CFB 26 trailer pic.twitter.com/0DpmJwUXCu— Is EA Sports College Football 26 Out (@IsItOutEa) May 29, 2025
Enter Sandman. It's in the game. #ThisIsHome | #TeamOverMe | @Metallica pic.twitter.com/TY2JXU2Lhz— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) May 29, 2025
Welp, guess I'm buying it again this year
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I'm pretty sure I hear my voice in the fan portion of the song. When get I expect my royalty check?
Lol. I remember on one of the old PS2 NCAA Football games, the "Go, Gators" song that was in the game was so pathetic. That "Go Gators" cheer part sounded like three guys standing together in a cement bathroom. I think they updated it a few years later to sound more like a real crowd.
I'd be mad if I was in the VT athletic dept. Barely used VT with Enter Sandman in the trailer.
Given the past few years, just appearing in the trailer feels like a miracle.
And it's not like the Athletic Department has any say in a trailer for a video game.
I mean it's not like we own the song
Anyone buying the game knows why the song is there. And sometimes not needing to advertise is the best advertisement.
Mannn we bout to get big dawg'd by LSU in virtual games too smh. #itsinthegame
Holding out hope for the day we put a product on the field that matches the passion and environment our fans inspire.
Game looks fantastic
I picked up on that and was happy that we even had a hat on the table!
We got a lot more visibility in that trailer than we deserve tbh.
And I agree with your sentiment about the product on the field. Enter Sandman is actually embarrassing for Tech right now. We're a novelty. A carnival act. Once those few minutes are over, we're utterly forgettable. The best part of the game happens before the opening whistle. Even our students know it.
This was true the final 3 or 4 years under Beamer as well. Not exactly a new development
No, probably not, but the shine was still on back then, and folks were blinded. It's painfully obvious now.
Not to be contrary, but the shine was gone in Beam's late years.
our team is mid but Enter Sandman is the opposite of an embarrassment. It's an iconic college football tradition. It's a reason we are still somewhat relevant.
"It's an iconic college football tradition"- I wouldn't go quite that far. It's not the Iron Bowl, OSU Michigan, the Rose Bowl, etc.
Hot take - VT's Entrance is more relevant in the modern CFB landscape than the Rose Bowl (which is just a random playoff game most years).
That's a hard no. Why? People outside of NOVA, Blacksburg, DMV know what the Rose Bowl is. If I asked random people on the street here in phoenix- what is the rose bowl vs. what is virginia tech football entrance song... the results would be laughable. Nobody outside of the ACC/DMV footprint gives a fuck or knows what enter sandman is in terms of VT football. Every B1G/Big 12/WAC etc football fan and most casuals know what the rose bowl is. The parade is higher rated than any VT game. Not even close.
Any college football fan does. Just like I know that Tennessee runs through the power T, OSU dots the i, clemson rubs a rock, Texas Tech throws tortillas, etc.
What's a random person going to say about the rose bowl? That it's a stadium in the greater LA area? That it's a site for a playoff game, that will probably, but not definitely, be played on New Years days in most years but not all years? That it used to be a match up between the B10 champion and the champion of the now defunct PAC? Will these casuals even know that PAC no longer exists?
The Rose Bowl has been reduced to a sunset and one of 7 (soon to be more) playoff games any given year. It will never again be the institution it once was. Two decades ago, there was bluster from the B10 that their champion would skip a national title to play in the Rose Bowl. That is laughable now.
Our football program is in dire straights. Casuals probably don't know anything about VT. But every college football fan knows what our entrance is.
This is a NY sports fan take. The only thing that matters is what they THINK matters. They think that only the SEC plays college football. They think MSG- which hasn't hosted a pro championship in decades- is the best arena in the world. They think that everyone else cares about mets/yankees. VT fans THINK every college football fan knows what VT's entrance is. I tell you what... I'm going to a couple ASU tailgates this year. I bet I could walk around an hour and ask people- college football fans by definition- and I won't get a right answer unless its a VT transplant. I'd bet 90% of ASU football fans have no clue what VT runs on the field to.
Report back!
I'd be curious if those individuals know any teams' entrances? If you have an opinion on which team has the best entrance in college football, you know what VT's is. If you don't know/don't care that some cfb teams have a very traditional entrance then you probably don't know about VT.
It is the best entrance in football. No doubt. That's different than people not close to VT or the ACC associating it/knowing it. I get asked what a hokie is out here all the time. VT is a non factor out here.
Do you respond by saying, "I am"?
I look them straight in the eye and say, "An anthropomorphic turkey-like beast."
Best response I've given for "What the heck is a Hokie?": A blemish on a perfect season. I got to use that one on a bunch of WVU fans at work after the 2005 season and a Buckeye at work after the 2014 season. I wish I could've used that one a little more recently.
Dang, that is good. I like your work.
I know that the Rose Bowl was once played in Durham. /s
You mean the parade on New Years right? Oh there is football associated with it?
That's the embarrassing part. We're a football team that's not relevant for football.
Agreed probably more than VT deserves based on football performance, but based on the number of VT fans EA wants to buy their videogame? Hopefully continuing to be included in media like this is an indication the VT fan base is still valuable.
It's a real thing. The combination of VT and that song always makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
It is as it should be.
And some nitwit will still write an article and claim that running down a hill (or some other idiocy) is a better entrance.
They also touch a rock which makes it totally badass and the best entrance ever /s
They also have to drive half-way around the stadium. That's a lot to remember in the chorography.
Wait, we do that too...
Yeah but our rock is up high and not at junk height.
And not named after some dude, it's our stone!
And it didn't used to be a doorstop.
We made it into the video at 3 separate times... I thought it was going to be nonexistent when i read the comments
And I just watched with sound... this is literally a VT video...
The other teams were just a compilation of cameo appearances.
4...I'm pretty convinced the crowd at the end of the trailer is from Lane Stadium
I don't even play video games, but that EA trailer got me hypppee
Still bummed it's not getting released on PC. Oh well, I don't need to waste the time anyways.
Now that Sandman is in the game it's time to get an EA College Hoops
Enter sandman on Billboard Charts
That's just outstanding. I wonder how much has to do with the song playing on the Metallica channel after playing at Lane and being on the preview for College football game video.
Shane Gillis was on Joe Rogan recently and they actually started watching VT enter sandman videos and getting hyped. Shane mentions that the VT Miami video was best cfb moment and they talk about the recent metallica concert... starts at the 3:01:00 mark
Full episode link but skip to 3:01:00
While they're showing our video Shane said "they're about to watch some mediocre football"
Man the truth does hurt
Imagine how you'd feel without sandman entrance. It's literally the only thing we have right now giving us a pulse.
was both painful and endearing at the same time ... essentially a "these fans are amazing even though their team sucks right now"
I'd have liked it better if he'd just shut up and let me enjoy the moment.
What are everyone's thoughts on schools getting paid more based on how often their team is played?
I'm not sure if I'm in favor of this or not. My current play through I am building a Dynasty at Temple. Not sure if I would do that if they get extra money for every game I play using them.
For context:
https://www.si.com/college-football/ea-sports-pay-schools-based-game-usa...
I think it makes sense for there to be a minimum payment to be included and then a royalty share for usage rates. It truly is a merit based payment system.
Time to set up a VT bot network!
takes me back to winning the VS concert back when I was in bburg with tons of tabs open voting for VT.
this is great
Definitely a nice touch having the VT hands in the game
Really should have had someone making them backwards for authenticity.
Please tell me we won.....
The announcers were like "#3 Miami vs" and I waited for "number X Virginia Tech". Then they kicked me right in the Sandbag.
Beautiful. Next year we are getting the Johnny Cash estate also looped into EA sports so we can get God's going to cut you down, right?
A drone show added to the entrance would be pretty epic
Nah.
We need a Black Out night game. Black uniforms with fans wearing black. LED lights making their debut by suspiciously "flickering" periodically during the walk to the tunnel and the "Let's Go" chant. Followed by a brief pause where they go out completely and Enter Sandman starts. Thus triggering the lights to begin a pre-programmed flash/strobe/etc to the beat of the song while the stadium jumps. Then reaching the climax where the players rush the field triggering the tunnel pyro and fireworks.
10/10. Would lose my mind.
I might be in the minority, but lets redeam those black and orange uniforms from (winces) a decade ago.
I would love it if those were the official once a year Blackout uniforms for a decade or so. Small redesign every 5 years, but keep the futuristic and technical theme.
Which ones?
This:
Or this:
Cause quite frankly, I'm not sure which one being a decade ago makes you wince more.
The Boise State Pro Combat uniforms. I liked them and we only ever wore them once.
Ahh
yeah that one was 15 years ago.
The other one was worn 10 years ago for Beamer's last game
👴🏻
The top, the Boise St game Tyrod era one. I also love the white Nike Vapor or something that we wore circa Ryan Williams
They're both good, but the Boise State Pro Combat ones were FIRE.
So - I just started playing CFB 25 (Late to the game I know, but my son just got an Xbox this summer)
I'm really hoping that with CFB 26 they have fixed the difficulty jump when you go from Freshman to Varsity. Playing at the Freshman level, I'm beating teams 90-0, and the next level up on Varsity, I can't stop freaking ODU from running the score up on me.
Just not fun on either difficulty.
Very Fuente of you
I've played both 25 and 26, but generally at an All-American or Heisman level against the computer. I'd recommend giving these strategies a try:
They seem to program the game to swing heavily on big plays. Momentum is definitely programmed in. So minimize turnovers and their big plays and you'll slowly gain control and start popping big plays yourself.
See my recommendation on defense would be the opposite - when I bring 4 and play zone the opposing qbs complete 100% of their passes and they run it down my throat. I swap into man blitzes 95% of the time and get stops most drives (while also giving up the odd 80 yard td on 3rd and 17)
Interesting! I'm guaranteed to give up a touchdown anytime I call mostly man coverage.
In my experience playing zone and mixing between Quarters, Cover 4 Palms. Cover 3 Sky and Buzz Mable, and Cover 6 has worked really well. Cover 4 is a great 1st and 10 call. Great against run plays and can handle most passing plays so that at worst they get a short completion. Cover 3 variants are mostly for clearly passing situations. Cover 6 is good for medium/shorter passing situations. Occasionally I sprinkle in cover 2 variants as a changeup and cover 2 man is frequently my 3rd and very long call.
I do blitz in maybe 20 % of zone plays? I think this helps mitigate the run game. And I'm probably calling a man blitz about 10 % of the time mostly for clear running situations, as a changeup, or because it's clear the CPU team's QB and pass blocking are atrocious.
I typically end up with QBs getting a high completion percentage (70 % - 80 %), but not a lot of useful yardage.
There is a video some where on how to play cover 4 in CFB 25 and its based on Sabans defense and you basically pick a safety and read one guy and you then have either your assignment or a free player to wreck havoc. My first gane on hiesman playing it I only allowed 1 TD and that was 100% I didn't make the right read.
If you don't want to go find that video then just remember to make cover 2 look like cover 3 and vice versa. It really messes with the computer