calls and e-mail messages asking him to take down the images. But he said he planned to stand by his man. —Lauren Smith