Virginia Football Welcomes Fans to Scott Stadium After Near Two Year Hiatus

The last time Virginia football played a game in front of a max capacity crowd at Scott Stadium was on November 29, 2019, when the Cavaliers defeated Virginia Tech in the Commonwealth Clash and a large portion of that crowd emptied onto the field to celebrate.

The entire 2020 college football season was played with little to no fans in the stands and the UVA faithful were forced to cheer on the Hoos from home. Now, Virginia fans are very eager to get back into Scott Stadium to support the Cavaliers in person.

On Saturday night in the 2021 season opener against William & Mary, those fans will finally get their chance to ‘Rock Scott’ once again.

It would seem that the UVA football program is just as excited to welcome the fans back into the stadium, announcing a number of changes in the Scott Stadium gameday experience, including a “4th Side” sign at the top of the hill.

Welcome Back🔶⚔️🔷 pic.twitter.com/BfogqzhWFr
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) September 3, 2021

Scott Stadium is ready for gameday.

‘Hoo else is ready? pic.twitter.com/Pqy6W8kffb
— Preston Willett (@PrestonWillett) September 2, 2021

Saturday’s game against William & Mary is also officially an ‘orange out’ and fans are encouraged to wear orange to match the team’s uniforms for the game.

🔶 Week 1 Uniform Combo! 🔶#GoHoos | #THEStandard pic.twitter.com/2kff6A8904
— Virginia Football (@UVAFootball) September 2, 2021

Coach @Coach2J of @uvafootball has a question!
🚨 🔶ORANGE OUT🔶 🚨
🔶⚔️🔷 #GoHoos | #THEStandard pic.twitter.com/O6Ha8TrvbK
— Virginia Cavaliers (@VirginiaSports) September 2, 2021

Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall noted in a press conference this week that the players are sharing in that excitement about having fans back in the building.

“They’re just thrilled that there’s a possibility that fans will be in Scott Stadium and our 4th side will be present,” Mendenhall said. “I think that might be the thing they’re looking forward to most.”

Virginia has been dominant at home in recent years, holding a 17-2 record at home since 2018 and losing just one home game in the last two seasons. That trend has not gone unnoticed by Mendenhall.

“It’s been part of the design and emphasis of the program,” Mendenhall said. “I don’t think that you can build championship-caliber teams and nationally-prominent teams without being exceptional at home.”

Virginia has a slate of seven home games this season, including games against Notre Dame and Virginia Tech at Scott Stadium. As Bronco Mendenhall has said time and time again, the 4th side will play a crucial role in giving the Hoos a real home field advantage this season. That tradition will continue on Saturday.

“I hope that people can unite and celebrate and enjoy rooting for their team and keep all the same traditions and bring all those back that they’ve always had,” said Mendenhall. “Do fans matter? Absolutely. Does our 4th side influence the game? Absolutely.”