Autumn Spectacle: Trip Captain At Virginia Tech

A Weekend in Hokie Country

“Hokie, Hokie, Hokie Hi!”

College football is alive and well in

Blacksburg, Virginia. Hokie fans are savvy, knowledgeable and intense. The campus and nearby downtown area offer refuge and comfort to fans seeking the complete college gameday experience. Trip Captain recently headed to Blacksburg to see it for himself – in the process he caught Hokie Pokie fever.

Countdown to kickoff
The 747 sat down with an easy thump at the Roanoke Regional Airport, early on a Friday November morning. Trip Captain had an aisle seat, up front, and was quickly off the plane, to the rental car counter and rolling south on I-81 to Christiansburg.

Getting There
Blacksburg, Virginia, a bustling college town of 40,000, sits in Virginia’s southwest corner, 26 miles from Roanoke, 67 miles from Lynchburg, 119 miles from Charlottesville and 217 miles from Washington D.C. to the northeast; 7 miles from Christiansburg, 167 miles from Richmond and 229 miles from Norfolk, east; 102 miles from Charleston, West Virginia, northwest; 11 miles from Radford, southwest, and 144 miles from Charlotte N.C. and 82 miles from Winston-Salem, N.C., to the south.

Motel space in Blacksburg is limited during gameday weekends, and many fans seek lodging in nearby communities such as Christianburg, Roanoke or Radford.

Cap checked into the Hampton Inn (now the Quality Inn) on Highway 460 behind the Cracker Barrel, dropped his bags in the room, and headed out to get his bearings.

He took 460 to Blacksburg, exited on Southgate Dr., past Lane Stadium, found a parking spot off Main, and strolled onto the Virginia Tech campus.

A beautiful fall afternoon, cool and clear, soft breeze. Down College Ave., past the Squires Student Center, and on west to Drillfield Dr.

There, the Pylons stood above the War Memorial Chapel and overlooked the Drillfield. Across the street, the Torgensen Hall Bridge served as a backdrop.

The Drillfield, a large, open grassy area, was alive with students - throwing balls and Frisbees, engaged in flag football games, turning loose of the week's burdens. Cap sat under the gold and auburn leaves and kicked back.

Fortress-like Burruss Hall stood watch over the Drillfield from the far side. Burruss, a former VaTech president during the early ‘20s, presided during a time of great controversy, resulting in recognition of non-military students, at the University.

The Pylons

Cap noted that Drillfield Dr. encircled the Drillfield, as he pulled himself up from the comfort of the grassy hill, and moved on. He passed Davidson Hall, then Eggleston Hall and Campbell Hall, on south past Cochrane Hall on Washington Street, to Stadium Road, Spring Street, and there it was - Lane Stadium. Instinctively, he fished out his wallet, and there it was - the reason he was here - his “ticket in hand.”

Recently expanded to a capacity of over 65,000, the Stadium is named after Edward M. Lane, class of 1910, and a former member of the Board of Visitors. In 2003, the outside of the stadium read “Home of the Gobblers.”

The success of the Virginia Tech football program is recent. Virginia Tech began football in 1892, and soon joined the South Atlantic Conference, then the Southern Conference. The Hokies became an independent in 1965, and remained an independent until 1991, when they joined the Big East, then entered the Atlantic Coast Conference, beginning with the 2004 season.

Entering 2005, Virginia Tech had finished in the top 25 a total of ten times in their history, and have finished in the top ten a total of three times.

Burruss Hall

Their best year, by far, was 1999, when the Hokies finished No. 2 in the final Associated Press Poll, and No. 3 in the final Coaches Poll. That year, VaTech played for the National Championship in the Sugar Bowl, losing to Florida State.

Virginia Tech has two coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame, Andy Gustafson and Jerry Claiborne.

Throug 2004, Hokie players have claimed one Lombardi, one Outland, one Nagurski, one Sammy Baugh and one Rimington Trophy.

Their two most celebrated individuals are, without question: Michael Vick, former Heisman finalist, and Frank Beamer, current Hokie coach, who is a lock for the College Football Hall of Fame.

The Hokies' colors are Chicago Maroon and Burnt Orange.

Their costumed mascot is the HokieBird – one of the most recognizable mascots in the nation.

Virginia Tech’s music of gameday, played by two bands: the cadet band – the Highty Tighties - and the Marching Virginians, includes: “the VPI Victory March,” “Tech Triumph,” “VT Power Closer” and the “Hokie Pokie.”

The area around the stadium was a beehive of tailgaters - setting up and getting started - looking forward to a full day of fun tomorrow. TC wandered back past the Drillfield as the sun was

Weekend in Hokie Country continued on next page...click here

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“That's the beauty of college football - every place is different...It's all great fun, no matter where you go."
- Craig James,
in "Every Saturday in Autumn"