College Football Tour visits Virginia Tech and Lane Stadium
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Editor's Note: Are you headed to Blacksburg for Wake's first road game of the season? Here's what to expect from a game day experience at Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium. Andrew Bauhs of College Football Tour is a college football superfan. He is on a journey to attend a game at all 136 FBS stadiums. He desires to have an immersive experience so he can tell the stories of the traditions, rivalries, mascots, bands, and fans that make each venue unique.
Also, at the beginning of the football season, Andrew, along with Road to CFB's Brett Gibbons, ranked all 17 ACC schools' game day experiences. They ranked Virginia Tech as the best experience in the conference.
College Football Tour visits Virginia Tech and Lane Stadium
Lane Stadium rests in southwest Virginia and rises high into the Blue Ridge Mountain air. There are few places more welcoming than Blacksburg, where a spirited fan base spills over with pride for their Hokies. However, a welcoming group of fans doesn’t dilute the intimidation that courses through Lane Stadium. Passion pulsates throughout gameday, making Virginia Tech one of the best atmospheres in college football.
Pregame fanfare begins with the Hokie Walk. Virginia Tech enthusiasts line up ready to welcome their Hokies into Lane Stadium. Led by the Virginia Tech Regimental Band (The Highty Tighties), the cheerleading squad, and the Hokie Bird, everyone gets an opportunity to witness the gameday atmosphere up close. The entire experience elevates the anticipation meter.
Once inside Lane Stadium, be ready to participate in one of the most thrilling entrances in college football. "Enter Sandman" is turned up, and the Hokies turn it out. As this Metallica classic blasts, the bounce begins. Every orange-and-maroon clad fan jumps in unison shaking the structure as Virginia Tech emerges from the tunnel. The hype is palpable. Few places can match this level of pregame intensity.
After spending some time on campus, you might begin to wonder, “What exactly is a Hokie?” It originated as an imaginative term from a spirit cheer written in the late 19th century entitled "Old Hokie." Over time, it has come to simply mean, “a loyal Virginia Tech fan.” But, before they were officially the Hokies, Virginia Tech was known as the Gobblers. Their representatives on the sideline included live turkeys trained to do stunts. In 1962, a turkey mascot was designed, but eventually, the Gobbler name lost popularity. The Hokie name was later revived from that old spirit cheer, and in the 1980s, the HokieBird emerged and has become a symbol of power and strength ever since.
Nothing quite embodies the strength and unity of Virginia Tech fans much like the War Memorial Chapel and the April 16 Memorial. Both are located near each other around the expansive Drillfield, and each tribute remembers Hokies lost. Outside the War Memorial Chapel, eight pylons inscribed with the names of Virginia Tech alumni who died during military service rise. The April 16 Memorial honors the 32 lives lost during the tragic shooting that shocked the nation. Both are breathtaking tributes, and both symbolize the extraordinary solidarity at Virginia Tech.
A remarkable spirit is carried through each Hokie and is evident in the fans that swarm into Lane Stadium on gameday. There is perfect blend of intensity and togetherness which is rather difficult to put into words - perhaps that it why a new term had to be penned in order to define the Virginia Tech faithful - "Hokie."
🌟COLLEGE FOOTBALL🌟
— ᴀɴᴅʀᴇᴡ’ꜱ ᴄᴏʟʟᴇɢᴇ ꜰᴏᴏᴛʙᴀʟʟ ᴛᴏᴜʀ (@college_fb_tour) August 17, 2025
TRADITIONS
🦃VIRGINIA TECH🦃
“Enter Sandman Entrance”
#Hokies #CFTtraditions pic.twitter.com/vNkkGRRRwZ
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Andrew runs College Football Tour, which documents his journey to thoroughly experience gameday at every FBS stadium. A graduate and fan of the University of Wisconsin, his visit to Wake Forest was a favorite along the college football landscape.