Any Hokies more experienced with away games know where the hell to tailgate in this damn city. I forget not every school has a defined place like Hokie village and center street.

Does anyone have the recipe for a ho house trash can and what size the mug is

Sincerely, An alum who just wants a trash can 😭

Apologies if creating a new post instead of adding to this one from last week is frowned upon, but I wanted to express my gratitude for all the tips in that thread and for the great hospitality I received on my trip. Here's an extremely long recap of my experience and some random observations:

1. I flew to Richmond Wednesday night and stayed overnight there before hitting the road for Blacksburg Thursday morning. I left early and made brief stops at Appomattox Court House Village for some quick history and Liberty U to check out their football stadium before arriving in town mid-morning.

2. My first stop was Carol Lee Donuts. I don't mean to pander to the home crowd here, but I've only been blown away by donuts twice in my life -- at Gibson's Donuts in Memphis and last Thursday at Carol Lee. I had one regular and one filled, both were spectacular. Great start to the day.

3. Next, I spent about an hour and a half just walking around campus -- something I didn't have time for on my previous trip to Tech (and which helped burn off the donuts). The Hokie Stone look, Drill Field, Torgerson Bridge with the "VT" hedges in front, the memorials to April 16th and the World Wars, the Duck Pond, etc. were all beautiful. In fact, I think the 3 games I attended last weekend (Tech, Duke, and Maryland) combined for the best 3-game stretch of campuses I've visited. I also walked through West End Dining and y'all weren't kidding -- that place is crazy. The dining halls at Florida were just a step above high school cafeterias, but that place was like a sports bar combined with a Wegman's. The reputation seemed well earned.

4. Despite the temptation of West End, I decided to head over to The Cellar for lunch. I sat on the patio in the perfect weather and ordered a calzone that was MASSIVE (only finished half of it), washing it down with a Fightin' Hokies Orange Wheat from Hardywood Brewing

5. After lunch, I walked around downtown a bit before eventually stopping in at Hokie House, where I met a group of guys who worked there when it first opened. After sharing a couple drinks and swapping stories, they headed out to set up their tailgate by the stadium and I moved on to Sharkey's and TOTS, where I ordered a Rail and lived to tell about it. Glad to know my liver is still semi-functional. Also, I love that place. Without really sitting down and thinking about it in depth, it has to be in my top 5-7 college bars I've visited in my travels.

6. From TOTS, I made the walk down towards Center Street just to get a look at it. The closest comparison I can make is that it reminded me of Indian Village at FSU, which is similarly known for its densely packed student debauchery. If I were 15 years younger...

7. I walked from Center Street towards the stadium and dropped by a couple of tailgates people had pointed me towards. All great, welcoming folks. I then made my way up to the Chicken Hill lot and watched the band's "March to Victory." There were some younger kids who had lined up to watch with their parents and I was really impressed by the way the band went out of its way to high-five all the kids. It was a little thing, but definitely made an impression on them.

8. After the March to Victory, I happened to stumble right by the tailgate with the folks I met at Hokie House, who plied me with beer, cigars, grilled wings, etc. Had a great time right up until it was time to head into the stadium.

9. I don't know how you fix it, but the bottleneck leading into the east stands from the Chicken Hill side is pretty terrible. I assume that's something y'all are well aware of, but as a visiting fan anxious to get in to watch the pregame festivities ... that is not well designed.

10. Pregame & Enter Sandman: it still kicks ass. I don't know how else to say it. Truly one of the most electric traditions in all of college football. The flaming parachute landings were also phenomenal.

11. Turnovers make for some interesting college football games. If I'm being totally honest, I was disappointed by how quickly the game got out of hand (prior to turnovers swinging it back in the opposite direction in the 3rd quarter). The hot start was fun to watch, but getting up 21-0 very early in the 2nd quarter kinda took the crowd out of it and taking a 28-0 lead into the half literally took a chunk of the crowd out of the game. While I'm happy for the way it played out for VT, I selfishly would love to see a close game into the 4th to feel that early-game electricity reignite in a tightly contested final quarter. But, hey, I guess I'll just have to come back...

12. One of my stranger quirks is that I'm a Thanksgiving dinner hater. I think Big Turkey has too much influence over our holidays. I think turkey is an inherently inferior meat/poultry product and we've clung to it because (1) tradition reigns and (2) large parts of the country are incapable of smoking a brisket properly. Now with that said ... the turkey legs in Lane Stadium are delightful. I don't know what they do as part of that smoking (and I assume brining) process, but they almost seem like they come from a different species than the birds sold around the holidays. Salute to the Lane Legs.

13. Very late in the game, I made my way over to the end zone near the Corps of Cadets. They seem to have the Lion King jumbotron poses down to a science. Impressive coordination and strength.

14. I had parked my car in the lot behind The Cellar way back at lunchtime, so I walked back that direction from the stadium. However, I did swing by Benny Marzano's just to check it out. The line was too long for me to bother getting a postgame slice, so I got back to the car and headed to my hotel in Roanoke to pass out in preparation for an early drive to Durham Friday morning.

Overall, I had a fantastic time in Blacksburg. I'm still hopeful that one day I'll be able to experience a tight ballgame in Lane Stadium, but I'm glad I got to explore the campus and downtown areas a lot more on this trip. Blacksburg is a great college town with an elite stadium experience, so I hope the Hokies continue to improve and get back to the competitive teams I remember from the Beamer era. College football is just more fun when Tech is winning, especially given the magic of night games in Lane and the quality of Blacksburg as a town. I look forward to coming back.

Anyway, sorry for the obnoxiously long post. Again, my sincere thanks to all of y'all for the tips and the hospitality I was shown, as well as the follow-up messages several people sent asking about my trip. I'm sorry I didn't respond to those sooner, but hopefully this lengthy treatise suffices lol.

One last thing: I've been traveling all around the country for games since 2018, but last season I finally caved to my friends' encouragement and have begun sharing some of my travels publicly. So if you'd like to see pics, videos, etc., I've posted a long "story highlight" to my Instagram page (@cfbtravelguy), plus several Reels from the game. I also post some videos on TikTok (also @cfbtravelguy) and plan to put together lengthier trip reviews -- basically this post, but in video form with some additional commentary and clips from my trip -- on YouTube (@cfbtravelguy) after the season when I've got some spare time.

Feel free to check that stuff out, and if you have questions about other places I've been, don't hesitate to ask.

Thanks again!

Hey guys!

I’ve been working on a personal project and I’d be really grateful if you could check it out and let me know what you think! The site lets you see grade distributions for each class at VT and browse professor ratings.

With course request due in the next week, I hope this tool can make it a bit easier for you to choose your classes! It took a lot of time and effort to build, so any feedback or suggestions would mean a lot to me.

Thanks so much for your time, and I hope it helps!

https://odyadvisor.com/vt

https://youtu.be/JlKcOMJMSiw?si=4EssTz6gB0BcZhJC

I am currently in search of getting a landscaping job nearby, if anyone could suggest any reccomendations or companies you have worked for that would be greatly appreciated.

Hello Hokies,

I'm a Florida-based guy who travels all around the country to watch CFB games and take in each school's unique way of experiencing the best sport on the planet. I'm heading to Blacksburg on Thursday to check out the game against Boston College, my second visit to VT.

I typically compile a pretty in-depth list of things to do around town, places to eat & drink, and info about the gameday experience, but if there are any dive bars or breweries, beloved campus-area institutions (bars & restaurants), or gameday traditions that you feel are can't-miss experiences, I would love to hear about them and make sure I don't overlook them.

Essentially, my goal is to cram as much of the VT college experience into one day as I can, so whatever you think may help me accomplish that, feel free to douse me in nostalgia of the places you loved during your time on campus.

I'm pumped to get back to Lane Stadium, explore campus a bit more, and experience the tailgating* and in-game atmosphere for a night kickoff. I know the season hasn't been ideal so far (and as a Florida alum, I'm happy to proclaim that y'all got robbed against Miami), but hopefully the Thursday night magic will lead to a loud and raucous environment.

Anyway, sorry for the long post. I look forward to hearing any tips y'all may have!

*On my last visit, I didn't get to Blacksburg until ~5pm, so I missed most of the tailgating, but I understand Center Street is the place to check out. Is that still accurate?

Visiting Blacksburg for the first time, from Clemson, and hoping to get some knowledgable advice on where to stay. Hotels and Airbnb in Blacksburg are, expectedly so, high for home football. Nearest Airbnbs, cabins, lodges, etc. that we've found that we would want to pay for are our around Pearisburg or Floyd. Would really like to try to be in Blacksburg and get to experience and see what it's all about. Have heard good things 12+ years ago during my college years from friends who had been up for Ag school events/competitions. We sold our travel trailer last year but thinking we may rent one to stay in an RV lot so we can be in town.

Looking at VT websites and info, seems there's the Duck Pond Lot (appears sold out), the Student Remote Lot (looks like a decent hike around the airport), the VT/Montgomery Executive Airport (assuming this must be near the student remote lot?), and the Inn at VT (most expensive of the options). I will put in some calls to the university, Inn, and Airport as well obviously to verify availability and reserve, but wanting some knowledgeable advice if possible.

Just the wife and I in our 30s so not concerned about us being loud or obnoxious visiting Clemson fans throwing a wrench into tailgating, or not having hookups. Any of these have specific restrictions on RV class, travel trailer size, etc.? Would rather bring travel trailer if they're not restricted so we'd still have my truck to get around town if there aren't restrictions on RV class. Any of them head and shoulders better above the rest?

Thanks in advance for the advice!

Who are you picking to win this game and by how many points?

Why do you think VT ended up opting for Fuente, when Kirby Smart was allegedly interested in taking the VT job as Beamer retired? Likewise, why do you think we went with Pry over Chadwell?

Got into VT because a friend of mine is an alumni from the school and obsessed with the team, and his enthusiasm got me into the team, there's no team quite like VT. I work in the US over the summer so managed to get to a game two years ago and also see the dub against Marshall on Saturday!

My wife and I travelled from Canada (Gatineau, specifically) down to Blacksburg this weekend to see the Hokies defeat Marshall. Neither one of us had ever watched a VT football game, or any college football game, for that matter. We chose VT for one reason: Metallica. (I am a huge fan).

Well, you have a couple of new Hokie fans up in Canada now.

We have both seen the entrance on Youtube, but to experience it live, and to feel the stadium shaking (which was an issue for my wife as she is scared of heights) is literally breathtaking.

Thank you to the people in the seats next to us (section 131, row NNN, seats 7-10 I think) for being super friendly.

I spent way, way too much money in the Hokie Shop, but that's OK.

This is the start of the entrance. I stopped filming because I wanted to experience it live, not through my phone. (Anyone with a full video of the entrance from the stands, I would appreciate a copy)

https://youtube.com/shorts/8tgkekGHV6Y

Im visiting my brother who goes to VT and I am trying to go see the Clemson game. Me and my friend wanted to sit in the student section, is it possible for a student to sell us tickets for the one game?

Calling all west coast Hokies... We have a group going to the football game looking to tailgate with other VT fans. Saw one tailgate that was set up, but it's sold out already.

Is there anything else going on? A specific lot where there will be a group parked up at?

Thanks in advance!

Hey Hokie fans! Looking forward to making the trip to Blacksburg this weekend to see my Herd take on VT. I saw a ton of different options on the athletics website for gameday parking, but I was checking in to see if any experts had some pro tips/suggestions for a visiting fan.

Thanks a ton in advance for any advice!

That is all.

Didn’t see one so let’s roll!

If the screen pass is our offensive identity.. Gonna be a real long season.... And the hype will be the climax of this season.....

(previous post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/hokies/comments/1bj3mxa/newbie\_questions\_for\_vt\_football\_september\_7th/)

I have my tickets (E131), and we are looking forward to the game! Flying in (from Canada) to Roanoke on friday night, leaving back home on sunday.

Now, given that I don't drink and she doesn't either, what are some interesting things we can do on Saturday morning before the game in/around the stadium before the game?