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VIRGINIA TECH HOSTS CAMPUS STUDENT EMPLOYMENT FAIR 2025
Jacob Luckenbaugh | News Writer
Virginia Tech’s Student Employment Fair will help students learn about career opportunities and employment resources.
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On Friday, Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Owens Ballroom, the Virginia Tech Career and Professional Development office hosted the Campus Student Employment Fair 2025.
The event provided undergraduate and graduate students from all majors with the opportunity to speak with representatives of the university and local organizations about various jobs, internships and research positions available.
Virginia Tech employs over 8,000 graduate and undergraduate students in positions across the university, from residence halls to student centers.
On-campus organizations like Virginia Tech University Libraries, Dining Services and the Office of Undergraduate Research participated in the event, providing students with information about open positions within the Virginia Tech community. Employers from the local area also took part in the fair, including the YMCA at Virginia Tech
and TRIO Upward Bound.
The Office of Career and Professional Development offers resume and cover letter review sessions, interview preparation and assistance with graduate and professional school applications during the school year by appointment on Handshake.
Virginia Tech will continue to host career fairs throughout the fall semester, including upcoming major events like the Business Horizons Career Fair and the Engineering Expo.
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Staff at the Smith Career Center can provide students with feedback, Feb. 10, 2022
WITH RAISED STAKES, VIRGINIA TECH FOOTBALL HOPES TO BOUNCE BACK IN 2025
Sam Mostow | sports editor
The transfer-heavy Hokies hope to rebound from a disappointing 2024.
A year ago, Virginia Tech football head coach Brent Pry stood behind a lectern before the season and raised expectations: falling short of the ACC championship game would be a disappointment.
The Hokies were confident. They finished the 2023 campaign on a 5-2 run, capped off with blowout wins over in-state rival Virginia and in the Military Bowl against No. 23 Tulane. Pry and his staff were showing progress, with the 3-8 season in 2022 fading into the distance.
“There are a lot of good things happening within our program right now,” Pry said after the Military Bowl win. “… This was the type of win that we couldn’t find during the season. … It’s hard, but we’re making great progress. There are a lot of good things happening at Virginia Tech right now.”
The good vibes waned soon after the 2024 season started. Tech entered the season opener as nearly two-touchdown
favorites against Vanderbilt, only to trail 17-0 in the second quarter. The Hokies tied the game and forced overtime, but lost in the additional period. Eventually, the season culminated in a 6-7 finish and a loss to Minnesota in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
“When we reflected on the 2024 year, it was evident to me that we needed to be a more mentally and physically tough team,” Pry said at the ACC Football Kickoff media day in July. “That starts with me, and we’ve addressed it in each phase of our offseason program — the winter, the spring and the summer.”
Despite the finish, Virginia Tech had talent. NFL teams drafted five players from Tech’s 2024 roster: running back Bhayshul Tuten, wide receiver Jaylin Lane, cornerback Dorian Strong, linebacker Antwaun Powell-Ryland and defensive tackle Aeneas Peebles.
The 2024 season did not meet expectations. Pry admitted as such — then
made changes. He fired defensive coordinator Chris Marve, offensive line coach Ron Crook and strength and conditioning coach Dwight Galt IV.
Plus, an unintended change: offensive coordinator Tyler Bowen accepted the offensive line coach position at Ohio State, the defending national champion.
“We made some upticks in some really important areas in our program,” Pry said. “We needed to have the type of offseason that we are having.”
Along with new offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery and defensive coordinator Sam Siefkes, Tech enlisted 30 transfers. While the 2024 season brought roster consistency from the previous year, the 2025 iteration could not be more different from its predecessor — except at quarterback.
Kyron Drones, Tech’s redshirt senior signal-caller, is entering his third season in Blacksburg. After transferring from Baylor
ahead of the 2023 season, Drones assumed the starting role following an injury to then-starter Grant Wells. Across 11 starts in his first season, Drones threw for 17 touchdowns — while adding another five on the ground — and only tossed three interceptions. He regressed amidst injuries in 2024 with 10 touchdowns and six interceptions in just nine games. Either way, the Hokies remained consistent under center.
Still, some question marks remain — namely Pry’s 1-12 career clip in one-score games. Maybe this will be the season that the Hokies can escape mediocrity and contend in the ACC, as they did under longtime head coach Frank Beamer. At least Pry seems to think so.
“We’ve got a lot to prove in Blacksburg,” Pry said.
HOKIES FOOTBALL MAKES CRUCIAL MISTAKES IN LOSS TO SOUTH CAROLINA
Sam Mostow | sports editor
The problem for the Hokies was not so much that South Carolina overmatched them; instead, they kept committing mistakes.
With just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones launched a pass down the sideline to wide receiver Donavon Greene, who caught the ball for a 32-yard gain.
Trailing 10-8 to No. 13 South Carolina, the Hokies (0-1) were progressing toward ending their stalemate against the Gamecocks (1-0). They were driving into South Carolina’s territory, advancing into field goal range to try and gain a lead for the first time Sunday. Instead, Drones took a sack for a seven-yard loss and Greene lost 15 yards via an unnecessary roughness penalty to create second-and-32.
Running back Marcellous Hawkins then ran the ball for no gain and Drones tossed an incomplete pass, leading to a punt from the Hokies’ own 40-yard line
instead of a drive toward the end zone — contributing to South Carolina’s 24-11 win over Virginia Tech in Atlanta.
The Hokies failed to score a touchdown and mounted just three scoring drives — all field goals. They first reached the scoreboard via a safety.
South Carolina accepted the opening kickoff and mounted a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, capped off with a 15-yard rushing touchdown by Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers. The Gamecocks reached the end zone twice more; defensive back Vicari Swain returned a punt for 80 yards in the fourth quarter and Sellers threw a 64-yard pass to Nyck Harbor later in the period.
The punt return for a touchdown marked South Carolina’s first since a 2013 contest against Michigan.
Tech kicker John Love converted all three of his field goal attempts from 29, 56 and 39 yards. The 56-yarder was the third-longest of Love’s career, following makes from 60 and 57 yards in 2024.
Sellers completed 12 of his 19 passing attempts for 209 yards and a touchdown, along with 13 rushing attempts for 25 yards and another touchdown on the ground. Drones, his counterpart, went 15-for-35 with no touchdowns and two interceptions, while adding 26 rushing yards across 12 attempts.
Six different receivers caught passes for the Hokies: Ayden Greene, Donavon Greene, Cameron Seldon, Takye Heath, and Isaiah Spencer. Donavon Greene led with 94 yards across three receptions, while Ayden Greene hauled in five passes for 71 yards.
The problem for the Hokies was not so
much that South Carolina overmatched them; instead, they kept committing mistakes — the aforementioned penalty and sack deep in Gamecocks territory among them. The punt return for a touchdown was their second attempt, since referees flagged the Hokies and required them to punt again following a harmless punt. Drones struggled with accuracy, though several of those incompletions occurred when his receivers dropped the ball.
Tech will have another SEC opponent in its home opener, when the Hokies face Vanderbilt in Lane Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
NON-FOOTBALL SPORTS AT VIRGINIA TECH TO LOOK OUT FOR THIS FALL
Dylan Tefft | Sports Editor
Virginia Tech soccer, volleyball, cross country and golf are gearing up for their respective seasons.
It’s no secret that football is the fall sport that Virginia Tech’s campus is raring for. The Lane Stadium atmosphere, the scope of college football, the potential for a great season — it’s the premiere event in Blacksburg for good reason.
However, football isn’t the only Division-I sport being played at Tech this fall. Men’s and women’s soccer, golf and cross country, along with volleyball, all have their own set of expectations and enticing storylines ahead of their new seasons.
Women’s Soccer
Hokies women’s soccer is 3–1-1 to start its season and ranked No. 24 nationally — it was as high as No. 15 last week — making it an early favorite for the school’s most competitive fall team. Tech reached the final four as a seventh seed in last year’s NCAA tournament with wins over Tennessee and then two-seeded UCLA. The team retains four of its top-five goal scorers — Taylor Price, Natalie Mitchell, Anna Weir, Sarah Rosenbaum — from last year and all but one player who notched two or more assists.
Goalkeeper Lauren Hargrove, who totaled 64 saves with a 0.78 save percentage last season, returns as the Hokies’ lone graduate student. Behind coach Charles “Chugger” Adair in his 15th year at the helm, there’s a real chance Tech women’s soccer is the premiere program on campus this academic year.
After tying Liberty 1-1 last Thursday, the Hokies continue their season against Campbell on Sunday at 6 p.m. at home.
Men’s soccer
While not given a top-25 preseason ranking like its female counterparts, Tech men’s soccer has jumped into the No. 12 spot after beating No. 3 Ohio State and Canisius, while tying No. 2 Marshall in its most recent game last Friday. Against the Buckeyes, German-born freshman defender Colin Beutel subbed in to bury the Hokies’ lone goal that, combined with shutdown defense, was enough to knock off a powerhouse
program. Ohio State was the first seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament but lost to Marshall in the semifinals.
The Hokies lost last season’s leading goal scorers, Oliver Roche (transferred to UCLA) and Ethan Hackenberg (graduated), but return promising sophomores Alex Perez (nine points in 2024) and Ian Marcano, who led the team in assists last season.
With more freshmen rostered than juniors and seniors combined, Tech has excelled despite its youth. It plays its fourth game of the season against Virginia at Thompson Field in Blacksburg on Friday at 7 p.m.
Volleyball
Hokies volleyball lost a mass of talent to graduation and the portal last offseason. Pieces like Leandra Mangual Duran (graduated), Jasmine Robinson (UVa), Viktoria Wahlgren (Dayton), Hailey Pearce (North Carolina) and freshman star Belle Patrick (Auburn) all left, putting the team in a precarious spot. It’s even more difficult when considering the team led by those players went just 7-23 last year.
This season, the Hokies return outside hitters Sarah Malinowski, a senior, and Elizabeth Aylward, a junior, along with seniors Jordan Hallman at middle blocker and Sierra Cates at libero/ defensive specialist. They’ll look to punch above last season’s mark with help from graduate transfers Ainsley Ransted, an outside hitter from Southern Illinois Edwardsville, and Italy native Erica Fava, a libero from Omaha University.
Hokies volleyball began its regular season at the UNCW Tournament in Wilmington, North Carolina, last weekend, beating North Carolina Central and UNC Wilmington in straight sets but falling to Lindenwood 3-2.
Next, volleyball heads to the Blue Hen Invitational in Newark, Delaware for another three-match weekend against Hampton (Friday, 2 p.m.), Delaware (Friday, 6 p.m.) and Le Moyne (Saturday, 1 p.m.).
Men’s and women’s cross country 2024 was a solid year for both the men’s and women’s cross country teams at Tech. Both teams placed 8th at the ACC tournament, while the men finished 26th of 31 teams at the NCAA Tournament. George Couttie — who finished 14th in the 10K run at that event — returns to the team as a junior. In fact, every Hokies runner to place top-200 in that race — Ben Reynolds, William Winter, Nicholas Kipchirchir — is back this season.
With no seniors on the roster, the women’s team has less experience. Top runner and sophomore Sharon Chepchirchir returns, however. She ran a 5:25.6 at the women’s 6K in the ACC championship last year to place 23rd.
Both men’s and women’s cross country get started Sept. 5 at the Virginia Tech Invitational in Blacksburg.
Men’s and women’s golf
Virginia Tech men’s and women’s golf each enter the fall with hopes of taking a step forward in the ACC.
The women placed 7th in the ACC last year and 9th in the Gold Canyon NCAA Regional behind standouts Valentine Delon (72.5 average strokes), Morgan Ketchum (73.47) and Emily Matthews (73.78). Delon and Matthews return as juniors along with budding short-game specialist Alina Ho, who’s now a sophomore. Tech women’s golf gets started September 8 at the Cougar Classic in Charleston, South Carolina.
The men’s team, headed by stars Gareth Steyn and Rahul Rajendran, placed last in last year’s ACC championship. Those two players return as juniors along with senior contributor Balthazar Duclos. Head coach Brian Sharp also returns for his fifth season at the helm. Men’s golf plays its first event on Sept. 5 at the Visit Knoxville Collegiate in Loudon, Tennessee.
IMAGE COURTESY OF VT ATHLETICS
Image Courtesy of VT Athletics
FOOTBALL SEASON AT VIRGINIA TECH REVOLVES AROUND HOKIE CULTURE OPINIONS
Jenna Mason | Opinions Editor
Hokies coming together is what makes football season memorable at Virginia Tech.
After being founded on Feb. 13, 1872, Virginia Tech went 20 years without having a football team. In 1892, VT hosted its first football game with a win of 14-0 over St. Albans, a private school in Radford. With that being said, Virginia Tech is famously known for its football team and football culture. In 2022, the average attendance for games throughout the season was 64,387 fans per game. What makes Virginia Tech an outstanding place during the football season is the overwhelming amount of Hokie culture at every game.
Kathrine Zammit, a Virginia Tech alumna, talked about why she and her husband moved back to Blacksburg after college.
“We moved away from Blacksburg when we graduated college, and then we both ended up coming back because we love Blacksburg so much,” Zammit said. “We love Virginia Tech, so it was an easy choice to come back, especially after being in other places that we didn’t love as much as we had loved Blacksburg.”
Hokie culture at Virginia Tech is made up of the history, ideals and traditions that have been around since the start of the university. It’s shared with students, staff, faculty and alumni. One of the biggest aspects of being a Hokie is a sense of community and belonging through the VT Pylons.
According to the official Virginia Tech
website, the Pylons evoke six core values that affiliates should have. These values include brotherhood, honor, leadership, sacrifice, service, loyalty, duty and “Ut Prosim” (that I may serve). With these values comes a long list of inherited traditions the Hokie Nation has created, especially for football.
Zammit also talked about why being a Hokie is important to her.
“Because the town of Blacksburg is such a small town, you can’t live here and not be a Hokie fan,” Zammit said. “We have a lot of friends who have come from other universities and other colleges and have never cared about Virginia Tech. They come to visit for the first time and they decide they love Virginia Tech; they wanna buy all this Virginia Tech gear, and they start caring about Virginia Tech sports because they’ve been to the town and just loved how welcoming and warm everybody was.”
When it comes to traditions, Virginia Tech is known to have a few that never go unnoticed. One of the oldest traditions is the VT athletic fight songs. Virginia Tech has two fight songs, “Tech Triumph” and “Alma Mater,” that are chanted during many of the games. The former was created in 1919 by Wilfred P. Maddox, a 1920 graduate, and his neighbor, Mattie Eppes. The ladder of the two was actually a song written for a lyric contest in 1939 by two students, Ernest T. Sparks (Class of 1940) and L.G. Chase (Class
of 1941). After almost 100 years of these two songs being composed, they’re still chanted at games today, creating an everlasting sense of belonging within the Hokie Nation.
Richard Barrar, a Virginia Tech alum, addressed why football season is always an exciting time in Blacksburg.
“The best part about the football games is that since we are the ones who live in town, we have all of our friends and family, who are Hokie fans that don’t live here, come in and it’s a huge event that turns that into a big party,” Barrar said. “It’s just a lot of fun because we see people that we don’t get to see regularly because everyone else is so excited about football games.”
Not only does Virginia Tech have famous fight songs, but it also has a famous entrance song. According to the official Virginia Tech website, “Enter Sandman,” a song composed by the heavy metal band Metallica, has been played as the Hokie football team enters Lane Stadium since the year 2000.
As “Enter Sandman” plays throughout the stadium, the audience continuously jumps throughout the stands. This tradition started in 2001 after a member of the Marching Virginians started to jump to warm up during a winter night. Since then, fans have been jumping to “Enter Sandman” at every football game, making this one of the most well-known traditions
the Hokies have during football season. It’s so well-known that there are seismograph reports from stadium jumping after every football game.
Finally, Zammit commented on how Virginia Tech brings together a sense of belonging.
“For the most part, everyone’s really nice and warm and welcoming, and everybody’s wearing Virginia Tech stuff all the time,” Zammit said. “So, it just makes you feel like you belong because everybody here is just one big family. It’s like one big Hokie community.”
All in all, not only do VT fans participate in the unique traditions during football season, but they also take the time to party and celebrate together. Getting ready for games, pregaming and tailgating all come into play throughout the fall semester. Football season isn’t just about watching football at Virginia Tech; it’s more than that. Watching Hokies play football is about appreciating being part of the Hokie Nation, making memories and coming together as a community within the walls of Lane Stadium.
SAME NAME, DIFFERENT GAME: FÚTBOL VS. FOOTBALL
Mohib Amjad | Opinions Assistant Editor
The name is the only thing similar between fútbol and football.
For me, football has always been associated with watch parties, being surrounded by friends and family and nonstop arguments where I share my opinions. At the same time, whenever I hear the word football, I imagine a rectangular pitch, two nets and players
striking a round ball almost exclusively with their feet.
From Rome to Rio, Sydney to São Paolo, fútbol is not just a sport; it is a global language. The most famous sport on earth seems to conjure up a completely different sport when mentioned in front of an American, something so far-off that one may question why call it football at all.
The answer lies with, like most things in this world, Great Britain. In 19th-century Great Britain, football was not a codified sport. It was a blanket
term for a multitude of different sports that more or less resembled each other but played with different rules, and every region had its own spin and take on the game. In 1863, the newly formed Football Association in England codified the continued on page 6
continued from page 5
rules and the standards for the game when it came to dribbling, passing and carrying the ball. This became “association football,” eventually shortened to “soccer.”
During the mid-19th century, football made its way to the United States. Different colleges hosted matches for the game, but confusion arose regarding which version of football is more authentic. During the 1874 Harvard versus McGill game, football was played with the rugby code, since Canadians preferred rugby. This started the wave in which rugby gained the upper hand and became football in the U.S. Rugby’s transformation into the unique American football was spearheaded by Walter Camp, a Yale athlete and coach who is also called the “Father of American Football.” He introduced the line of scrimmage, the down-anddistance system and the snap from center. This made the chaotic nature of rugby into a more structured, tactical
contest. By the early 20th century, more rules were added to the game, like forward passing, specialized positions and protective equipment, turning rugby or soccer into something new and distinctly American. However, the name “fútbol” stuck.
Why is a game that no longer uses feet still called football? The answer to that is inertia. In the 1800s, rugby was still considered a branch of football, so by the time American football emerged, the name was ingrained in people’s minds.
By that time, the new game became America’s game. It had started to become a tradition for people to watch and follow football, and changing the name might have undermined the sense of heritage and belonging to the game.
While the U.S. was somewhat inventing a new game, the rest of the world was adopting soccer, or “fútbol.”
With the establishment of FIFA and the first World Cup in 1930, soccer became a global empire. Professional leagues for
the sport emerged all around the world, and billions became fans of soccer, while Americans preferred football.
My relationship with this game began when I first came to Virginia Tech. As an international student, I had always associated the game of football with soccer rather than rugby. I attended watch parties, but never understood the game. A game very similar to rugby, where all the rules were different, and the constant advertisement breaks were very new to me. This sense of confusion lasted until the first home game for Virginia Tech during my freshman year.
I was invited to a tailgate hosted by my friend’s family. I woke up to a side of Blacksburg I hadn’t seen before. There were people everywhere, the roads were filled, and people wore VT merch and represented Virginia Tech. Everyone looked so happy and hyped for the upcoming game. Then, seeing everyone jump to “Enter Sandman” and enjoying every single moment of the game, made
LIFESTYLES
me realize that football in America is more about tradition rather than logic. Football is a reminder that sports evolve not only through rules and athletes, but through culture, language and national pride. So, American football is not rugby, but rather a distant cousin, making names matter less than meaning. For Americans, football is about autumn Saturdays, Thanksgiving rivalries and Super Bowl Sundays. For the rest of the world, football is about the World Cup, neighborhood pitches and dreams of glory. Two sports, one name and billions of emotions all tangled with the same ball but rolled in different directions.
THE PEOPLE BEHIND A VIRGINIA TECH GAME DAY
Anna Payne | Lifestyles Staff Writer
Lane Stadium comes to life thanks to more than just the coaches and players.
Game day at Virginia Tech is electric and has an atmosphere that feels larger than life. When Enter Sandman starts to play and 65,632 fans start jumping in the stands, the energy radiates throughout Lane Stadium.
But the magic doesn’t happen on its own. Aside from the football team, coaches, spirit teams, and most of all, the wonderful fans who fill the stands in streaks of maroon and orange, many other people contribute to making every game day possible and safe.
Virginia Tech and the surrounding Blacksburg community provide ample resources to make sure every game day is safe and enjoyable for every Hokie.
Pre-game
A long-standing football tradition, not only at Virginia Tech, is the pre-game tailgate.
College pre-game tailgates trace back
to the 1920s. As automobiles became increasingly accessible, more fans traveled to attend games, as stated by History. In response to increased foot traffic, stadiums increased capacity. With more mouths to feed, tailgating became an easy way to dine before a game.
Now, the tailgate is a space where friends and family make food, play games and socialize before heading to the stadium for kickoff. Tailgating is a fundamental puzzle piece, not just of a Virginia Tech game day, but of the university’s culture, as shared by Virginia Tech News.
Hokie Village, as stated by Hokie Sports, is an all-inclusive event that offers activities for all ages, from live music to food trucks. In Hokie Village, students can experience all areas of game day from the tailgate to the Hokie
Walk, where the football team, coaches and the HokieBird interact with fans before they walk into the stadium.
Virginia Tech is supported unconditionally by the Blacksburg community. During the game, you can find local businesses like Benny Marzano’s sponsoring the “slice off,” where two fans compete to down a slice of pizza in 30 seconds.
Safety first in the stands
Like any event with large crowds, Virginia Tech provides multiple resources to ensure the safety of all involved during a game day.
The Virginia Tech Rescue Squad, as described on the website, is a “fully volunteer, student-led agency that operates 24/7, 365 days a year.”
They specialize in large-scale event management and are on standby at every single Virginia Tech game.
In an article for Virginia Tech News,
Reina Rodriguez, the 2025 outreach officer for the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad, shared that the squad’s calls multiply by 10 times on a game day. You can find the rescue squad located throughout Lane Stadium in first-aid rooms, where EMTs can provide basic care for illnesses or injuries. Hokie Sports shared that first aid rooms can be found near sections 106, 126, 202 and 232. All service members, from the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad to the Virginia Tech Police, are available to help.
Post-game
Lane Stadium can hold over 60,000 fans, which makes the thought of traveling home feel overwhelming. On game days, Virginia Tech Parking Services helps direct traffic flow, simplifies
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parking and makes getting to and from the game possible. Multiple parking options are available, including ADA parking spaces, public parking, and private Hokie Club parking, which is detailed further on Hokie Sports.
Blacksburg Transit is also a great way to utilize public transportation and
ensure a safe and reliable way home. The Campus Shuttle is great for on-campus students, and other buses are in service for off-campus students.
Before the game begins, nine buses run and can be tracked utilizing the Blacksburg Transit mobile app or online live map. When the game ends, 10 buses
operate, each with varying service times. For more information about when the buses will run on a game day, visit the Blacksburg Transit website. Be prepared and plan for transportation before and after the game.
Game days at Virginia Tech are unforgettable, but they wouldn’t be possible
without the people, organizations or the Blacksburg community that help to make it happen.
NEW TO THE STANDS: A SIMPLE GUIDE FOR THE SPIRIT, NOT THE SPORT
Cat Pizzarello | Lifestyles Assistant Editor
There’s a place in Lane Stadium for everyone, even those who don’t like football.
With football season around the corner, the excitement of Virginia Tech’s first home game day is felt by many, but not all. For those who aren’t seasoned football fans, attending a football game might sound like the worst way to spend a Saturday.
There is more to these games than meets the eye. For those unsure about attending the first football game, here are some tips to make game day memorable.
Show out in school colors
For those who haven’t treated themselves to some Hokie gear, game day is the time to invest in some maroon and orange. Spirit starts with style, and in this case, school colors are everything.
“While I do enjoy watching the actual gameplay, my favorite parts of game day are always getting dressed up in my Tech gear and seeing my friends in Lane Stadium. To me, it’s such a great way to see and experience how real the community is at VT. Everyone has so much joy and so much pride to be here, and you can feel it in full force on game days,” said Abby Heffner, a graduate student at Virginia Tech.
Face paint and temporary tattoos are additional ways to add extra flair to a game day outfit. Coordinate with friends to capture memorable photos and fill the stands with spirit.
Embrace the atmosphere
A Virginia Tech football game is more than timeouts and defensive stops;
tradition is rooted in every aspect. From fan favorite chants to the team’s entrance to Enter Sandman, traditions fill every quiet moment in Lane Stadium.
“I (like everyone else probably) look forward to Enter Sandman the most every game day,” Heffner said.
Online guides explain the top game day practices and chants. During a game, there are also breaks for minigames on the field, including fan favorites such as the Benny’s Pizza “Slice Off,” T-shirt giveaways and special appearances by the HokieBird.
“The game day culture is basically 65,000 people feeding off of each other’s energy,” said Joe Klass, a sophomore and member of the Marching Virginians. “Unless our team is getting absolutely killed, the stadium is always very, very loud and energetic.”
Tailgating is another major pregame tradition for students and their families. Across campus, families, friends and staff host barbecues out of the backs of cars to celebrate Hokie spirit.
Navigating the game without knowing the rules
Football isn’t for everyone. For those unfamiliar with the general rules, it is helpful to familiarize yourself with gameplay, but it isn’t necessary.
“I didn’t really care about the football team at first, but when I started to, it was a lot more fun to go to the games,” Klass said.
Regardless of one’s knowledge of the game, touchdowns are always a highenergy moment that fills the stadium
with commotion. Halftime also keeps fans entertained with performances by the band, colorguard, cheer and dance teams.
“My favorite memory was obviously performing with the marching band during halftime. Our shows were all pretty fun last year,” Klass said.
When in doubt, just follow the crowd. Even if you don’t fully understand the play, it’s perfectly fine to join in the excitement of a win.
No pressure to go the distance
Arriving in Lane Stadium can be tricky. Depending on how much you care about getting a good seat — which can make a big difference — you’ll want to arrive about an hour to an hour and a half before kickoff.
Plenty of fans head out early, so don’t feel pressured to stay until the final whistle. Many students leave after halftime, but that doesn’t stop the excitement.
Taking the spirit home
After the intensity and buzz felt by all on Worsham Field start to fade, the day will gradually resume a normal pace. Plan a casual dinner or a low-key evening to wind down after the often taxing game day schedule.
Keep the spirit alive by sharing your favorite game day moments online. Tag friends, mention Virginia Tech accounts and write a caption that captures the energy of the day.
“More than anything, I recommend
finding a group of friends to join you for the game and talking to as many people as possible. You never know who you’ll meet, and it’s amazing to share your Hokie pride,” Heffner said.
Game day means something different to everyone. Whether you’re a football buff or a first-time attendee, there’s something for all to enjoy. Make game day your own, but remember, at its core, a Virginia Tech football game is more than just the final score; it’s about the community we share as Hokies.
