I can confirm a report from Bruce Feldman that Virginia Tech will play Tennessee at Bristol Motor Speedway, The Last Great Colosseum, in 2016. Because of the night race the weekend before Labor Day Weekend, don't expect the game to be Labor Day, rather the second weekend of the season.
Because of their media rights, expect Tennessee to be listed as the home team to assist with better access to a broadcast window through the SEC deal(s).
If the scoring pylon is removed, and the football field is setup right in the middle of the infield of the track, then they can add bleachers right around the field and then fill the Bristol Motor Speedway bowl, which seats approximately 160,000. The potential is there to shatter Michigan's attendance record.
Big news! What does everyone think?
Comments
I know I'll be there. I'll give Weaver credit, our next 10 years of OOC games look like a lot of fun.
Same here. Battle in the bullring between our real cousins.
There best be monster trucks, daisy duke shorts and lots and lots of cold ones
I plan on being there, so there will be at least one pair of daisy dukes.
Screw it, leave the scoring pylon there and play around it.
No but seriously.... this is going to be nuckin futs.
No, but seriously...leave the scoring pylon. I liked where that was going.
Hell...go all the way and run a Sprint Cup race simultaneously with the game.
I'm excited! Definitely going to be there!
Only one way to make this better.
Play the game during the race.
HOLY SHIT! FINALLY! THE BATTLE OF BRISTOL! TEN MINUTES AWAY FROM MY HOUSE! I'M SO EXCITED! SORRY FOR THE CAPS LOCK! I JUST CAN'T. FINALLY!
Holy crap this day...
Tennessee fans are already starting crap on facebook.
TAILGATING AT HOKEGIRL'S HOUSE!!!!!!
I second this motion
There is so much open space around BMS for NASCAR camping/RV parking that tailgating is going to be INSANE for this game.
TO A THOUSAND YOU GO!
Can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday away from lane than shirtless pounding beers watching the hokies kick ass at a nascar track.
I'M GOING TO BE WATCHING DAYS OF THUNDER AND BILLDOZER HIGHLIGHT VIDEOS UNTIL THEN PAWWWWL
ALSO, EVERYONE WOULD BE SMART TO BUY STOCK IN CHEAP BEER COMPANIES THE WEEK BEFORE THAT GAME
30 minutes from my house in Glade Spring. YES
Good, you're near the tri-cities, you should know why I'm so pumped. Haha.
Haha graduate of PHHS! Been waiting on this forever
I graduated from John Battle! Haha. It's going to be awesome!
What year? I just graduated last year
2011! I was at King College but now I'm at Highlands doing Occupational Therapy.
Ok! Im at ETSU right now, but hopefully will be at Tech soon.
Know any Brattons?
I have been waiting for this for so long. I am gettin enough tickets for my whole volunteer family so I can sit right in the middle of them. Oh happy day!!
That's a ton of people. I better start saving some money now.
This is awesome. And we should be fielding a pretty Damn good team that year so I fully expect a win. I will be there!
Look at their stupidity... "For the record, this will not turn into a rivalry. We are too good for them. We will destroy them. Hurd and Co. will be juniors."
I hate them! You guys just don't even know how happy I am. Bristol will be a mad house.
"Once I knew a girl on Hokie Top who moved into town with a sneer. I asked her why she was such a sourpuss, said she was a volunteer"
This song is awesome. +1
37-14?
I know this gets posted on here a lot, but in my honest opinion this is the most relevant use yet:
Don't care where I am at that point in time, I will be in Bristol on that day.
pfft, probably gonna be a nooner.
Bring back Lane Kiffin. Guaranteed W.
2016: #VT4SEC begins in earnest.
I just can't imagine 160,000. Like oh my gosh. We have to BMS filled up for Enter Sandman. If I know anything, Tennessee fans are really obnoxious and I want to be hearing us over them singing Rocky Top over and over.
I know...I live about ten minutes from the track, and work with an office full of Vol fans. I have never heard so much trash talkin' in my life. Makes me sick!!! The only thing worse is hearing that God forsaken Rocky Top every 10 minutes.
Is is just me or what, but I get so "jacked up" when Metallica comes on I just wanna choke slam somebody...lol. I dont see how in the world they could even get pumped up at all to Rocky Top. I must be missing something here.
My reaction:
Then:
Five minutes later:
Even with a capacity of 160,000 tickets will still be hard to get. This is going to be sick.
I HATE TENNESSEE! I hope we beat the puke orange outta them!
I'm so happy, I could buzz the tower!
perfect use.
Just bought bourbon and cigars to age
Anyone know where I can get a Lane Kiffen mask?
i better be allowed to bring my cooler full of beer in for this game
I just karaoke chopped my office desk in half! Hokies vs Smokies! wooo!
Karaoke Chops are the Best Chops
LOL i would edit that out but its too awesome to correct!
Hokies vs Smokies... turkey leg for that one!
Don't deny my pussy karakoe chops.
Now I'm torn. Take my son to his first game at Lane or hold out for Bristol? DECISIONS
lolwut?
as in take the kid to Lane and then the Big 'Un at Bristol!
for his first game? how can he have his first game at lane and then his first game in Bristol...unless you have a time machine that ain't happenin'
Who says I don't?
He could tell you, but then he'd have to kill your great-great-great grandpappy.
Largest attendance at a football game EVER!?! Choose that.
This is awesome news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Game On!
Question, does Beamer and Co. know how much of a rivalry this in Bristol? They'd have to now, but I know a lot people going eastern in VA don't know.
I definitely don't know. Many that I follow on twitter loathe Tennessee and I've never understood why. I've never really interacted with Tennessee fans. I am ready to find out.
The reason it exists in Bristol is because it's right on the Virginia/Tennessee line and you can make it to Knoxville in an hour an half or Blacksburg in a little over the same either going north or south on I-81. Being so close to either school it just got crazy. The VT fans are a little outnumbered but a lot of the UT fans still around are super obnoxious, trashy, redneck more than anyone could be in SWVA or NETN and still on their 1998 National Championship high.
One of my really good friends was from Bristol. If a kid didn't get into UT they went to ETSU (which apparently happens a lot). The few smart ones make their way up 81N to Blacksburg (or become Hokie fans).
The UT Vols have always struck me as a natural rivalry for us. We haven't played them in the regular season since 1937!
All Hokie fans in SWVA have, at one time or another, had to deal with obnoxious Vols fans. No offense to the Hokies in NOVA, but there are A LOT of UT fans in Southwest VA. Even when we beat them a few years back their fans still would not admit that we were better.
This could be a HUGE recruiting tool: Come and play in front of the biggest crowd in college football history. <-- I like the sound of that.
My sources tell me this game sold out yesterday. I cannot wait to be there!
GAME DAY BONER AND ITS 3 YEARS AWAY. BEAT TENNESSEE BABYYYYYY
I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS GAME IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING!!! Especially after hearing every reason why it wouldn't over the past decade
So does this mean Weaver did something right?
It means Bruton did something right!
It'll probably be a noon game
It should be in the contract. ;)
Well. Time to take over Tennessee recruiting by giving UT a good ole fashioned Beatdown.
instead of the woodshed, we can take them behind the third turn.
I live in Madison Wisconsin and there is no way in hell I'm missing this. We'll hit 160k with room to spare.
room to spare... o.O
Poor phrasing I'll admit. I meant we would easily hit 160k and we could sell more if there was room for more.
160K is like Neyland + Lane.......
Was at a bar in the hotel with my dad at the 09 Chick Fil a Bowl and this Tennessee fan started trash talking with me. I have a big mouth so I couldn't resist so he asked me "What's a Hokie anyways?". I replied with the whole background story behind where "Hokie" came from and I proceeded to ask him "What's a Volunteer?". The UT fan replied "They were people who volunteered to fight in the Civil War, you know, back in the Andrew Jackson days."
Cant wait to interact with more Tennessee morons at Bristol. Go Hokies!
awww man...you shoulda used my sig!!!
Supernice! In 2016, VT plays at Notre Dame and in Bristol. That is a freaking awesome OOC.
2017 and 2018 are still wide open for a major opponent. Hopefully, it'll rival the greatness of 2016.
I would crawl naked across a desert covered in broken glass to listen to this game on a broken walkie-talkie.
Finally. Thank you millionaire Tennessee business dude whose name escapes me at this point. A football game at Bristol Motor Speedway. If the top scientists of the world were tasked with creating the ultimate redneck dream...this would be it.
two words, HELL YEAH i will be there!!!!!!!!!
This needs to be a game under the lights. The race in August under the lights is a "bucket list" must see. Tailgating will be awesome with all the parking lots and campgrounds that surround the " last great colosseum". Bruton Smith, the owner of the Speedway will go all out (or in ) to make this a 1st class event. I live in Virginia and work in Tennessee and Bristol will be nuts.
Please be a night game!!!!!!
YES! Best post yet!
Here's a question: do they take down that score pedestal in the middle for the game? Or do they place the field off-center of it, towards one of the curves?
I know for the longest time, many have thought that pedestal would prohibit the use of this venue for the game we've all dreamed about.
They're taking it out.
I just read in the Kingsport Times today an article about this game. Bruton said he will "level the whole place" to make this game happen. He said any building in the infield that is in the way would be removed if need be!!!! Awesome!!!!!! Biggest game ever played!!! They are calling it the moonshine bowl down here....lol
I don't know anything about this guy, but saying things like this make me happy.
He owns several of the NASCAR tracks.........so money isnt an concern with this guy. He offered $20 million to both of these teams 5 or 6 years ago to try to make this happen. Of course UT wouldnt give up a home game to play us. Maybe they were just scared!!! lol
I like his style. No doubt he has a plan to make some serious money off this.
I have a massive erection right now.
I am starting "Uniform Watch" for this one and calling for #ALLMAROONEVERYTHING (except of course for the yellow Penzoil patch on the left chest)!
They always try to get people to volunteer at the racetrack for the races and different things they have there... I can tell you right now, not a single person from Bristol will want to volunteer (no pun intended).
Coach Beamer was the Grand Marshall at Bristol a few years back and played in a charity golf tournament at the Virginian Golf course in Bristol this year, along with Steve Johnson, former Hokie and Cowboy player. Johnson is developing the Bass Pro shop complex in Bristol, Tn and Bristol, Va is developing a Cabella's shopping complex five miles away. Cities work well together, but competing big time with these shopping centers to be finished in 2014. This game will be like the Civil War revisited for Bristol!
I live right next door to the Virginian basically. Goodness, we complain about the exit 7 traffic now, can you imagine the traffic that weekend? With the stores finally opening a football game at BMS...
If this game is on a Saturday, I would expect Bristol and Bruton Smith to try to get the fans here on Friday with a major concert or some other event at the speedway. Get those RVs and campgrounds ready!
I seriously want to rent an RV just to get the whole NASCAR experience without going to race! Haha.
My friends and I are doing this!! LOL I can't freakin wait.
Maybe we get Hand now?
THIIIS please!!!
AND Nnadi!!
SENIOR YEAR. never been more pumped. first time i will every say thank you Weaver!
It will be my senior year as well. Not to mention we play in South Bend that same year too. It's looking like a helluva year!
Y'all are lucky. You get @OSU, home against OSU, UT at Bristol, ND @ South Bend before you graduate. All I got was Boise and Bama this year. Enjoy every damn minute of it.
I got 2-81-1 as a freshman, and graduated before either Vick.
Doesn't make this future schedule any less enjoyable. This is going to be a fun ride.
It sure will. With no expenses out of college I don't care where I live, I'm finding a way to get to every one of these OOC games.
So does this mean our players have to drink Sunoco racing fuel instead of Gatorade?
Only one thing makes this better - METALLICA LIVE! + Hokie Neutral Site Win!
YESSSSS!!!! Can they rehire Kiffin to guarantee our victory? Seriously though. I WILL be there.
I'M ALREADY PREGAMING
BUD
So pumped!
I'm in the Navy, but havnt received my orders yet. Looks like Im gonna have to request to be stationed in Norfolk just so I can have the possiblity of going to this game! GO HOKIES!
HokieGirl you must be stoked! I know all you do is rant about how much you hate Tennessee and your in the tri-cities....PS Hokie girl do you know Melissa Hipolit? She is a news anchor there and my best friends older sister
I am really stoked! Before I even knew the rules football I was arguing with Tennessee fans! Haha. Hmmm. The name sounds familiar!
I'm pretty excited though, my mom knows some people who are pretty highly involved at BMS. If I find out anything interesting, I'll let you all know!
im sure many of you have heard rumors of this for awhile i first heard of ideas of this game being played a few years ago but thought itd never happen. im so pumped and know ill be there
I feel like Beamer can just walk up to any recruit now in his Miami Vice spring game suit with shades pulled low and be like
"You wanna play in front of the largest crowd ever assembled for a college football game, kid? I'll be in touch."
And then start a burnout on a Harley before peeling out and heading into a maroon and orange sunset.
I went to GCHS, VA and now live in Kingsport,TN and there have been rumors of this happening for years now and I cannot believe it is finally going down. I will be there no doubt!!!
LOOK AT THEM. LOOK AT ALL THE SALTY MICHIGAN FANS THAT ARE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR RECORD BEING IN JEOPARDY.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=702468669771978&set=a.1669428433...
Facebook, though, is where you go when you want to feel better about your sports knowledge.
That one Ohio State fan seems pretty salty too. Sigh, poor Big Ten, they will never know what real football is and what real football fans are like.
The B1G Ten is the "sick man" of college football. Has been for over a decade.
What a bunch of classless d-bags. I am floored at how sad the Michigan folks are, I understand all teams have their fringes, but they are crying like little babies.
Wow, it's really disappointing to see Michigan fans posting like a bunch of spoiled brats who have nothing more to hang onto than an attendance record. Their football history is so very rich and they still have the most wins in college FB history. Why all the sour grapes? It's a once in a lifetime event, unless some of the other Nascar tracks take notice and start staging similar events, which would not necessarily be a bad thing, might be a rousing success, plus it could generate some great OOC match-ups. Jealousy is an ugly face to wear guys, college football fans expect more out of Michigan than whiney babies.
^ gets it
Anyone feeling the need to reply to them should tell them it was a catch
At half time Hokie Bird vs Smokey in a 10 lap shoot out! #HokiesvsSmokies
Gag me. How the Tennessee fans are acting that I'm friends with on Facebook... We need an all maroon everything this time for sure. No orange. But our orange is prettier than theirs. They have that bright tacky shade.
They say they're going to have a strong team then, but we should too. Kendall and Kyle will be seniors (if they haven't gone to the NFL), all the people in 2014 class and the FAB 5. It's an exciting time to be a Hokie!
Not the best orange indeed. They still haven't figured out that wearing that color won't stop them from getting shot when they molest a farmer's sheep.
In fact, they seem to be rather proud of the attention it draws.
NTTAWWT /oblig
Thanks for the deliverance visual
BTW do you know how to get beer out of a keyboard?
Sure. Hold the keyboard over your head, so the beer drains into your mouth. When in this position, it helps if a buddy pours some bourbon over the keyboard to make sure you get all the beer washed out.
if ever there was a time for all maroon everything, this is that time. we wear all maroon, they wear all orange, with the fans split right down the middle.
160,000 wearing maroon and orange. . .
this is pretty significant for our program
It'll look like the Red River Rivalry. And it will be sweet
Did you listen to the sports monster this morning? I like to listen to the idiots who call in and have zero football IQ. It's entertaining radio. Anyway, UT fans are so delusional. Listening to them, you would think Tennessee is competing for SEC championships every year despite the fact that they haven't had a winning record since we beat them in 2009.
Appropriate restaurant for this matchup:
It's across from the Johnson City, TN mall and about 20 minutes from the track for anyone who is not from the area :)
I'll be playing this on loop until kickoff
Thank you for posting this. I was there. Just behind the band as a Sophomore. It blows my mind how much more I know about the players on our team and the game in general (thanks French, Mason, Joe,...) But DAMN! Almost every Hokie mentioned in those highlights are in the league. Can you image what we will do with the new coaches and the talent we are recruiting? I'm so pumped! Someone come drink me!
lol at the announcers: "ryan williams just needs 110 yards to break devin williams' single season rushing record."
My family in Bristol is already texting me trash talking. It's going to be a long three years of family feudin til 2016. I'm up for it!!!!
I saw this on twitter, but thought it was hilarious.
This game is now the "Skoal Bowl"
So Pumped
Also, I HATE Tennessee. HATE. More than UVA, more than GT, more than Miami. I HATE Tennessee. I can't wait to crush them.
I feel you there, my friend.
That's the absolute best description of UT's ugly orange that I have ever heard. "It's that puke, inside of a pumpkin orange. And I don't like pumpkin."
If I could give you a turkey leg I would.
I'm putting in my request for Time Off now. I'll be packing the family into the camper and spending the weekend at the speedway.
HORSE ON A SPEEDWAY, YOU GUYS
So, we're renting multiple RVs buying hundreds if kegs and having the greatest tailgate ever known to man with all the TKP community right?
LETS GO!!!!!!!!
THIS!
we need to start planing this
I will do whatever is necessary to make this happen
One keg, ah ah ah, Two keg, ah ah ah... Screw it, a hundred kegs, ah ah ah
I like the way you "Count" your kegs! +1
I live ten minutes away but my dad's already called his friend to say we're going to rent an RV for the weekend :)
A TKP tailgate would be the greatest thing ever. I know this is 3 years out, but I would love to help with the planning, etc. Hell, I think this community is reaching a critical mass were we could start doing things at home games. I've only made it to one game this year, but if someone posted where their tailgate was I would happily bring bourbon and brats to pitch in. I think getting a group of us together for games would be a great thing.
Ill be at the MD game and I am a competition BBQer. Pulled pork and brisket anyone??
This idea was kicking around in my head before you mentioned this. I'll be at the Maryland game, although I don't have a tailgating spot. It would be great to put something together depending on what everyone can bring. What would be really great is if we could raise a little money for a local charity while we're doing it. Basically a banging tailgate, drunkfest, and a mini-charity event.
Get drunk for charity?
That's inventing the future right there!
I'd suggest trying to raise money and/or food items for the local food bank. They are always in need and I have always found it a bit sad to see the huge amounts of food at tailgates when there are people within just a few miles who go hungry on a daily basis. There are many good causes; this is just one that came to mind. Come to think of it, that game may be Hokies for the Hungry, so I could see it as an opportunity for TKP to either support that effort or do something completely different if the MVs have the whole food thing covered.
The MVs can always use more canned food. The goal is one can for every fan and while we get several thousand cans of food, we never come close to one per fan. Maybe TKP can make it happen
GENIUS!!!
Pulled pork AND brisket?!! Can we please make this happen?
Stood next to a fellow TKPer at the UNC game in East. Was awesome to joke with someone about #DDMPT when Rodgers almost stuck it in.
Yeah, I was really laying on the cheering for Rodgers. Got a lot of funny looks.
Busted out with " Chuck Norris wants to be Sam Rodgers!" Got cheers and a high 5.
Section 13. Lot 16.
Ok guys, I know the grammar police has been out and about recently, but:
I only say it because I am worried about your safety
*have*
ftfy
your insufferable
*you're*
I can't wait to see Bristol packed with 160k+. When do tickets open up? Not soon enough...
Guess Weaver had to wait for Sam Rogers approval which is why this took so long!
I think we have a pretty good chance of keeping Facyson and Fuller all four years since this game would be their senior year. If I were a football player, I'D want to stick around for something like this...
Wishful thinking. You'd probably want to be a multi-millionaire sooner than later too. I hope they stay but I have a feeling at least one will gone by then.
So when can I get tickets?
Yeah, these Michigan idiots are getting my nerves. They seriously aren't understand why Virginia Tech and Tennessee were chosen to play this game. Because of them being so close from Bristol! Sorry that doesn't have anything to do with Ohio State and Michigan
I told my 10 year old son about the game and he said "So it looks like I get to take a day off of school early that year so we can go and see VT beat an SEC team until they cry!"
Parenting. You're doing it right. Give your kid a high five on behalf of the entire Hokie community.
His first game was against BC when VT held them to SIX yards in the first half. He was so mad that BC got a first down on the last play of the half to get them out of the negative!!
hell give that kid a sip of your next beer, he earned it!
Crowd estimated to be 160,000!? That's almost 160,000 more than the number of people at a UVA spring game!
Is it sad that I want to take another semester at tech just to go to this?
We really need to make initiative to fill that stadium at least half full of Hokies! So many Tennessee fans are saying that it will be all them filling it. I want to prove them wrong. Everyone needs to travel to this game if they're capable of it.
I'll be there with a crew of folks
I really want a B1 flyover for this game.
to add to the ridiculousness of this, they should get 4 B1 bombers flying in close formation like the Blue Angels...
that wold be the only fitting flyover
I read a few years back that they were offering each team $1,000,000 so I was just wondering what number would make it worth it for both teams and when it would get done. Makes since to me.
This game will be priceless when it comes to recruiting!!!
Goodness gracious the news media here pisses me off. Channel 11 in the tri-cities only showed Tennessee highlights and barely even mentioned Virginia Tech other than that they're playing us. Then going on to say they got another 4-star recruit this week? Well?... So did we... Can't mention that, might piss the Vols off.
EDIT: And yes, the recruiting from this is awesome! What kid wouldn't want to be involved in something like this? I noticed C.J. Reavis was talking about it on his Twitter. Poor little UVA won't get anything in the next few years to come, hahahahahhaha
I told my son about this, and his first response was "Why would they want to play a football game at a racetrack?", to which I replied, "There are 160,000 reasons....the largest crowd to ever witness a football game....ever!" His response was, "Oh my gosh...we have GOT to go!"
From twitter
This... is so beautiful :')
Hell to the Y. E. S.
The scale is a bit off, but looks amazing:
YEE FRIGGIN HAW Y'ALL!!!!!!!!!!!
sorry mom, i'll now be staying a 5th year...
The Bristol newspaper mentions that the owner of the track offered each school $20 million in 2005 to make the matchup more enticing. Not sure if that is still the offer, since the announcement that the game is taking place doesn't happen till Monday. Hey, this might not even be happening! Just like Hokies might not beat UVA this year! Yeah, what is in my cereal this morning? Both are sure bets.
Piggybacking on this comment - has there been any report as to what each team will get paid for this game? It would be hilariously dumb if they turned down the reported $20 million each in 2005 only to get like $2 million each in 2016, but this also isn't quite the marquee matchup it would have been eight years ago.
to semi-answer my own question from AB's chat today:
Comment From Bill
The figure mentioned for playing the BMS game 2 years ago is $20 million per team; is that the same amount being offered for the 2016 game?
AB: Consider me highly skeptical. I think both VT and Bama took home $2.5 million for playing in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff. So that means this Bristol game would pay 8 times as much? For a game that's going to require some significant alterations to the stadium to be able to play a football game? I think it'll be a hearty sum of money. Otherwise neither school would do it. But $20 million sounds like fantasyland money to me. I guess we'll find out Monday
Time for Beamer to pull out the "Play in front of 160000+? Come to Virginia Tech and YOU CAN DO THAT!!!"
This has been said but needs to be restated...football in the middle, NASCAR on the outside. My kids will be 6 and 4 by then, seems like a damn fine age to learn the great American tradition of RVing!
My kids will be 6 and 4 also! Would make a killer first VT game for them!
This is great news and I'll definitely be there! I'll be bringing along all of the good fortune from when I last saw this match up in the Georgia Dome for the Chick-fil-a Bowl. #BLOWOUT
This game is gonna be nuts, cant wait to go with all my Tennessee family and laugh in their face when we blow them out... In front of ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY THOUSAND!!!
My biggest concern: with just under 70k Hokie fans, earthquakes are created... what kind of catastrophic natural event will be unleashed by 160k Hokie fans?! I'm not sure, but I'm damn sure pumped to find out.
Now, all we need to hope for is being able to bring your own coolers of beer into the game!!
And hope we dont end up like this:
A few practical thoughts:
1. Holy fucknuts. I never thought this would happen. Ok, now that reaction is over.....
2. Beamer needs to coach this game. He should announce this as his last year.
3. These two teams need to be ...you know....good. Butch Jones is a helluva coach and will probably get them back up and running, but they need to be better than SEC adequate. As much as it hurts to encourage this, we need UT to get back to nationally relevant in 3 years. VT has the same pressure, right now we're on the fringe of nationally relevant.
4. This has to be a focus of recruiting. Be part of the biggest game in college football history. Somebody call DeShawn Hand up one more time.
5. If I was Bristol/ESPN, I would roll out a synthetic field. You don't have to worry about sod and edges.
6. Damn this is awesome. I don't go to games much anymore, but I'm going to need a ticket to this.
College Gameday should be there to boot!
it'll be a nooner
Does anyone know what the largest crowd for a non-motorsport sporting event is?
So, sporting event, you mean.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Est%C3%A1dio_do_Maracan%C3%A3
Brazil-Uruguay World Cup Final in 1950 supposedly drew 199,854 fans
Funny. My first trip to the BMS and it will be for a VT football game. Nice! My friends and I are already planning!
LOL
I'll be 21 for this game!!
#NASCARFLOW
Anybody think this could sway some big time recruits our way? Possibly Hand, Settle etc.
WCYB and Channel 11 in Bristol said they'd have live coverage of the press conference on Monday so I'll definitely be watching now that it's confirmed that Beamer and Jones will be there. Hopefully there'll be some online live link for everyone else to watch.
The 2009 Peach Bowl was just too sweet. Nobody loved watching that game more and seeing us drive Tennessee like a nail more than I did. And now this? I will definitely be there.
PS: I love you Hokiegirl. You love the Hokies and hate Tennessee. That's all I really require.
That was my all time favorite game I've ever been to. Not because it was particularly exciting but because it all Bristol was talking about and the trash-talking was no more. Yet they still write, "Virginia Tech doesn't deserve a rivalry with us. We're in the SEC. They have no business even competing with us."
Everytime I see a post like that I comment "37-14" regardless whether I really know the person all too well or not.
But, why, thank you! :) Been hating Tennessee and loving Virginia Tech since I was five years old!
Went to school with a bunch of Tennessee fans and they all gave me a hard time about the Gator Bowl in 1994. So when I saw the VT-Tennessee matchup for the Peach Bowl in 2009 I knew in my heart that revenge would be mine. And now I don't hear a peep from all the Vol fans. I know it was 37-14 but I wanted 40+ so bad. We almost got there by golly.
For perspective, here's what Lane Stadium looks like inside Bristol Motor Speedway at 100 ft. on Bing Maps.
That's just insanity right there. Dear Lord, it's huge...
Yeah, bringing a pair of binocs would probably be a good idea.
Can someone please photoshop Sam Rogers into this? While most Sam Rogers jokes are getting a little played out, this is a perfect opportunity.
EDIT: Image Updated
(edited above)
just watch it on your phone.
I'mma have to get me top of the line seats for this. For once, I'm glad my mom knows about everyone in Bristol. Time for that PTA mom to take some action.
Tennessee is bragging that they bring 102,000 to home-games so between them (I'm not concerned about them bringing their part, especially with all the Vols fans in Bristol) and our 66,000 (we need to get that many to come, or better) and many fans that are coming to just to see how this works, we should have an honest goodness shot of filling this up.
Damn that's crazy, thanks for sharing. Kind of seems like it may be difficult to see the action from most of the seats. Anybody that's ever been to bristol and/or a nascar speedway care to chime in? I'm going regardless but lack of jumbotrons and the gradual incline of the seats just make it seem like some vantage points will really suck.
It'll probably be like the Winter Classic for the NHL. You can't really see anything but you get to say you were there.
I've never actually been to a race but I go to the speedway in lights every year (pretty neat, if anyone can come down for it, you should. If nothing else, just to scope everything out and say you drove your car on the track) and standing in the middle of the track makes it look like pretty much everyone could see but of course I have no idea how'd that be for a football game.
But they were saying on the news last night that if anyone could pull this off, it'd be Bruton Smith. He's going to go all out, he wants this really bad. There was a mention of building jumbo-trons. I'm still just so giddy. I never imagined my little home-town in the middle of nowhere would be host to the largest college football game ever and is getting national attention. I love it.
Everyone needs to experience Pals if you aren't from the the Tri-Cities. Rhythm and Roots is the weekend following this IF this is September 10th and this would probably be the same weekend as the Washington County, VA fair. Not to mention the race-fans usually stay a long time after the race is over, they especially might for this. Our Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops with outlet stores and restaurants will have just opened and exit 7 is a mad-house already. Bristol is going to be hectic. I prayyyy Game-Day would show up for something as awesome as this.
Did the Christmas lights thing one year when the kids were little and we were at my parents house for Christmas. This was back before the rumors of a football game were floated (2003-ish, maybe?). It was pretty cool, especially driving around the track. The impressions that it left with me is: 1. Those turns are a lot steeper than they look on tv!, 2.Wow, the stadium is impressive! I bet you could have a football game here!. 3. Why do I have to stay under 20 mph?? (of course, I was in a mini-van, and I don't think it would have done very well in the turns at speed)
I've been to plenty of races in Bristol and I would definitely avoid getting tickets in the upper deck, specifically Wallace Tower, if you want to actually see the game. Even on the front row, you are going to be quite far away from the field as you will have the width of the track plus pit lane plus a little more between you and field. It's basically going to be like watching a football game across a 4 line highway while sitting in bleachers.
That's not to say there are any actual obstructions from seeing the field, just that you will need binoculars to read players' numbers.
Meredith claims right here as her seat :)
Now this is more like it. Better perspective here on the view. Not bad, not bad at all.
Here's a view from our seats.
Would guess it's around the 40 yard line, close to midway up.
Thanks for the pics guys/gals. My friends and I have been joking how we can't wait to go but won't be able to see the game (similar to vtfly's comment above about winter classic) but these pictures make me feel better about actually watching the game. Can't wait!
Those humans in the middle of the parking lot are tiny. I guess it's not necessarily about the view, but just being at the event. Still going to go, even if it's like watching ants move in formation.
Only one word befitting of such tremendous news: SUPERTITS!!!!!!
Bruton Smith (track owner) is the truth. He'll see to it that you'll be able to see all the action and that this will be the game of the decade. I have no doubt it in my mind that this will be top notch with him pulling the strings. I can see him building a jumbo tron like at Charlotte Motor Speedway just for this game.
2014: Ohio State
2015: Ohio State,
2016: A&M, Notre Dame, Tennesse
2017: A&M, Clemson
2018: FSU
2019: Wisconsin
2020: Wisconsin, Michigan
2021: WVU, Michigan
2022: Penn State, WVU
2023: Penn State, FSU
Thought the A&M series fell through?
It did.
http://www.thekeyplay.com/content/2013/september/4/report-virginia-tech-...
Yes.
Very impressive slate, nonetheless
It is. There's a distinct BIG10 flavor to it; I'd be very happy to see a few SEC or PAC12 matchups in the coming years.
PSA: I'm not trying to open up a can of worms here.
We shouldn't be complaining, at all, about this OOC schedule. The PAC12 is tough because of travel and the SEC is basically competing for best SOS with the new playoff format coming. Playing an ACC team when they can play B1G or Pac12 opponents just isn't smart for that. If we get our program up to the level we know it can be at then we'll start seeing more SEC opponents in the future.
Also, we just played two games with Bama in the span of four years and we're playing UT. We also tried to get a matchup with aTm but that fell through. Weaver deserves a lot of credit for what he's done here. Unless one of these games just falls through, we will have a very nice schedule for the foreseeable future.
Hopefully no one thought I was complaining, just sort of dreaming :) I credit Weaver with putting together an excellent OOC lineup, the likes of which I'm not sure we've ever seen. It's impressive and I'm looking forward to it. Your points about travel and SEC scheduling issues are good ones, it would just be fun to have some of the other top programs come in and play us, even if it doesn't happen for another 10-12 years.
I didn't think you were really complaining. I was just pointing out my thoughts and didn't want to start a long Logan v. Leal type of thread where people were just bashing heads arguing. Haha.
I think everyone on here would agree that we'd love to go head-to-head with the SEC every year.
Does anyone think a press conference like this would be public? My dad and I really want to go Monday morning.
They will add 28,000 seats around the track and infield to seat a total of 188,000 people.
That's awesome! I was hoping they'd fill in with extra seats. Where'd you see that?
Here's where I saw it...
They will probably sell every ticket to it. You'd be crazy not to think that college football fans in general won't want to show up for this. I actually think there will be more VT fans since the non-Vols SEC fans will refuse to root for them. Joe, you need a TKP t-shirt booth at the entrance so we can outfit all of our new friends.
as much as other SEC fans hate the Vols, they'll still pull for SEC over any other conference. I've seen it happen first hand
I guess that kills my theory.
Given the neck of the woods that Bristol is located, I wouldn't bet that Hokies will outnumber the Vols.
Neyland seats over 102k buy itself...and they will travel for this game. You won't have to worry about non-Vol $EC fans scrounging for tix.
We're expecting 28,000 more people now? I'm getting chills thinking of 188,000 college football fans and Enter Sandman blaring. It's going to be loud.
I hope I can can get a good seat to this but regardless, where ever you sit, it's honestly going to be an event that you can tell your grandchildren you went to. This will be much more than a sporting event. Geez Louise. I pray BMS will be filled with a sea of Orange and Maroon (not the gaudy, tacky orange either).
Will Tennessee's band play "Rocky Top" when VT comes out to "enter sandman" like they did in 2009 at the Peach Bowl? That burnt my ass to a crisp.
I sure hope not. Nothing made me more mad. Alabama started playing "Sweet Home Alabama"
at the game August 31st and I was still more mad at Tennessee. Nothing is more disrespectful. I'm going to throw a fit if that happens here because I genuinely want to experience jumping with 188,000 fans.
I seriously doubt this. I think they'll be hard pressed to get 160K in. Not because they can't sell tickets, but because they'll probably move the field to one end of the infield and completely block out one of the turns. I would picture a horseshoe of the track and then temp stands built up in the middle of the infield to close the shoe in.
This will be a one for the ages
Doesn't take a genius to see which orange is better.
Just to add to all this. I have a friend that used to work for a newspaper in my hometown. He moved down to the SWVA area a few years ago and now covers a lot of high school sports. But, he also covers the Bristol races every year. He knows that track better than any of us on here probably do. Give him a follow to keep informed from the Bristol perspective. I know Andy will do a fantastic job, but this guy's just closer 24/7 and would be a great resource to ask questions to. He also has a sense of humor that would go over well on this site, so you guys should like him.
He likes Chicago sports teams and wishes Jay Cutler was his BFF.
I know him pretty well. He really supported John Battle (my old HS) last year with the loss of our athletic director and our football team going to the finals. He does have a very good sense of humor!