OK, maybe it’s not that big of news, but offensive line recruit William Alvarez has been officially cleared by the NCAA, Virginia Tech announced today.

Alvarez has probably missed too many practices to play this season, which is a tough break for the Hokies, who could use some depth on the offensive line. However, while waiting to be academically cleared, Alvarez did set the NCAA record for most mentions in newspaper stories for a guy who hasn’t played a down of college football. It got to the point where Alvarez waiting to be cleared was something you could rely on—like the sun rising, or Kenny Chesney putting on a live performance that makes your spine tingle.

Freshman wide receiver Ervin Garner, a late addition to the class, also was cleared, Tech announced today. But on a day when Alvarez’s clearance was announced, that news sort of feels like “city council passes mailbox ordinance” in the famous PARIS FALLS paper of 1944 that marked the freeing of France in World War II.

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If you’re in the Blacksburg area and have a dirty car tomorrow, the Tech football team is doing a car wash from 4-6 p.m. in the softball/track parking lot across from the West side of Lane Stadium. There is no charge, but donations will be accepted for the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund.

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About to head over to practice to chat with coach Frank Beamer and, perhaps, Alvarez. But first, as I finish watching episode 1 from season 2 of “The Wire” on DVD, I’ll answer a question that I received on a chat recently.

One of the chatters—I guess that’s what they’re called—asked if pitcher Angela Tincher made the Olympic softball team, would she play for the Hokies next spring?

After talking with Tech softball coach Scot Thomas today, I have an answer: it depends. If Tincher makes the 15-woman roster, she will miss her senior season but will get a redshirt year that will let her play in 2009. If she is one of three alternates, she will miss some fall practices but will not miss the season. Alternates do not get to travel to Beijing for the Olympics.

More on that in tomorrow’s print edition, which will no doubt have the headline ALVAREZ CLEARED screaming across the top in 100-point font. Unless, of course, Michael Vick accepts a plea deal. In that case, we will put out three separate extra editions over the course of the day and will have a glossy, 50-page retrospective of the Vick case included in Sunday’s paper.