BLACKSBURG, Va. – It’s expected to be a full house at Lane Stadium for Virginia Tech’s football game against Marshall at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.
About 65,632 people will be cheering on the Hokies this weekend for its first home game this season.
“We’re looking forward to having all the fans come out again because there’s no special place than Lane Stadium on game day. We’re looking forward to having all the fans come out and cheer on the Hokies for a great season,” said University Spokesperson Mark Owczarski.
There are some big changes fans can expect too.
At Lane Stadium, they’ve renumbered the sections and seats. They previously had odd seats on one side and even on the other. Now, it’s in sequential order. The university did this to improve fans navigating their seats on game day.
They also have new merchandise that you can buy.
“Now, we’ve got Metallica shirts and caps that you can buy co-branded with Virginia Tech. Ask any game-day fan what’s the best entrance for any college football team, and they’ll say, ‘Enter Sandman,’ and so this year, we’ve entered into an agreement with Metallica. So you can not only jump to your heart’s content, but you can wear all the gear for Metallica and for Virginia Tech. We’re looking forward to rolling that out this week,” said Owczarski.
While Virginia Tech didn’t win its first away game of the season against Vanderbilt, students are still hopeful and looking forward to Saturday.
“I’m hoping that we can make a comeback and it’s gonna be good,” said junior Suzanna Long.
Other students are eager to see them play.
“I’m very excited. I’m a transfer from Northern Virginia Community College. This is my first game, so I’m very excited,” said Sophomore Landon Taylor.
Owczarski said nothing beats Game Day in Blacksburg like the tailgating, the friendships and the enthusiasm they have for the team.
“When the game starts and you play ‘Enter Sandman,’ this entire stadium is shaking and rattling because everybody is on their feet and jumping and it’s one of those experiences that true sports fans can never ever forget, and our fans demonstrate that for every game home or road. And so we’re really excited to get the season going here at Lane where we’re confident that we’re gonna have a win and will be able to cheer on our Hokies full force,” said Owczarski.